Can you be big with out a amateur career

I was at this tournament the other day and I was watching guys who usually have really nice technique look like complete crap, because the way they score in amateur you have to throw so many punches to win and there really wasn't much art to it. I would really rather have a few amateur fights and then go pro. But I was curious, are there, or have there been any really big names in pro boxing that didn't have a well known amateur career. almost everybig name I know has been to the Olympics or almost made it to the Olympics.

There have been a few, a few heavyweights spring to mind I just can't remember their names... :P

u cant judge amateur boxing just from a couple of boxers.... its more the other way around isnt it?? in pro boxing most ppl are just trying for the knock out punch whereas amateur u need to be more a boxer than a brawler... just my opinion

and amateur is where u attract promoters isnt it?? unless you can find one on your own and show ur skills somewhere else

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Originally Posted by 1boxer1

u cant judge amateur boxing just from a couple of boxers.... its more the other way around isnt it?? in pro boxing most ppl are just trying for the knock out punch whereas amateur u need to be more a boxer than a brawler... just my opinion

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I see where you coming from, the reason that amatuer boxing can look scrappy and brawlish though is really for these two reasons:

a) The kids don't know what they are doing (its not really hard to get an amatuer bout, even if you can't box... just finda poor club)

b) You have 6 minutes to convince the judges who the winner is, 6 hard minutes, but its still not a long time... ;)

Depends on what show you see, your not likely to see a future pro in most amatuer shows because nine times out of ten there will just be novice boxers on the bill. You'll seldom see an proper ABA tornumeants where you get good boxers.

For every boxer there will be 4 or 5 fighters/brawlers in the amatuers, especially at entry level. A crap brawler will normaly beat a decent novice boxer because at that level there defence can't cope with it.

Once you get a few fights under your wing you'll normally start fighting guys who can box and brawl... :D

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Originally Posted by Pitbull

I was at this tournament the other day and I was watching guys who usually have really nice technique look like complete crap, because the way they score in amateur you have to throw so many punches to win and there really wasn't much art to it. I would really rather have a few amateur fights and then go pro. But I was curious, are there, or have there been any really big names in pro boxing that didn't have a well known amateur career. almost everybig name I know has been to the Olympics or almost made it to the Olympics.

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Sonny liston fought as an amature for only 1 year before turning pro.

I'd say stick with amateurs. Unless you can beat those crappy brawlers 9 times out of 10, you'll probably get whupped by a pro. From the local events I've gone to, you can always tell which boxers will go pro, and which will stay amateurs for life. Even the first or second time pros seem leagues apart from the amateur brawlers.

Personally, I'd say just stick to your basics, learn to press the pace while keeping form, learn to move around. Use these bad boxers as target practice until you can beat any of them with ease. Then worry about a pro career.



(yay 100 posts ;D )

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Originally Posted by Heavy D

I'd say stick with amateurs. Unless you can beat those crappy brawlers 9 times out of 10, you'll probably get whupped by a pro. From the local events I've gone to, you can always tell which boxers will go pro, and which will stay amateurs for life. Even the first or second time pros seem leagues apart from the amateur brawlers.

Personally, I'd say just stick to your basics, learn to press the pace while keeping form, learn to move around. Use these bad boxers as target practice until you can beat any of them with ease. Then worry about a pro career.



(yay 100 posts ;D )

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Well done... ;) Good points, if I get a slugger I focus on defence and once they are burned out I press the attack (a 6 minute rumble in the Jungle :P) most sluggers have no game plan other than walk forwards and punch so thats all they do, which tires them out. just make sure that when defending you throw enough counters so that you win clearly... judges these days can be blind... :D

(I wouldn't recomend it if you yourself can't box, I've spent 1000s of hours in the gym focusing on defence and ringcraft, so I've got the confidence to do it to some one who can punch for 2 minutes of every round, if your a beginner... don't bother trying... the ref will stop it, you'll get KOd or you'll not have the experience to defend and win on points)

Many great fighters- Billy Conn, for example- had no amateur experience. The norm seems to have been, at least up until the last 20-30 years, for a guy to have sme amateur experience (Joe Louis had @60 amateur fights) then to turn pro young. Also, it is worth noting that amateur boxing has changed tremendously over the years: in the 1930s, for example, it looked a hell of a lot like thre pro game, and even into the 1970s head gear was optional in some tournaments. Now it is much more common to see guys with well over 100 amateur fights.
As far as a fighter's success as a pro...In today's game who promotes you is more important than a fighter's skill and/or ability; when was the last time an "unknown" came out of no where? While I think amateur boxing is great thing for youngsters to be involved in I alsobelieve that it does as much harm as it does good when it comes to the overall quality of a fighter. Too many bad habits are ingrained essentials of being a good amateur boxer; if you are intending to turn pro it would be wise to find a trainer that will train you in a more pro style from the start. By that I mean teaching you to bob and weave, to use the rolling of the shoulders as a defensive tool, to be economical and effectively accurate with your punches and to punch hard as damage is the game in the pro ranks.
It is a game really because to "make it" as a pro- interms of getting picked up by a manager or promoter that will take care of you, and in terms of getting paid to train and so on- you need to be successful as an amateur, win a few title and what not. At the same time you have to avoid having bad technique become ingrained. And turning pro...Years ago a guy with a great amateur record would turn pro and oveer the years become a much better fighter because he'd be handled by a pro trainer that had the knowledge necessary to fine tune and then to polish a fighter. You rarely if ever see that today- in factit seems that a guy turns pro and that early stage of his career is his peak- he's not only younger but he is fighting regularly and setting down on punches more etc...- and then the deline in skill begins after 5 or 6 years when a guy is still in his mid to late 20s. Two reasons: no trainers out there any more capable of truly polishing a fighter (they don't know enough about the sport) and guys fight twice a yeart, if that, and neglect their skills and conditioning between fights.

theres no limit to what you can do as long as you have the skills for the job. however youll have problems attracting a promotor, and when your there getting a decent opponent worth some money to fight. amatuers is not only a method of gaining expereince and the fighting style, but also the crowd, the way of fighting and some recognition.

boxing is about money for the people at the top. if you cant make it for them, whats the point in them putting you on

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Originally Posted by alex w

theres no limit to what you can do as long as you have the skills for the job. however youll have problems attracting a promotor, and when your there getting a decent opponent worth some money to fight. amatuers is not only a method of gaining expereince and the fighting style, but also the crowd, the way of fighting and some recognition.

boxing is about money for the people at the top. if you cant make it for them, whats the point in them putting you on

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I agree with alex w on this. I went to a pro and amatuer night this past weekend. A couple of the the "pro" fighters looked like the promoter found them on the street and payed them a couple of bucks to fight some people. Those looked like they would have lost to the junior amatuers that were also fighting. The amatuer bouts for the most part were better than most of the "pro" fights. You could easily tell which "pro" fighters the promoter was trying to promote and which ones where there for him to put up against those fighters. I would think it would be better for your long term to have a decent amatuer career, so that that can help you find a decent promoter. I talked to one fighter after his bout and he told me that he works so much to pay his bills that he does not have much time to train. It sounded like the only time he gets in the ring is when he is getting paid to box. You do not want a promoter like that. Just some random thoughts on the subject.