How Big Is A Silver/Bronze Olympic Medal in Boxing – Comparable to World Title?

Clay never threw his profession world title in a river

 

I've heard that he never threw his Gold Medal in the river either, it was just a scene in The Greatest to make the movie more dramatic.

 

Could it be that the comment about pro world titles not meaning anything have been taken out of context? As in " they aren't worth today what they used to be?" If so, that's spot on from a historical legacy standpoint.

Real boxing is pro boxing. Amateur boxing is fencing without swords.

 

Much bigger and more prestige.

Just think how often the very best amateurs fight one another. To beat competition of that caliber on the regular takes legit skill.

Charles Martin held a world title. But that into perspective.

 

Charles Martin vs. Audley Harrison fight of the century

 

These days, winning a silver medal carries very little weight in establishing a good pro prospect.

 

Is that due to it not meaning much, or differences betweens pros and ams though?

 

It really depends on the manner in which the bronze or silver was achieved.

If you have performed fantastic in the tournament against elite opponents and lost in the semis or final to a brilliant amateur in a competitive manner, then it is an impressive feat. A good example of this was probably Joshua Buatsi in Rio.

However if you have scraped by your opponents who were maybe not of a high calibre and having had a kind draw and only needing two wins to gain a medal, then it has to be put into perspective.

However remember qualifying for an Olympics is not exactly an easy task, so credit where credit is due.

Some guys out there won world titles without beating elite opponents. Certainly nowadays having a world title with multiple alphabet organisations proves the route for success is an easier pathway than about 25 years ago.

 

At this point, it is both. I don't think an Olympic medal is much of an indicator for pro success. I also don't feel that Olympic boxing medals mean what they used to. Interest in Olympic boxing is basically non existent in the United States. And, it has never been a priority in boxing rich countries like Mexico.

 

He never threw his gold medal in the river, either. Just like he didn't get a change of gloves against Cooper.