The heavyweight competition was the second-highest weight class featured in amateur boxing at the 2008 Summer Olympics, and was held at the Workers Indoor Arena.

Heavyweights were limited to a maximum of 91 kilograms in body mass.

[1] Like all Olympic boxing events, the competition was a straight single-elimination tournament.

Both semifinal losers were awarded bronze medals, so no boxers competed again after their first loss.

This was the first time since 1968 that Cuba did not win the gold medal in this weight class while it was participating (i.e. excluding boycotts in 1984 and 1988).