Audley won a gold medal and look at his pro record. Broner isn't unproven, idiot. HUGE difference between amateur and pro boxing.
Maybe in the US. Watch fighters like Khytrov, Beterbiev and tell me that they're not power punchers who are there to put the hurt on. It's the same sport, look at all the big names throughout boxing history and 9 times out of 10 they had equally as impressive amateur careers. Don't point to the 1 out of 10 and think that you're making a valid point, you're just making yourself look like an idiot. Broner is unproven, that's why he's fighting the likes of Malignaggi and Rees.
Forget it dude. They were hyping Henry Ramirez as a sure bet World and Olympic champion. Even before the 2011 WC where he lost handily to Loma in the second round. They same people still favored him to win Gold in London the next year, despite being in Loma's weightclass. Now Ramirez is a hot pro prospect that will be given every opportunity to gain exposure and trinket, gift wrapped titles. Hell who knows. Cotto wound up being better than Abdullaev. Even avenged an amateur loss with a pro victory. I will be amazed if a big U.S. promoter gives Loma big money. American fighters are seen as more marketable, particularly Latino's and to a lesser extent the anti establishment stance that some Black fighters gravitate towards. A company like K 2 would be great for Loma and some of his teammates like Usyk. Loma has a chance to be great but nothing will be handed to him. He is going to have to fight more than his opposition in a ring to become a huge star.
Hamed never did anything more than maybe win underage englisg titles. He didnt waste his time hanging around to fight in even the Commonwealth games. So Lomanchenko won the Olympics. He was 24 or whatever when he won last years one. The vast majority of top class fighters have gone pro by that age. So basically he was beating young guys, and guys no promotion company could be bothered to offer money to, nd Cubans that havent been able to defect yet!
Other than it beingh nice to own gold in this economic climate...WHO CARES??? Its the amateurs. Who did he beat to win those medals, young guys between 18-21? Cubans who havent got off the island yet? Guys from Obscure countries that dont box? Guys simply not good enough to be offered money by a promoter? Until he does something at pro, hes just a great amateur. I remember being a kid and watching Carruth win gold in the 1992 olympics....he went pro...and we;;, you can check it yourself.
1 in 10?? Basically NO ONE from Latin America(outside of Cuba) has noted amateur experience! And they produce a fairly large proportion of the worlds great fighters! Plenty of Americans are simply by-passing the Olympic stage and going pro at 18-19. In America, amateur boxing is lagely for teenagers. If you're good,you go pro around 20.
Not true at all, American boxers either fail at the olympic trials or at the olympics before they turn pro. Their best fighters that is. Andrade, Russell, Raushee, Berto, Lacy, Taylor etc. Browne and Ramirez from the most recent olympics and so on. The unsuccessful amateurs i.e. Broner turn pro early because they're either not good enough or they need to make some money quickly.
Even their successful amateurs go pro early. Ward was 20. Floyd was 19 De La Hoya was 19 Ali was 18. Americans dont hang around until they're in their mid 20s fighting aghainst Amateurs, unless they're just not particularly good.
So what? Your point was that Americans were bypassing the olympic stage, which isn't true. Most just aren't good enough so they turn pro, beat some bums to get some hype and then they're not good enough against the top opponents in the pro game either. Those guys you listed, all great amateurs and all turned into great pros so thanks for proving my point some more.
I agree - WSB is great preparation for a career in the pro ranks. Boxing against very high quality opponents, rather than substandard guy's looking to survive and earn a few quid to supplement the full-time jobs, can only be a good thing. Anthony Joshua should have signed with the WSB - He needs more experience with good quality opponents. He's still a bit raw so will be matched accordingly during the early stages of his career which will do little for development.
My point is that Lomanchenko is a guy in his mid 20s,picking up olympic medals when the best Americans that age are 5 years into their pro career! They dont waste their time picking up medals fighting amateurs. What about guys in America who could hang around until they're 24 and win medals? They dont, they turn pro. Some are so good that they can win olympics when they're in their teens they do. The others that could wait around until they're 21/22 to fight in the olympics, dont bother. They go pro. Yet you have guys olike Lomanchenko fighting amateurs into their mid 20s, celebrating,when everyone else their age has gone on and stepped up to the pro levels.