state of the game by kevin iole. interesting read.

http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news;_y...Dr2eyUxLYF?slug=ki-iole_state_of_boxing122311

don't know if it's been posted yet, but find this kevin iole article a pretty good read. enjoy!

 

i think it starts with our amateur program.

 

alot of kids in the inner city go towards other sports not because they think they will make it in that sport but because it offers a college scholarship and they can have a safety. do they want to go pro in football or basketball? of course they do but at the very worst at least they have a college degree. boxing also would get a great boost if it was on tv. kids would worship and idolize boxers like they do with other sports. in the philipines pacquaio is not just hero to adults but to kids, and i believe so is klitchko brothers in germany, and kessler in denmark. i do wonder who will be the next generation of coaches. i hope it will be people like benard hopkins, and shane mosley, erick morales. we've seen what happens when you have a coach whose never boxed but has all these big time sports degrees like cotto's coach before manny steward. can't even remember his name.

 

how would you build up the amatuer program?

 

i have a few ideas but people would think i'm crazy. as i've already been told this. bring boxing programs to schools. starting at the middle school level, then high school level. while kids are in high school college scouts come and look at them and try to recruit them to their college like other sports. boxing your way into college. what parent wouldn't support their kid taking up boxing if it meant a kid can also learn in higher education and if it's not a full scholarship at least it's partial. from college, the boxers can either go into olympics or promoters can come and watch their tournaments and recruit them to turn pro. boxing would be a huge sucess in school. just think about all the kids that like to run over to wherever a fight breaks out on the playground. now it's just a controlled environment. what kid wouldn't like to be known as the baddest and hardest mother****er at school or around the school district as they compete with other schools. kids would pay and support their boxing team just like they pay to see basketball and football games which means more revenue for sports programs at schools.

 

pavlik is a top rank fighter but he rather **** his life up and he's at a higher weight.

 

your right outside of us, pac, klitchko, alvarez, and other big names, their fights are on regular tv.