When did it become usual for pros to have amateur background?

I'm guessing this was only West Germany? Beyer was Eastern wasnt he, was Otke too? What about Rochiagiani?

 

Many of those fights in saloons and mining camps might be considered amateur contests.
Even boxrec has one of his "pro" fights reported as an "amateur bout" by the Evening Telegram.

[url]http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=9009&cat=boxer&pageID=2[/url]

 

If you look at most records of top professionals in the early 20th century you'll find "early record incomplete" "early bouts not recorded.

This includes amateur bouts most likely.

 

This ban was in the aftermath of WW2. A few years after the foundation of the two German states it was allowed again in both. Maske, Beyer and Schulz were East German. Ottke was from West-Berlin. The Rocchigianis were West-German.

 

The introduction of the Queensbury rules was a turining point in both Britain and America. Said rules were devised primarily to bring the sport into the legal arena.

There were still problems in Britain getting bouts liscenced in Jack Johnsons day, as he found when he tried to arrange a fight with Billy Wells. The fight was vetoed by a certain Mr Churchill.

 

What would you consider as "amateur" boxing ?
What about the dozens of amateur bouts listed on CBZ in James J. Corbett's record ?

 

Yes, but that's buying into the Dempsey myth a little bit too much, I think.

I dont believe all his early "boxing" experience was bareknuckle brawling without a ring, gloves, rules and a referee.

Dempsey was training to be a boxer from his childhood, and kids and young men liked to box in those days. Those small towns and mining camps probably had basic boxing equipment in most cases, and probably had some sort of amateur circuit, even if they weren't quite as organized as the amateur athletics in the big cities.

 

Where you from?

 

Didn't know amatuer boxing was banned. Why so?

 

Scandinavia is very critical of boxing all around. It´s seen as too violent. Boxing was forbidden for a while in Sweden and Finland too I think.