How much does a stellar Amateur record set you up for a promosing Pro Career?

I'm interested to get the views of you guys on this, as when a fighter starts out with very little amateur experience, people are quick to suggest he won't go far, but when a fighter is a top amateur turning pro, people expect that to translate into the pros.

I can think of plenty of examples of top amateurs who didn't make it as a pro, and the recent thread about Anthony Ogogo got me thinking. So my question is, how much stock do you put into a quality amateur record for a fighter turning pro?

Top amateurs have expectation on them when they turn pro, so their failure stands out.

Being a top amateur doesn't mean you'll be a top pro but it clearly helps to have lots of amateur experience.

I would strongly bet that the list of fighters with no amateur experience, having success in the pros, is far smaller than those with vast amateur experience.

None. Top amateur record doesn't set you up for a bestseller pro career. If you ain't no entertainer you ain't no pro-bestseller. A 69-0 amateur record doesn't mean nuts for a shooting-star pro-career.



/thread :cool:

It's rare you get top pro that wasn't a top Amateur.

• Lennox Lewis
• Roy Jones
• Oscar De Hoya
• Ray Leonard
• Evander Holyfield
• Riddick Bowe
• Meldrick Taylor

All were top amateurs who went on to be top pro's

You had other fighters like Hopkins, Hagler that did not have much of amateur career, not due to talent but more due to cirumstances, hagler turned pro early and Hopkins went into boxing after Jail

A lof of the great Latino and Asian fighters, Duran, Ricardo Lopez, Pac-Man, Salvador Sanchez. Marco Barrera, Trindad, Julio CeasarChavez turn pro early. I do believe that had all the great Latino and Asian stayed amateus and went to the Olympics. I think the dominance of the Cuban's and USA teams of the 60's, 70's, 80s and 90 would have been lessened

Hopkins had 100 amateur fights before going to jail. He won junior titles from when he was 9

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Originally Posted by bzkfn

I'm interested to get the views of you guys on this, as when a fighter starts out with very little amateur experience, people are quick to suggest he won't go far, but when a fighter is a top amateur turning pro, people expect that to translate into the pros.

I can think of plenty of examples of top amateurs who didn't make it as a pro, and the recent thread about Anthony Ogogo got me thinking. So my question is, how much stock do you put into a quality amateur record for a fighter turning pro?

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A huge majority of the "experts"; trainers, boxing scribes, announcers, commentators, analysts, managers, boxers, fans and promoters say amateur experience is good. The longer the better.
I would say it's like every job, the more experience you have the better you will do.
All the experts are looking at the amateurs with good records just like employers look at college grads, they're looking for people with a proven record, those who stick with it. That's where they want to put their time and money.
Sometimes it doesn't work out, I'll start the list with Audley Harrison because his name seems to piss off all the UK boxing fans. Add as many as you can.

Obviously we can fill up the thread with great amateurs who were awful pros, and awful/non-amateurs who were great pros, but I don't think anyone would argue that a wealth of amateur experience is a HUGE asset to any pro career.

Like mentioned above, it's the expectations set on them that makes their occasional failure stand out.

The reasons for the failures are often personal IMO, and not related to amateur experience not helping in the pros. A lot of times these guys get too much too soon and lose their hunger, or get thrown to the wolves too quickly.

Having a good amateur career is helpful to have when you start your pro career but is not a guarantee that you will become world champion. Most top fighters today have had some amateur experience. Audley Harrison is the best example of someone who failed to live up to that amateur potential. A lot of Mexican fighters start young and build up their experience in the professional ranks like Julio Ceaser Chavez.