Heavyweight champion in 2016? One or more of these guy is likely.

This is an amateur scouting report I received via email. I'm using the author's initial words, and shifting around the initial ratings based on who I saw, my own projected upside of the prospects.


(1) Roberto Cammarelle
YOB: 1980
H-W: 6.3-SH
Country: Italy
He took the goldmedal in Beijing and won the WC in both 2007 and 2009, so his merits speaks for itself. Cammarelle is a fantastic boxer who's fast, hits hard and show up good reflexes. But I heard that he’s quite happy with his amateurlife and not so enthusiastic about turning pro, but with the two golds in the pocket, he surely is a hot name for the proscene and people have changed their mind before… Let’s hope that Cammarelle turns pro, cause I’m rather sure that he will be a succesful and an exciting one.

(2) Sergey Kuzmin
YOB: 1987
H-W: 6.4-SH
Country: Russia
A skillful pressure fighter from Russia. who won the European Championships in 2010, where he beat Cammarelle on his way.


(3) Egor Mekhontsev
YOB: 1984
W: 6.2-H
Country: Russia
A fast and powerful southpaw who won the European Championship in 2008 and the World Championship in 2009, where he beat Usyk among others.


(4) Oleksandr Usyk
YOB: 1987
H-W: 6.3-H
Country: Ukraine
Usyk has transformed from a good middleweight to a very good heavyweight. A technical southpawboxer who relies a lot on speed and reflexes. Lost to Mekhontsev in the semifinal of WC 2009.


(5) Ivan Dychko
YOB: 1990
W: 6.7-SH
Country: Kazakhstan
A tall, mobile and rather powerful boxer who went to the final as a heavy in the Youth world championships 2008. He also competed as a super heavy in WC 2009 where he outboxed Russias Sergeev for two rounds but run out of gas and lost a close decision.


(6) Michael Hunter
YOB: 1988
H-W: 6.2-SH
Country: USA
Although Hunter did not even got to the Olympics 2008 and lost to Cammarelle in the 1st round of WC 2009 I rate him as one of the most interesting names for the proscene. Hunter is an unusually fast heavyweight. He is both fast in hands, feet and mind. In addition, he has good reflexes which makes him very hard to hit. He might lack a little in the power department though But Hunter might after all be the biggest american talent in the heavyweight division since Riddick Bowe. Was scheduled to make his prodebut in December, but the show was cancelled and rumours say that he’s still an amateur.

(7) Filip Hrgovic
YOB: 1992
W: 6.5-SH
Country: Croatia
The Junior World Champ in the superheavyweight division in 2010 looks fasthanded. mobile and rather powerful so absolutely one to follow a little closer in the future.


(8) Roman Kapitonenko
YOB: 1981
W: 6.3-SH
Country: Ukraine
A well schooled Ukrainian with an economic style, who behind a tight guard was some kind of surprise in WC 2009, where he took the silver and beat Zhilei and Savon among others on his way.


(9 ) Zhang Zhilei
YOB: 1983
H-W: 6.8-SH
Country: China
A huge chinese who’s rather mobile and smooth for someone at his size. Took the silver in Beijing, where he lost to Cammarelle in the final and lost in the semifinal against Kapitonenko in WC 2009.

(10 ) Evgeny Romanov
YOB: 1985
H-W: 6.2-H
Country: Russia
Hard hitting Russian who became jr world champ among heavyweights in 2004 and knocked out the American Deontay Wilder in a duel in 2008.

(11) Leinier Perot
YOB: 1992
H: H
Country: Cuba
A young and very promising heavyweight from Cuba who became the junior World Camp in 2010. He also won the Cuban Olympiad 2010, beating Savon and Acosta during the way.

(12) Erislandy Savon
YOB: 1990
H-W: 6.4-SH
Country: Cuba
Cuban teenager who’s a fast, powerful boxer with fine skills. Became the Youth World Champ in November and won the Cordova Cardin tournament in June at super heavy. Lost to Ukrainian Kapitonenko in WC 2009.

(13) Maxim Babanin
YOB: 1988
H-W: SH
Country: Russia
The best junior super heavy in the world for a couple of years. Was expected to take over the Russian mantle after Timurziev but seems to have stagnated a little lately.

(14 ) Tony Yoka
YOB: 1992
H-W: 6.5-SH
Country: France
A big and mobile frenchman who became the superheavy silvermedalist in 2010:s Junior World Championship.

(15 ) Yousef Abed Elghani
YOB: 1988
W: 6.5- SH
Country: Israel
A fast and mobile southpaw who competed in WC 2009 where he lost a rather close fight to Bulgarian Pulev. He also took a bronze medal in EC 2010, where he lost on injury to the eventual winner Kuzmin.

(16) Sandor Abdullayev
YOB: 1988
H-W: 6.5-SH
Country: Uzbekhistan
The silvermedalist from jr WC 2006 is a big man with good skills and has been doing the transiton to the senior level better than most of his “classmates” on the list. He competed in the WC 2009 where he lost to Zhang Zhilei.

(17) Niyaz Fayzullin
YOB: 1984
H-W: 6.2-SH
Country: Russia

A Russian southpaw who has done some success at the international level, in the shadow of Timurziev. He beat the American Hunter in December 2008 and also became the Russian champ in 2009 for exemple.

 

I'm not sure if we will see a USA Ring Magazine champ until past 2020.

Hunter is the amateur prospect in of the bunch.I give him bonus points because his late father was a pretty good professional fighter himself.

Hunter is fast and skilled. however he does not seem to be any better than say Chris Chambers. In fact his defense is not on Chambers level, and he's gun shy to exchange / shies away from punchers too often.

Outside of Mike Hunter Jr, the USA does not have a prospect in the top 20. In fact some of the guys on the list already Ko'd Wilder ( USA best young heavy ) or defeated Hunter.

The one thing I don't understand is where have the USA amateur punchers gone.