U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Andrew Shepherd delivers a left jab while loading an overhand right against Germany's Erken Teper in the heavyweight finale at the Gachibowli GMCB indoor stadium during the Military World Games at Hyderabad, India, Oct. 20, 2007. Shepherd won the gold medal. Photo by Tim Hipps, FMWRC Public Affairs  Hi Res

"Besides my five-year-old son being born, this is certainly the greatest moment of my life," said Shepherd, 26, a WCAP boxer stationed at Fort Carson, Colo. "Seeing our flag being raised and hearing our national anthem being played made me think about all the Soldiers serving overseas in harm's way."

When Shepherd climbed into the ring to face Germany's Erken Teper in the final boxing bout of the 2007 Military World Games, he believed Team USA was still competing for its first and only gold medal of the Games.

"Honestly, with no Americans having won a gold medal, the pressure got to me," admitted Shepherd, who fought tentatively in the first round. "It took a couple of hard shots to wake me up."

If two brutal punches did not do the trick, U.S. head boxing coach Basheer Abdullah's demonstrative instructions between rounds one and two certainly got Shepherd's attention. Had Shepherd known the U.S. women's formation skydiving team had secured a gold medal earlier in the day, he probably would have gotten busy earlier in the fray.

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Joe Guzman of Fort Carson, Colo., fights for a silver medal against Elyorbek Gulomov of Uzbekistan in the 91k finale at the Gachibowli GMCB indoor stadium during the Military World Games at Hyderabad, India, Oct. 20, 2007. Shepherd won the gold medal. Photo by Tim Hipps, FMWRC Public Affairs  Hi Res

"It would've helped," Shepherd admitted. "It would've helped."

Abdullah knew the scenario but wanted Shepherd to believe that Team USA's fate still rested on his heavyweight's broad shoulders.

"I'm sure that our military mission is hurting a lot of our sports, but we wanted to top it off by getting that gold medal," Abdullah said. "We definitely didn't want our country to go back home without any gold, so the pressure was on us and we responded to it."

Shepherd, a 1999 graduate of Union Pines High School in Cameron, N.C., responded by exhibiting the ferociousness Abdullah has been seeking since the heavyweight from Fort Eustis, Va., joined WCAP in January of 2006.

"Ever since the start of the third round of his first fight, he's turned it up," Abdullah said of Shepherd's performances at the Military World Games. "He showed me what I've been looking for since he's been in WCAP. He had a hell of a performance in the semifinals. That was the type of boxing I've been waiting to see for a very long time. He really let it go. He was mean. He was powerful. He was physical."

For only the second time in his boxing career -- the other coming at the U.S. Olympic Boxing Team Trials two months ago in Houston -- Shepherd had to weigh in for four fights in one week. He came up two bouts short in Houston. This time, he went the distance and won a 15-7 decision.

U.S. Army Sgt. John Franklin of Fort Carson, Colo. stalks China's Linzhi Gao during the 51k finale at the Gachibowli GMCB indoor stadium during the Military World Games at Hyderabad, India, Oct. 20, 2007. Shepherd won the gold medal. Photo by Tim Hipps, FMWRC Public Affairs  Hi Res

"Everything clicked at the right time," said Shepherd, addding that his inspiration came from Army WCAP teammates Sgt. John Franklin and Staff Sgt. Joe Guzman, who both won silver medals.

"John Franklin had to make weight, so he couldn't eat or drink what he wanted to eat or drink," Shepherd explained. "He had to dig deep down for intestinal fortitude, being without energy and going out there and competing the way he did. That gave me inspiration to go out there and do the same. And Joe Guzman went through three surgeries, but he still was able to advance to a silver medal. We were feeding off each other."

Franklin, 23, of Fort Carson, lost a 19-5 decision to China's Linzhi Gao in the 51-kilogram finale.

"It was a good bout all the way through, but making this weight for a long period of time really got to me," said Franklin, a three-time U.S. Armed Forces champion from Kansas City, Mo. "I'm moving up to the 119-pound division and this is my last time fighting in this weight class, so I wanted to go out with a bang.

"I think this was a great experience," Franklin continued. "This is the best way for me to end it. I could've got the gold. I should've got the gold. But I was blessed with the silver medal and that's what I take into appreciation. I just want to thank my coach because I got myself to the quarterfinals and he got me past it -- and we got all the way to the finals. My first two matches couldn't have gone better for me."

