Mission to Moscow: Turn the USSR into a pro boxing superpower, starting in 1960.

First stop, the pharmacy.

 

Well ok then. The simplest way in an authoritarian state is to widen the net. You want to make sure that you scoop up all the possible talent that you can. You don't want your Ivan Dragos chopping wood or working a press. So you make boxing mandatory in schools for boys and put out big prizes like a 5L tub of commy ice cream for winners of tournaments. From there you pick and choose and make sure that you have motivated youngsters flooding into the state programs. Given the USSR's huge population you are almost certain to snag more than a few world beaters.

From there it's a question of diffusing boxing knowledge through the ranks and keeping them motivated. I'd say the soonest that I'd have tangible results would be 8 years. Enough for 10 year olds to filter into the system and when they are 18 they are ready to be let loose.

Genetically you have some monstrous people from that part of the world if you look at the Klitschkos, Valuev and Karelin. Get enough giants and some of them are bound to be good.

 

Put the word out to your satellites to loosen their reins on their fighters, too. That way Papp gets to challenge for the middleweight title, rather than being forced to retire.

I'd say focus your attention initially upon some of the lower weight divisions; based on reports, I think Boris Lagutin winds up being the first professional champion to come out of the USSR, likely at 154lbs.

 

The Soviet Army was the largest in the world, so having compulsory boxing training in the army would be a good start.

 

It might be the case that they would have enjoyed considerable success, simply by allowing their fighters to turn professional.

Let's face it, it didn't take them long to have an impact, after the USSR collapsed.

Call me crazy, but I think that if the USSR had not collapsed for whatever reason, the scenario in Rocky IV might have happened eventually.

The professional heavyweight champions would have become so weak in the post Lewis era.

You can imagine the Soviets looking at whoever was the man of the division, and saying "you know what, I think we have an amateur that could take this guy!"

 

Does commy ice cream taste of strawberries

 

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It's a creative and funny idea.

I think, it wouldn't be possible to control all those Soviet fighters in the USA. So, they couldn't fight under stable professional conditions regularly. That's why they need their own "semi-professional" association for the Soviet Union, all the other satellite states and allied states like Cuba, PRC... maybe even some African allies to have a huge talent pool.

Let's call the respective world champion: "Boxing Champion of the Communist World" or something like that.

And of course, State subsidy programs like, boxing clubs in every school, talent scouts, compulsory part of military training, more tournaments, better conditions for boxer than for other athletes/special treatment, propaganda for boxing, more boxing magazines, new arenas, international cooperation with allied countries, headhunting of boxing experts/trainers worldwide....

Let things run for maybe 10 years.

Then unification fights can start between "Western" and "Communist" Champions. These can perhaps take place in neutral Yugoslavia. It could be staged as a rapprochement between the two blocks.

Maybe the KGB can establish connections to the American mafia and to American promoters in order to manipulate conditions in advance.

 

ACK-shually ... not to be that guy but Soviet icecream was unironically reputed to be a triumph. This article explains why

https://theculturetrip.com/europe/r...y-soviet-ice-cream-was-the-best-in-the-world/

I've eaten icecream my grandma made from only natural cream and strawberries and it was genuinely much much better than factory icecream.

 

How the judges get picked for high profile title fights would probably be a nightmare. Maybe some more good comes of this and judging is highly scrutinized and improved (doubt it, but maybe)