How would Stevensons pro career have gone if he turned profesional after his first Olympics? Would he have had a major impact in the Heavyweight Division?
people will say he was to robtic and to ploding but in the pro's loads of fighters evolve and he was a good technician he wouldnt of been beaten easily maybe made top 10 maybe win a belt but i dont think it would be for long...he was TOO much of an amatuer fighter.
Stevenson had towering size and one punch KO power in his right hand. Stevenson won Olympic gold three times. Keep in mind in the 70’s and 80’s amateur boxing had no head gear and was scored like professional boxing is today. The difference is the fights themselves were high pressure events fueled by the political propaganda of the times. The heavyweight division began to slow down in the mid to late 70’s, which is when Stevenson was tinkering with the idea of becoming a professional. I think at Stevenson would have been at least as good as Ron Lyle. Lyle gave Foreman hell, and was ahead of Ali on points until Ali landed one of the best right crosses of his career. The question on Stevenson is could he have fought for 15 rounds? I don’t see why not. Stevenson was a big man with little fat on him. At his size, Stevenson could have coasted for rounds if he wanted to.
Igor Vysotsky laid him out, so if he did turn pro, someone who could brawl some like a Frazier or Lyle would tear him to pieces.
stevenson was a little too upright for my taste. but he sure could box and he had SERIOUS POWER!!! i think he could win an alphabeth title.......but he wouldnt last long IMO. sooner or later a guy like mike weaver would upset him with a wild left hook.
What happened to that other Cuban Heavyweight, who got a title shot , lost then dissapeared. In the late 90's. He was huge.
I tend to think Teofilio Enjoyed something of a chamed life by staying Simon Pure, if for no other reason then he enjoyed Full Physical Maturity over embryonic talents of the Many Future US Stars he Met, of Course his Right Hand garnered him a (pre) Tysonesque Rep for Sudden, if Cleaner, Terminations which when allied to the youthful Mindset of these Fledgelings, well thats just say some fought for survival only, - But that Mindset does not, and Did Not Prevail in the Fully Mature, Mean Junk-Yard Dog world of The Pro's, particularly in the 70's Teofilio's Jab was not really an offensive Weapon, More a Prodded out Measureing Stick, to act as a Marker Beacon for his Big Right Hand, Unless he was Rebuilt pretty much from the Ground Up, his upright Chin in the Air Stance would i feel be found out, as would his Extended Left arm Style, to be sure he would probably get the Big Mac Foster/Big frank Bruno nurturing and an impressive Early Run ko Record Accrued, But What happens when he fights a, Not Ali, Holmes or Young, - But Leroy Caldwell, Larry Middleton or Henry Clark Type, Guys who can Slip That Prodding Jab and Counter, Draw Teofilio's Sting Early and Make a Meal of that upright Stance Late, - Could be Foreman - Peralta Again with Teofilio not quite having the Foreman strengh, Resiliance and Heavy Density momentum to wade through the Counters and Fatique ?? even someone Like Little Bob Stallings may of provided Stevenson an interesting nights work ? ( Well Bob did notch up wins over Big Mac Foster, Al Blue Lewis and Earnie Shavers...so may of provided an adequate test ?) it is indeed interesting to speculate who might of done the actual "Smash An Grab" on Him ? i would certainly expect a fast-track 1st 18 - 24 months or so through the 4th - 3rd tier...the Milk Run...but when you get to the second Tier ..whos the Bannana Skin looking to land the lottery shot Unless they Cashed Teofilio in Quickly. or Steered him well through the Shark infested Waters of the Seventies Heavy Scene....i think the all conquering Ko King Mystique would be Ripped apart sometime after Dipping a Toe into the Second Division tier, at that stage questions start to get answered, Like can he Take It as well as give it out,? Can he Win Late ? Does he Have a Left Hook ? Can he Slip a Good Jab ? Can he Take it to the Body ? whats his Stamina like,The Heavyweight Division at this time was quite bountiful with Heavies who could certainly Punch if little else, Al Jones, Jeff Merritt, Ted Gullick, Al Lewis, Mac Foster, Jose Urtain, Jose Garcia, and Morris Jackson to name a Few, But they had part of the Jigsaw Missing, and Failed to make it all the way to the Summit, and its only a personal opinion, but I think Tefilio would have Joined Them, Perhaps i am being a bit Harsh, in that certain trainers can indeed work wonders with raw material, and particularly Raw Material that is disiplined and focused, lets Say Stevenson, as far as the pro's go was very unpolished ? when buffed up for 18 months or so could he still be fools gold ? Not financially, i think once the hype-wagon got rolling it would be a very attractive lucrative ride (immense these days with PPV) Stopping off at points/types such as Luis Pires, Levi Forte Bill Dover ( well he did upset hot Prospect Forest Ward ) and Roberto Davilia, a well worn track in fact, the foothills, but its the steep incline to top world class that i have some difficulty in picturing, somewhere i feel a gasket would blow, there would be a loss of steam and momentum, A bad man would Rob the Gravy Train..."Stand and Deliver" ?...Hell,."Fall and I'm taking it" more like... It would nonetheless of been an interesting Journey. But ultimately the Transition to Genuine Top Flight Level, and consolidation there, i think would of been a step beyond Tefilio, we have to remember that with Teofilio's Rep, even So-So / Journeyman opposition will be Financially incentivised to become the first to Knock Teofilio off his perch, and would probably fight out of their Skins to hit the Jackpot ! It might make Teofilio's Job Easier most of the Time...But Every now and Again... Certainly he's the type opponent Jerry quarry alone would probably have been licking his lips at.... Its only a personal opinion, no more valid then anyone else's but for me its a case of... Perhaps Close...But No Cigar....and if he steps on that Bannana skin early, ..perhaps not evan a cigerette !?
I would've loved to have seen Teo fight someone like Mitch Green, and when he lands his right, and Blood is still standing, what's he gonna do?
stevenson would have been an ATG top 3 heayvyweight of all time. stevenson was special. he would have been holmes nightmare with that right hand