Boxing: America's fighters were garbage, claims Toney

Errol Spence leaves the ring after defeat by Russia's Andrey Zamkovoy (Reuters)

The United States men's boxing team that exited the Olympics without a medal for the first time were "garbage" and not worth watching, multiple weight world champion James Toney has said.

The much-vaunted nine men from America were expected to right the wrongs of the Beijing Games, where they took home just one bronze – their worst Olympic performance – but failed to live up to the hype in London.

Toney, who won world titles at middleweight, super-middleweight and cruiserweight and now holds the IBU heavyweight title, was not impressed by his compatriots. "Worst team ever. B-Class," the 43-year-old said. "They weren't worth watching, every single one of them was garbage."

Flyweight Rau'shee Warren lost his opening bout for the third consecutive Olympics and said he was heading for the professional ranks. Teenage bantamweight Jose Diaz and lightweight Jose Ramirez are other members of the London team who are ditching the amateurs for the lure of money and fame.

Welterweight Errol Spence, the last man to fall in the biggest US boxing team to compete in an Olympics, said he wanted previous medallists to return and help for the 2016 Games.

Toney offered his services for a role within the coaching set-up to help add to their record 48 golds but expected it would be rejected.

"James Toney is too controversial. I'm the last old-school fighter. I would clean the house out," Toney, who has a professional record of 74 wins, seven losses and three draws, said.

Toney is instead trying to sort out his next fight. After a bout with Poland's IBF world champion Tomasz Adamek was called off, Toney is targeting a fight with undefeated Briton Tyson Fury, who also represents Ireland.