Is it possible for a paper title holder to beat an Olympic gold medallist in a three round contest?

Discussion in 'World Boxing Forum' started by dealt_with, Oct 1, 2019.



  1. dealt_with

    dealt_with Boxing Junkie banned Full Member

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    Some people think that pros suddenly develop magical boxer skills by slowing down the pace of a fight, by fighting against subpar opposition, by fighting less regularly. All this and the fact that it’s generally considered that it takes around 10 years to become a master at any activity, which many boxers achieve long before they turn pro. We have guys like Pac and Canelo who improve, that’s because they turned pro at 15 years old or whatever.
    Is boxing an anomalous activity, where somehow skills improve after the ten years of training? To the point that a fighter who has their energy system conditioned to a slower pace over 12 rounds, could compensate for that disadvantage and outskill an Olympic medallist over three rounds? We’ve seen Judah school Floyd over four rounds, could that Floyd hang over three with guys who are younger, faster, more active and more skilled than Judah?
    Do pros gain additional powers/skills by being involved in slower pace fights?
     
  2. iii

    iii Boxing Addict Full Member

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    In answer directly to the thread Title:
    Easily if they were against Audley Harrison...From featherweight up lol
     
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  3. JackSilver

    JackSilver Boxing Addict Full Member

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    What’s a paper title holder?
     
  4. DoubleJab666

    DoubleJab666 Dot, dot, dot... Full Member

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    Pro and amateur boxing are, in effect, entirely different events, albeit they are based on the same fundamental skills. Let's use athletics as a comparison; or more specifically sprinting, ie: one leg in front of the other as quickly and efficiently as possible. It was often said Usain Bolt could have broken the 400m world record if he had trained to do so - he didn't largely because the training would have been tougher than he was prepared to endure. But had he followed this path, the chances are if he entered a 100m race during that time, runners he would normally easily beat at that distance would have beaten him, because his skill set would have been altered by training. But he would have crushed them over the longer distance.

    Judah didn't school Mayweather in the first four rounds but he clearly won them. Problem is, it was four rounds of 12 and that is key. Had it been a four-round contest Mayweather would have boxed - and trained - differently. Same with Bellew vs Uysk. He won the first three but empted the tank to do so and Uysk was aware of this. He bided his time. In a three-round contest he would not have done so.

    Brief stanzas of success within a 12-round fight do not establish one way or another if pro boxers could hang with younger amateurs over a shorter format. They'd have to train for that format like their opponents for it to be a pertinent comparison.

    What this thread establishes is what we already know. Pro boxing and amateur boxing share less similarities than they display distinct differences...
     
    Last edited: Oct 1, 2019
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  5. DonnyMo

    DonnyMo Boxing Addict Full Member

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    World level amateurs come to camp and spar with world champs all the time. It's well known that over 3-4rds of sparring the amateur generally get the better of a professional world champ. Now if the sparring progresses over 4-6 rds the table starts to turn..

    Carl Froch at his height was on record saying that english olympians would come in and were very difficult to box over a short period of rounds. You could probably find that interview pretty quickly if you searched a bit.

    Pro's train and condition differently from when they themselves were amateurs. It's not that pro's fight at a slower pace....it's just a different rhythm the amateurs rely on. Similar to fencing or cockfighting, darting in and out for flurries without taking any counter fire. They can't commit like pro's due to the old scoring system. That being said, no that the scoring system changed a few years back, we'll eventually start to see amateur fights start to resemble pro fights a touch more.
     
  6. Robney

    Robney ᴻᴼ ᴸᴼᴻᴳᴲᴿ ᴲ۷ᴵᴸ Full Member

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    yes.

    Canelo holds a paper title (the regular WBA thingy) at 168... He can beat the Olympic champ over 3.
     
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  7. Jackomano

    Jackomano Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    This. Ali pretty much said this in the 70’s when asked about him fighting some of the current Olympic champions at the time. He recognized how effective and tough an Olympic champion would be for any pro world champion for 3-4 rounds, but also mentioned it takes some time to get used to fighting 12 and 15 round fights and that even the best Olympic champions wouldn’t adapt to 12 and 15 rounders over night.
     
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  8. Sugar 88

    Sugar 88 The Empire Struck Back Full Member

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    Canelo wins that fight 12-0 on all three cards.
     
  9. Malph

    Malph Boxing Addict Full Member

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    This is exactly right.
     
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  10. MorvidusStyle

    MorvidusStyle Well-Known Member Full Member

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    So what, some pros wouldn't adapt back to that system, some would train specially for it. Some would fail, some would have success. It depends on the fighter and matchup. But the fact hardly any pros compete means the gold is cheapened, because if people thinking adding Fury/Wilder/Joshua/Usyk etc. wouldn't raise the bar, come on. Fury/Usyk would have huge success boxing, Wilder could ice someone at any moment. And so on in every division.
     
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  11. fenoc1

    fenoc1 Active Member Full Member

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    Can he ****, Khan clipped the two ears off Canelo for 3 rounds
     
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  12. madballster

    madballster VIP Member Full Member

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    Definitely no paper champion, but Floyd Patternson destroyed Olympic gold medal winner Pete Rademacher in 6 rounds in Rademacher's pro debut.
     
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  13. Malph

    Malph Boxing Addict Full Member

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    It's true. Kahn faught well for two rounds. I'm pretty sure Canelo would have fought differently though if it were a three round boxing contest.

    There is no taking two rounds off to figure out your opponent in the AMs. No waiting for him to tire and slow in the later rounds.

    As many others have said. It's a little different game.

    Canelo proved himself to be the better pro boxer in the fight. He observed Kahn's tendencies, set him up and absolutely crushed him with a perfectly thrown and timed right hand.

    Kahn was wide open an paid the price.

    Canelo was not concerned about racking up points to win a three rounder. He took the time to set Kahn up and knocked him into the next day.
     
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  14. fenoc1

    fenoc1 Active Member Full Member

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    No arguments with that either but imagine Canelo trying to cut down a cuban, running and dancing around the ring. He'd never get there in time to win the 3 rounds. Could he win anytime in between by ko, sure he could but I don't fancy it. Plus how the hell is Canelo supposed to fight amateur he'd never pass the testing :meparto:
     
  15. Drew101

    Drew101 Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    It should be noted that Rademacher did well in the first and had Patterson down in the second.
     
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