What great fighters fought without having an amature career?

[JazMerkin]

I'm gonna go with Bernard Hopkins, his 'amateur' career being boxing in jail.

I've heard that he had a few amateur fights either right after jail or right before going in.

I thought he learnt inside, came out had a pro fight which he lost, and then he spent the next year and a half training up in the basics in amateur sparriing or something.

On prison boxers, I think Dwight Muhammad Qawi was another one because I remember hearing he came out of pen & went pro, altho I might have him mixed up with someone else.

I'm gonna go with Jake La Motta as one as well based on the "J". I think they showed Marciano did have a short ams career of 15 fights or so, so I'm gonna go as well with some of the guys from that era like Ezzard Charles or Archie Moore. As you can see I am spreading my bets