Fighters with few pro fights but top amateur pedigree vs the opposite?

With the exception.of Duran, most of the guys who 'learn on the job' tend to burn out quicker. Benitez is the prime example, Chavez had started to slip by the time he reached 30, ditto Arguello. I don't necessarily think one is better than the other; a long amateur career its simply more conducive to a long career, as you can better yourself without having to take as much of a beating as you would in the pros. In a way, boxing age (number of fights and years fought) is far more important than actual age.

As for some fights: Davey Moore vs Roberto Duran, Evander Holyfield vs Dwight Muhammad Qawi (kinda). Was Nino LaRocca an amateur for long? If not him vs Curry. I'm sure there are plenty.

 

I know what you're saying but i Think it can work both ways. Sometimes a long amateur career from an early age can be less conducive for a long pro career. Probably not so much now as the amateurs are protected a lot more but definitely back in the past.

 

Gerry Cooney was 55-3 as an amateur, while Larry Holmes was 19-3.

And then there was Duane Bobick's stellar amateur career...

 

Anyone remember this lad, Shawn O'Sullivan and this fight?
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lz4AHrttlx8[/ame]

 

Oh yeah. Some of the Cubans and eastern Europeans were burnt out by the time they got to the show. And back in the day amateur boxing was essentially what college football is to pro football (American); an unpaid internship.

 

Amateur boxing is far more entertaining without helmets.

 

What a fight. Nice one, AlFrancis.

 

Thai Olympian Payao Poontarat took on the far more experienced pros Guty Espadas and Rafael Orono. Unlike most Thai's he was not a Nak Muay, just an amateur boxer.

 

It is isn't it! :good

 

Most stelar am to never feature on an olympic team , michael bentt, did his am experience help him vs morrison?

Long term ams can be bad and good, long term am good - lewis, bad - tyrell biggs

 

With Pro rules I would've given to the Cuban, I believe the Canadian won.

 

Yes, very close. I think if I was the Cuban I'd of felt hard done by. Great comeback though by O'Sullivan, I think it was the last 30 seconds that swung it for him.
Anyway the point of the post apart from seeing that great fight again was to show a top amateur who didn't quite make it as a pro. He must of been involved in some wars as an am, then there is all that hard sparring on top of it.
Sadly O'Sullivan at 50 is now suffering from pugilistic dementia.


[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8VNC383QzI[/ame]