What Has McCracken Being Doing In Sheffield?

Amateur boxing is more about getting the scores. Its a different style of boxing.

 

Stupid thread, his job is not to prepare them to go pro, it's to make them the best they can to achieve amateur success

 

I was told that he uses them as free sparring basically by someone who left his team.

 

so you could get them better prepared with your wealth of experience and knowledge

 

Well whoever told you that is talking absolute shite.

 

I have to admit considering how heralded these guys have been for the last few years, I had hoped for better from them, if we had fair judging I think we would be lucky to get a medal

The 2008 team was better by a distance

 

TBH this is part of the problem nowadays between the two sports, when i was boxing as a kid the trainer tried to make me a in and out fighter who was on balls of feet. Throwing solely straight punches and getting out.

AM trainers not all but a fair few train fighters to win AM contests, Old habits die hard and the problem is fighters are struggling with the cross over. Maybe a little like changing codes in Rugby League to Union. Not to sure if that's a good analogy but i do feel trainers look solely at the AM Game rather then the long term for the fighter but that's there prerogative.

With regards to McCracken his target is to win medals, as many as he can. It's not 'Produce future world champions'. AM boxing is rather simple, if you notice many are blocking the face area to defend any chance of the opponent scoring and then throwing quick straight punches.

I personally would like to see a bit more of a pro style but that would be at the sacrifice of medals so i understand Rob's coaching of these guys. I just hope the habits they have can be taken out of the game when they cross over.

 

Coaching a lad to win an amateur contest and teaching him to be a ''good boxer'' in the logical sense are two different things.

Look at the Aussie lad who lost to the Azerbaijani - doubling his jab up nicely, mixing in some straight and looping shots with the back hand and so on.

What is the point of all that, when three of the five judges have to agree within a second that a punch scores?

You might as well forget the jab, forget body shots and just throw single shots. Because of the size of the gloves, any hook just looks like a slap and probably won't count regardless of whether it is or isn't.... and whenever you can counter, do it.

Quite a few of the boxers that have lost would have won under the ten point system, because they've boxed ''better'' than their opponent.

It's a bit like football under Arsenal/Barca rules - is it more important to keep the ball all game or score?

Some of the boxing has been good, but it's not been matched by the officiating. Though at least this time we've been entertained, the boxing in Beijing was absolutely gash from 99% of the fighters.

At least we've not seen a poor lad lying on the floor off body shots needing medical attention being told to get up and continue either.

 

McCracken is doing a fine job, international amateur boxing is very competitive & the GB lads have been doing well for several years.

The computer scoring system naturally favours a certain style & attributes. A tall rangy southpaw will beat a stocky pressure fighter more times than not.

The last world championships & this Olympics so far hasnt been purely gloved fencing, several shorter aggressive guys have been successful & a few of the Cubans have been great to watch, as was Lomachenko.

Its just such a shame that the high quality boxing is being overshadowed by terrible officiating, the last few days have had some appalling decisions.

 

Tired of reading this ****.

 

If anything, I think our amatuers this year have shown they are using skills more akin to the pro game then the amatuers. A direct comparison would be looking at Degale's very amatuerish style in Beijing 08 and Ogogo, in my eyes, operating more like a pro.

 

The subject title says it all