Around 25 or so, one guy, Clay Hodges, had his number, though he managed to win the National AAU title in '68.
These days heavyweights are turning pro with hardly any Am fights. The division is so dull that when promoters see a 6 ft 6 kid who can bang abit they sign him. Alot of these heavys have no seasoning
Which is the opposite to the russian heavys all of them come from long extensive amatuer backgrounds and fighting internationally, thats a big advantage cause some of these russians( besides the Klitchkos) in the top 10 are really kind of ordinary, i think all there prior experience in the amatuers give them that extra something,than the rest of the Heavys.
Yes that is true but that style that they are taught is very boring to watch.Alot of these USA monsters with no skill are exciting and always go knockouts. Thats what sells and that why the division is so **** because once these guys with no real am background fight some one with a defense and boxing brain they struggle
Povetkin Chaguev Valuev Boystov Dimentrenko Ustinov and a few others . Come on Box why do you make me list all these guys have you been under a rock or something? Also guys before them Liakovich,Krasniqui,Maskeauv all had long accomplished amatuer careers.
The amateur experience vs a diversified group of styles is a great learning experience but there are fighters that are better suited for the pro's and there are amateur fighters that stay in the amateurs too long. Italian Roberto Cameralle is an example of this but I would have to agree that the cream rises to the top and some amateur weakness are able to be corrected but some are weaknesses that are there to stay.
I had long since stopped following boxing by that time, but how many of them originated their development under the auspices of the Soviet sports machine (or the succeeding CIS), and did not begin as citizens of an wholly independent Ukraine, Belarus, or Uzbekistan?
The former Soviet Union broke up not too long ago, IMO there all Russians. If the US was split up in 5 West Coast,Southwest,Midwest,South,NorthEast everyone would still consider them Americans for at least 50 years.