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depends on when he turns pro and who trains him... his stamia would be a question too but he did seem to pace himself preety good and didn't throw a million punches a round... also about cubans some have done well in the pros and some have not... i think he would have done well and been a top fighter but not sure if he would have beaten the best in the 70's.... he had problems with pressure fighters often...example igor vitostky who beat twice in the 70's...and even petz zaev...in the 1980 games... a very close fight....the fight with zaev is on youtube...judge for yourself
DABOX - The Zaev youtube was a good get mate. First took notice of Stevenson at the Montreal Olympics ('76), and could only be impressed. His Olympic record is of course outstanding: 1972 (Munich) - 4 matches for 3 KOs and a walk-over in the final. 1976 (Montreal) - 4 matches for 4 KOs. 1980 (Moscow) - 4 matches for 2 KOs and 2 PTS wins. Add to this the fact that he won 3 x world AM titles and two Pan America games titles, and you have perhaps the best AM record of all time. Admittedly he had reached 28 years of age by 1980 (Moscow). But one of the reasons I think he could have also done well in the PRO ranks is his KO record. He could certainly box as well as bang. Amongst others he knocked out JOHN TATE in Montreal (Ist round). Tate of course went on to beat Gerrie Coetzee in 1979 for the WBA world title. But it's now a case of we'll never really know....
Strangely, Stevenson was handed his ass by Damiani. Think that's how his name was spelled. This was in the amateurs, of course. Same fighter that went on to lose against Mercer and McCall as a pro.
He had the basic down very well, but not many dimensions. With his power and fundamentals, it's possible he could've turned into a top HW in the pros, but I doubt he'd have been better than the likes of Douglas.
what draws you to that conlusion? personally i feel like he would have been the next ATG top 10 heavyweight of all time. Stevenson at 6'6 220lb had very long arms and was like the tommy hearns of the heavyweight class, his straight right was lethal(would have taken larry holmes apart) his jab was as snapped out there like a whip, great body attack, and he was a textbook boxer with very fluid skills......I think he would have adjusted easily. with his size and right hand alone, he wins a title.
Damiani was no mug as an amateur, losing to Biggs in the Olympics; Stevenson had seen much better days by the time the 80s come along, and yet still could win the World Championship in 86....
I think he had excellent tools and there is no reason to believe that T.S. or Savon for that matter would not be materiel for the pro's had they entered the paid ranks in a timely fastion...there jhave been amatuers who became too aclamated to the amatuers and the 3 rds and could not make the pro transistion....Stevenson ko'd Bobick,Tate and so many who became succesfull in the Pros
Teofilo Stevenson dominated the amateur HW scene for a long, long time. The earlier three Olympic HW champs all became world champs in the pros - (Ali, Frazier and Foreman - though Ali was actually a LHW in the Olympics, he was only eighteen). So it will be wrong to write Stevenson off. I have no doubt that he would have done really, really well. Would he have been world champ? That's the question. Had he turned pro after winning his first gold medal he would have had to contend with Ali, Foreman and Frazier. I may not be willing to put my money on Stevenson against peak versions of the above mentioned three but had Teofilo taken his time to develop himself in the pros before challenging any of them (say around 1976, 1977), he might have had a real chance against them. Had Stevenson turned pro after winning his second gold medal and took the same time to develop himself, he would have had to contend with Larry Holmes to become undisputed world champ. Again I would be hesitant to bet on Tefilo against Holmes mainly because Larry proved himself in the pros - which Teofilo never did. But I am sure that Stevenson would have given Larry real competition. Towards the *** end of his career in the amteurs he would be too old to achieve much in the pros had he turned pro at that stage.
This is my take also. The best prospect I have seen on film. That does not automatically mean he succeeds as a pro, but I have to lean that way.
Stevenson had a huge right hand. He was without a doubt the best amateur heavyweight of his time, but he was really a full time professional amateur fighter. Yet he lost on points to Bobbick, and Russian southpaw puncher Vystrosky had his number and Kod him once, and whipped him a second time on points. I tend to think Stevenson he would have made an outstanding professional. I think he could have been champion too, but I would not say ATG top 10 great. We do not know if could have fought well for 15 rounds, or adjust and box his way to victory over the tougher opponents. While Stevenson was a man among boys in the Olympics, his competition in the games does not appear to be very talented on film.
In the rematch he destroyed Bobick and Destryed John Tate quicker and walked through the Russian and Euro compitition until his loss to a rough rythym breaker Damiani but that was towards the end....
