Thread: to fight again as an amatuer or turn pro

hi guys im new to these forum things!
im 31 started boxing at age 10 and had 20 junior bouts won 12 lost 8,fought some national champions and provioncial champions,retired at 17 and kept training returned to the ring at 27yrs of age and had two seniour open fights,won 1 by tko and the other lost 26-24 on stamina lol,now for the last 4yrs i have been training on and off and have also been running my own gym with some very good up and coming boys,i spar regulary and still get the itch everytime i get n the ring!!!
i would love to box again as its in my blood and boxing is my life,im worried about staying amatuer and being able to get fights because im a trainer also im just ya average run of the mill middleweight/lite heavy weight,in the back of my mind im abit put off as i think people might expect me to be better as i am and dnt want my losses to influence the good job i do training my boys in peoples minds,,im not out to break any records just enjoy what im good at,now pro is another option as a little xtra income would help my gym!!!
any advice or input would be awesome

Originally Posted by dan rooney

hi guys im new to these forum things!
im 31 started boxing at age 10 and had 20 junior bouts won 12 lost 8,fought some national champions and provioncial champions,retired at 17 and kept training returned to the ring at 27yrs of age and had two seniour open fights,won 1 by tko and the other lost 26-24 on stamina lol,now for the last 4yrs i have been training on and off and have also been running my own gym with some very good up and coming boys,i spar regulary and still get the itch everytime i get n the ring!!!
i would love to box again as its in my blood and boxing is my life,im worried about staying amatuer and being able to get fights because im a trainer also im just ya average run of the mill middleweight/lite heavy weight,in the back of my mind im abit put off as i think people might expect me to be better as i am and dnt want my losses to influence the good job i do training my boys in peoples minds,,im not out to break any records just enjoy what im good at,now pro is another option as a little xtra income would help my gym!!!
any advice or input would be awesome

Welcome.

At first I was going to say 31 is a little to long in the tooth for this particular sport but then again you are training all the time. I mean look at what Martinez has done and he was a late starter.

Where do you live? I noticed you said Provinces so I assume you are a fellow Canuck.

I don't think you will make much money turning pro, being realistic.

Since your last competitive fight was 4 years ago and you had stamina issues, I would not rush into a professional fight.
I would at least test the waters first with a couple of Amateur fights, to see how comfortable you are at that level.

A trainer losing a few fights would not be a turn-off a boxer.
A few bad knock outs, or the trainer needing to take the fights for the money would have me running away.
This would have more chance of happening in the pro's.

Take a couple of Amateur fights, see how you feel before you turn pro.
You might find more competitive fights, experienced fighters in the amateurs so I would not rule it out because it is amateur boxing.

I say go for it. You only live once, you don't want to look back when you're 51 and say "I wonder what would have happened if I went pro."

Do it now while you can, don't listen to naysayers. Give it your all.

thanks for the replys i live way down in new zealand,i just want to stay active in the ring really,stamina prob was due to having time off with broken hand then 5wks training b4 last fight,as for the money thing,my gym is freehold and fully financed thru sponcership and community funded so plus i have a 50g plus a year job,dnt really need the money just love to have a few pro fights

given the chance you have mate id jump at it

whether or not id fight another am fight woudnt really matter to me as long as i was doing it

and it wouldnt be about the money

Originally Posted by dan rooney

thanks for the replys i live way down in new zealand,i just want to stay active in the ring really,stamina prob was due to having time off with broken hand then 5wks training b4 last fight,as for the money thing,my gym is freehold and fully financed thru sponcership and community funded so plus i have a 50g plus a year job,dnt really need the money just love to have a few pro fights

Well if it ain't about the money and you just want to have some pro fights, so at the end of the day can say you did, I'd say go for it. Just be careful about match ups etc. Know who you are getting in with, as not to be a murder victim for an up and comer. Which certainly does happen in the pros.

Originally Posted by dan rooney

thanks for the replys i live way down in new zealand,i just want to stay active in the ring really,stamina prob was due to having time off with broken hand then 5wks training b4 last fight,as for the money thing,my gym is freehold and fully financed thru sponcership and community funded so plus i have a 50g plus a year job,dnt really need the money just love to have a few pro fights

Ignorant of me to assume you were from Canada. New Zealand is on my bucket list. Once were Warriors is an all time fave of mine. Just a great flick. Good luck.

haha once were warriors is awesome, "cook the man some fucking eggs"
new zealand is amazing,being from canada i suspect you would have been/are still a arturo gatti fan
he was and still is 1 of my biggist insparations and boxing idols,pure heart and glory will never be another gatti EVER!!!

Originally Posted by dan rooney

haha once were warriors is awesome, "cook the man some fucking eggs"
new zealand is amazing,being from canada i suspect you would have been/are still a arturo gatti fan
he was and still is 1 of my biggist insparations and boxing idols,pure heart and glory will never be another gatti EVER!!!

Lol

Yup big Gatti fan. Overachiever. Had high hopes for Tua. Bit of an underachiever. Tua/Ike though is a fight for the ages.

to right loved watching gatti fight tua is the man over here,dnt think alot of shane cameron tho

Cameron is a spoon in a Yuri Geller act. No offense.

Don't turn professional.
It's the most disgusting industry imaginable.
Fight amateur as much as you can.

Originally Posted by Donny

Don't turn professional.
It's the most disgusting industry imaginable.
Fight amateur as much as you can.

While I agree with that Donny, gotta consider perspective. If ya already did it you can at the end of the day say to the grandkids, "I fought in the pros". This fella sounds like he just wants that too. Plus maybe see how he fares. I'd imagine it be much worse to go the full 9 yards in life, and wondering why ya never took a shot if it were close to your heart.