What are your thoughts on fighters who turn pro with little amature background?

Well it has it's plus points and it has it negatives. I believe now days you only need so much amateur schooling and fights. not 236 fights because the way the amateurs has gone it's like another sport.

In saying that you get to develop and box in front of crowds and experience the world but sometimes trainers can adjust a good pro style to an amateur style and ruin a fighter. When i boxed amateur i refused to box to my trainers orders...i never cared for amateurs i had tunnel vision on pro boxing and watched pro fights and knew they didn't box in the manner my trainer wanted. I think as long as your well schooled and trainer has taught you right being an amateur is ok for a while but then you have to go pro. Professional boxing is a totally different animal as some on here can tell you.

 

Spot on. Years back this wasn't the case.....all that decent amateurs were were pros with vests on....the game is completely different these days

 

Does any share this feeling, there should be two types of amateur fighting, one with the points system as it and one with the pro points system, so more higher quality pro fighters will come through the ranks, but keeping the Olympic boxing scoring the same?

 

My thoughts are they have to be brought along more slowly and learn on the job.

A high class amateur, as we've seen with Gamboa, and the same will happen for Rigondeaux, these guys can be matched pretty tough. When you've fought the best amateurs in the world for years fighting bums is pointless because they are stepping down several levels.

I don't think fighting hundreds of amateur fights is a bad thing either...burning out? That might happen to a few but I don't think its a general rule. Amateur boxing isn't that intensive anymore, but it can be a big positive for schooling and experience in different situations.

 

I agree

I feel there has to be a balance you can't be amateur for to long but you can't rush into the pro's. Padding out a pro record rarely works as in the end the fighter goes stale or becomes a hate figure. Learning through amateur fights is the way but the more the the pro and amateur games move apart the more lads will turnover early. Btw to my earlier point i meant that 236 senior amateur fights isn't really needed. I feel it's a good amount from junior to seniors.

 

I think it can be a good thing. Too many amateur bouts can shorten a fighter's paid career. Duran had about 16 amateur bouts; Larry Holmes did not have many. I like fighters who take up the sport around 14 years of age, as opposed to nine or ten.

 

Julio Ceasar Chavez.

 

I haven't boxed so looking from an 'out the box' perspective. Of course an amateur fighter is going to improve technique with each fight he has but are they not more likely to lose the enthusiasim that they first had when starting the sport??

Although, nervous energy can be used as an excuse for draining a boxers energy or making them rigid/stiff in the ring, can it not also make some fighters (the cream) sharper & more expressive??

 

I think that it alll depends on what the fighters who are turning pro without limited amateur experience are driven by...:think

The success or the greenbacks...£$£$£$£....or both, one will always come with the other...:yep

A good journeyman these days can earn a comfortable living from boxing two or three times per month with the right promoter.

A good amateur pedigree can be a great asset in the pro's. I think that having the right trainer who enables the amateur to make the transition to the pro's is critical.

The right training, changing of style, rest, nutrition are all key factors...a good example of this is Anthony Farnell and Jimmy Tibbs.

Tibbs been the experienced trainer through many decades with plenty of respect and Farnell who is making a breakthrough as a quality trainer with some great prospects...:good

I think amateur boxing and pro boxing are two different sports if that makes sense to people, What are your thoughts...:think

 

Mark Breland the american and probably the best amateur fighter ever lost once and won way over a hundred, great things were expected but he never did anything more than an ordinary title holder

 

good point with burn out.

Chavez Jnr did have a couple of amateur fight, just no senior ones.

Ola Alafoabi had no amateur fights.