Is an amateur pedigree essential in professional boxing?

Amateur experience allows you to gain fighting experience without jeopardizing your pro record. You are also able to fight world class fighters before you even risk your pro record whilst if you turn pro straight away, you may have to wait until 30 fights or so to fight a world class fighter. You can also fight a lot more often against quality opponents, whereas in the pro's, its not that easy. If you want to fight often in the pro's, you either have to serve as fodder for upcoming guys, or you're the big shot feeding on a lot of fodders. Both are non-beneficial.

 

If you've got the goods, you've got the goods. Either way, quality shines through at the end of the day.

That said, a good amateur career can only be beneficial. It will serve as a good launchpad into the pro ranks.

 

Jose Luis Ramirez turned pro at 14!

The one thing I don't like is where great amateurs turn pro at 30+. It doesn't give them a hell of a lot of time to really establish a potentially great career.

I hope it doesn't become a trend.