The Soviet/Russian system or the Cuban system...

It really depends on the fighter.

In the most general of terms today the Cuban system like speed, counter-punching and defense.

In the most general of terms, the Russian ( eastern system ) system prefers technical power punching, a higher punch out put and aggression.

In the 2016 games the Russians do in the lower weights.

 

Thanks. Here's my call for gold in 2016

49kg - Paddy Barnes (ireland)
52kg - Misha Aloyan (Russia)
56kg - Vladimir Nikitin (RUS)
60kg - Lazaro Alvarez (Cuba)
64kg - Armen zakaryan (Russia)
69kg - Andrey Zamkovoy (RUS)
75kg - Arlen López (CUB)
81kg - Joe ward (Ireland)
91kg - Vasiliy Levit (KAZ)
91kg+ - Filip Hrgović (CRO)


[url]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boxing_at_the_2016_Summer_Olympics_%E2%80%93_Qualification[/url]


A few comments:

This is a good group from light fly to super heavy We should get good action.

The world series of boxing has helped define the field.

I think the story will be the Russians winning gold in the lower weights.

Levit could win the Val Barker award. He's very good.

The super heavyweight field is loaded with talent. I hope at least 3 go pro.

 

They were both unfair and neither nation should have been allowed in the Olympics, in any sport, until the Olympics officially let professionals participate.

The two sports where the unfairness really manifested itself were Boxing and Basketball.

The Soviets, the Eastern Block and Cuba paid their athletes to train full time. Thus, you had guys in their athletic primes playing younger, greener guys from other nations. They were allowed to compete against true Ameteurs.

That is what makes the 1976 Olympic Boxing team's accomplishments so special.

Also, the 1980 U.S. Hockey Team's gold medal performance may be even more impressive than that. A bunch of College kids kicked the Soviet's a@@es. What a great day for humanity that was.

 

The other side is pro boxing lost a lot of talent. If the Soviets and Amateurs went pro back int he day, boxing history would be changed

Yes it was unfair, but those were the times.

Now the amateur game is is fair. The USA team is way behind in 2015. Only Vargus won gold in the Pan Am games at 112 pounds. Vargus has a real shot to medal in the Olympics. The others will need favorable bracket draws to get a bronze.

USA Super Heavy Cam F Awesome I think is better than Jason Estrada or Dominic Breazeale. Cam F is decent, but he's more like the 6th best man in the field.

The 1980 hockey team remains the best story.

 

They are the same system. In the 1960s, Soviet/Russian trainers went to Cuba and taught the Cubans the system.

They practice the same philosophy.

Who does it better? Probably the Cubans, because they had a smaller pool to draw from.

But the Russians do a better job of transitioning to the pro ranks. A disproportionate number of great Cuban amateur boxers tend to fall off the ledge when they turn pro.

 

For reasons unknown, Cubans in the general sense tend to lose focus and toughness once they come to the USA. The Russians in the general sense do not lose focus or toughness.

While the USSR sent coaches to Cuba, asking a fighter to fit a style can be a mistake. Fighters should be taught the style that works best for them, not a system.

I expect both nations to do well in the 2016 games.

 

Systems worked well when they changed to computerized scoring. Fighters had to learn which punches would be scored by the judges (jabs, straight rights/lefts) and those that wouldn't (hooks, body shots, inside fighting).

Hell, at one point in 2000, guys would get hit with 15 jabs, one guy would go up 15-0, and the fight would be scored a TKO win (because they instituted a 15-point 'slaughter' rule). And nothing had happened in the fight except one guy was working his jab.

I think with the changes in scoring now, that there will be a shift again in amateur boxing. Maybe not in 2016, but in 2020 and onward.

The classic straight-up Eastern European (and Cuban) style might not be enough if they follow the scoring in the pros ... and hooks, body shots and pushing a fighter back to the ropes and working him over starts winning rounds over guys who just jab and grab.

 

I'd go along with that. Boxing history could be competely different if the Eastern block countries had always had pros.

 

It would be different.

That said, a lot of the top guys then (Ali, Frazier, Foreman) beat Eastern Europeans to win medals. Today, the Eastern Europeans are winning medals and winning pro titles.

For example, I don't know if Chapulos (who Foreman beat in the 68 Olympics) was going to turn pro and rule the world after getting destroyed by a novice Foreman.

And the more we see Cuban heavyweights self destruct, the more I tend to think Stevenson wasn't such a lock to be a top pro, either. Especially considering how much of a drinker/partier he became after he retired. I don't know if having millions at his disposal would've made him a "better" fighter.

But it's nice to see more countries turning fighters pro.

 

Sounds good for the moron gallery... until you actually look at the ages of the fighters involved.

In 76, Ray Leonard defeated Valery Limasov, who was 6 months (months, not years) older than he was. Leonard also defeated the Cuban Aldama, who was one month older than himself. Leon Spinks defeated Cuban Sixto Soria, who was a year younger than Leon. Michael Spinks defeated Riskiyev, who was nearly 7 years older than himself. Oh, the horror, the outrage! But at bantamweight, American Charles Mooney (Silver) was over 5 years older than Soviet Viktor Rybakov (Bronze). And at welterweight, American Clinton Jackson was two years older than Soviet Valery Rachkov. Teofilo Stevenson was three years older than American John Tate, but the Soviet entrant Viktor Ivanov was a year and 8 months younger than Tate.

 

I understand you point, there is fighters who are almost 30 in the amateurs too though, but it also probably happens in the U.S. at times.

 

Nothing moronic about my post, just simple truth and logic. The '76 Americans beat a bunch of guys who were, for the most part, more experienced and paid to fight full time. It makes me think the guys they beat wouldn't have been very good pros if they couldn't beat these U.S. Amateurs. It's also not just about age but overall ametuer experience, especially International Ameteur experience. Also, I am stressing that the general practice of letting these Communist Pros. compete in a myriad of Sports. was unfair. I am not just talking about the '76 games and boxing in particular.

Because they weren't allowed to turn pro, The Soviets, Cubans, Eastern Block guys, for the most part, built up tons of International experience and were fighting as "Ameteurs" when they were in their prime. The Americans would quit the amateurs earlier and go pro.

You can't deny that the practice of letting the Soviets, the Eastern Block and Cuba use what were essentially pros. against Amateurs from other countries was unfair.

 

I always thought in the amatures the cubans looked more fluid and professional.
As Pro's I think the Ukrainians and Russians transitioned better.