U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program Staff Sgt. Joe Guzman (right) credited Army coaches Basheer Abdullah and Ron Simms (left) for getting three U.S. Armed Forces boxers into the finals of the 4th CISM Military World Games Oct. 20 in Hyderabad, India. "They know us inside and out," said Guzman, who won a silver medal in the 91-kilogram division. Photo by Tim Hipps, FMWRC Public Affairs  Hi Res

During the semifinals, Franklin was winning 24-21 when the Korean opponent's coach threw in the towel with 30 seconds remaining in the fourth and final round. The score was tied after rounds two and three.

The boxers exchanged a flurry of body shots in the fourth round before Franklin took a three-point lead with left hooks to the body and head with about 45 seconds left.

"I just kept stepping to him and we were banging each other," Franklin said. "I hurt my left elbow in the third round. It really hurts now. I can barely straighten it out, but I'm a warrior so I'll just keep fighting through it. I can handle anything, Sir."

Abdullah was impressed with Franklin's performances during a 16-11 win over Kenya's Kariuki Samvel and a 12-9 conquest of Uzbekistan's boxer.

"Franklin had two previous bouts that were action packed," Abdullah said after the finale. "This was his first time going this deep into a tournament -- an international tournament, at that. His semifinal bout was his best performance since he signed with WCAP."

The referee stopped Staff Sgt. Joe Guzman's gold-medal bout against Uzbekistan's Elyorbek Gulomov in the third round with Guzman trailing 27-7. Amateur bouts are stopped when the point differential reaches 20.

"I was out there giving it my all and banging with this guy blow for blow and throwing hooks," Guzman said. "I'm upset because it got stopped, but I did my best."

During the past two years, Guzman has twice undergone shoulder surgery and bounced back from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.

"I'll just go back to the drawing board and keep on truckin'," he said. "I would like to thank coach Abdullah and assistant coach Ron Simms. They know us inside and out. We would not be here without them."

Competing in his first international tournament, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Samuel Martinez of Camp Lejeune, N.C., received a bronze medal after losing 24-4 to Russia's Zubok Alexei in the 64-kilogram semifinals.

"He stomped on me," Martinez said. "That guy is good. He's above the amateur status, but I did my best. I went out there and had some fun and left the ring smiling and holding my head up. It was a great experience just to be here. I got a medal and it was well worth it. I have nothing to regret. I left it all in the ring against a real technical guy."

Along the way, Martinez posted a 24-4 victory over Tunisia's Ali Shili in a bout that was stopped in the third round. He also prevailed 11-4 against Abdallah Baony of Jordan.

"This was my first year of competing at Armed Forces and I went all the way to the Worlds," said Martinez, 21, who began boxing at age 14. "Sooner or later, my goal is to be number one in the country. When I get out of the Marine Corps, I want to turn pro, so this was the Olympics for me. Out of 24 boxers in my weight class, I'm among the top four, so that's pretty good."

Abdullah concurred by calling Martinez "an overachiever."

"Martinez is probably the surprise boxer on the U.S. team," Abdullah said. "He's improved a hell of a lot since the Olympic Trials. He had a heck of a performance here. I'm so pleased with his hard work. The Russian he lost to is one of the most technical boxers in the tournament. Not only is he very technical, he is very strong in that weight division. Martinez is just a bit too young for that caliber of a fighter."

All in all, Abdullah said he could not have asked any more of his team.

"This is, by far, the best team performance by this class of boxers in this quadrenium," Abdullah said. "They've really started to show that they are growing as boxers. We just hope that they continue to grow and it carries over until 2012."

Nobody in this group of Army WCAP boxers had more than 20 bouts on his resume at the 2006 U.S. National Championships.

"I think the experience of the Olympic Trials is starting to kick in," Abdullah said. "It's a combination of them being determined and wanting to be successful and putting them in a good program where they can become some of the best in the nation and some of the best in the world."

Although only Army Staff Sgt. Christopher Downs made the 2008 Olympic Team, Shepherd, who finished fourth at the Olympic Trials, said the Military World Games experience has him Olympic dreaming again.

"It was a bit overwhelming at first when we got to Indiantown Gap and saw all of the athletes there," he said of more than 150 U.S. Armed Forces athletes who staged in Pennsylvania for two days before departing to India. "It just dawns on you that you are among some of the world's best athletes, and there's nothing like it."