can an elite amateur boxer with minimal pro fights survive at the highest level?

Youve heard of Guillermo Rigondeaux right??

Apologies, you just mentioned Rigo

De La Hoya was a world champion in his 16th pro fight, but i only know that as im an avid fan, going back to Rigo, he's made very short work of some solid pro's, but has looked un inspiring as well, being schooled well and fighting the world best ama's has to count for something pretty big in the pro ranks, its a long ass journey from ama starlet to professional super star, by the time your 26-27 its already been a 15 year career and counting

Look at Sergio Martinez, started boxing at 21 !!, Chavez Jr, no ama background, it can be done the other way round but id suggest you need to be some sort of sensational athlete to make it happen without an ama background, ala Martinez

I think Rigondeaux outboxes or out punches Donaire in hy humble and opinion, so my answer to your question would be yes, i believe a specially talented ama can knock over seasoned pro's at the highest level.

 

I be honest, I don't know...

I do think for all the positives of extensive AM backgrounds there's negatives as well. The saving grace for DeGale who i did feel was always comfortable in the fight on Saturday was the fact he's been in the ring for years. He knew when he had to step it up and never panicked.

You can't buy that feeling of being at home in the ring, but the highest level of professional boxing is very high and demanding. It's two different codes of the sport IMO and the Pro game can drain fighters more mentally.

Tough but good question, I think if they were to survive they'd need to be groomed (no pedo) into pro ranks for at least a year or two and start to work at a higher level.

 

That olympic champion who fought Floyd Patterson in his debut and knocked him down but lost.

Surely fighting the world champion in your first fight is a good example?

 

Sung-Kil Moon, Jeff Fenech, Davey Moore, David Reid, to name a few.

 

Fidel LaBarba was Flyweight Champion in his 11th or 12th bout and his early losses were to Jimmy McLarnin who is a Hall Of Fame welterweight champion.

 

Seeing as he beat four top ten ranked fighters if you'd argue that I'd say you don't know what you're talking about. The thread wasn't 'who could lose at World level despite already proving themselves one of the best in their division' so I felt Moore a worthy choice. Duran would take out many 'Elite' fighters that way, even then, especially if he thumbed 'em in the eye like he did Moore, who took a ferocious beating before folding by the way AND went on to beat Benitez after that (dropped him and broke his ankle)

 

A fair few Thai's and Japanese boxers have won titles very early on. I think the record is in the 4th fight but I don't know much about Asia's boxing history. I get the sense that it's seriously underrated because they tend to stay over there and are in the lower weights.

 

The record is 3. Saensak Muangsurin, although his only amateur boxing experience was a punt at the south east Asian games (gold at 140lbs) he had well over a hundred Muay Thai fights beforehand, so I wouldn't include him.

Payao Poontarat was not a Nak Muay though; Thailand's first medallist (Bronze) and won a title pretty damn quickly.

 

Veraphol sapharom think was 4-0

 

Again, like Muangsurin, Veeraphol was a longtime Raja' stadium Muay Thai champ'. Hundreds of pro bouts.

 

Tyszu was a world champion in something like 14 fights wasn't he?

 

Yeah, as were Nazarov and Arbachakov. All had quick turnarounds to titles.