Does having an excessive amount of amateur boxing experience hurt fighters?

The way amatuer boxing is set up now in no way really resemebles what boxing was ever supposed to be. In the past it was alot different and as a result it seemed like you had more abundance of quality fighters. I'm just wondering because alot of guys with very little amatuer experience are more popular and better fighters than the guys who had like 200 amatuer bouts and you can just the tell the difference in style when you watch fighters who turned pro at 18 or 19 from Mexico and Latin America or wherever with little amatuer experience and how tough and and exciting their fights are compared to guys with 150 amatuer bouts ect. who the both of them content to sit their with their lead hand down waiting to counterpunch to a 10 round feinting contest. Today just because a guy was a world class amatuer is no guarantee he'll be a good fighter in real boxing. You see so many guys with gaudy amatuer records who never really accomplish anything Marquis de Queensbury. I am not trying to downgrade guys who are highly acccomplished in amateur boxing I just don't know that it translates.

Comments (17)

The_Troll

I should have phrased the question "Do alot of boxers have an excessive amount of amateur experience" but anyway, some good responses.

19y ago

Verstyle

James Toney also didn't have that many am fights. I think Toney only had about 30 or so am fight, and look at how good he was. yeah i know,it makes me further believe i dont need an extensive am. record.

19y ago

totalstranga

ok Imma throw this name out there. I haven't read anyones replies yet but one name comes to mind.JEREMY WILLIAMS!!! it may have hurt him how could he have been KO'd by Akinwande like that in '96?

19y ago

Ironfist77

rocky and tyson r two guys that made it with not alot of am. fights. James Toney also didn't have that many am fights. I think Toney only had about 30 or so am fight, and look at how good he was.

19y ago

hugh_grant

I suppose if you have so many amatuer fights there comes a point where it takes a bit out of you and it aint gonna help. Better to turn pro at the right time while you are young enuf to learn though if you got what it takes.

19y ago

Verstyle

rocky and tyson r two guys that made it with not alot of am. fights.

19y ago

realheavyhands

pros and cons to every situation in life

19y ago

Kobe_Bryant

Maybe it does. Sometimes they can get burned out and tired of the sport.

19y ago

Mayweather Floyd's better than the guy in your avatar...

19y ago

phallus

amateurs is way different from the pros, the amatuers use the computer style now, which is all about scoring points. punchers don't do well in the amateurs but do in the pros

19y ago

hugh_grant

I dont think having a good amatuer pedigree harms you, but i dont think you neccesarily need it. But the thing is when you turn pro, you better try and prepare yourself properly and if you do that you should do ok as a pro. Audley harrison was olympic heavy champ but it didnt really help him because he hasnt gone about his pro career in the right manner.

19y ago

paul750

Isn't this the reason why some people think Dominick Guinn faded and didn't live up to his potential?

19y ago

Zerwas1

There are hundreds of fighters to this day, who had a long amateur career and a good pro career. Mexican fighters would fight that way no matter how long they have been amateurs.

19y ago

Gareth_Ivanovic

Having some amatuer fights seem to help. Look at Amir Khan and Andy Lee now they both had good amatuer experience and both are on there way up. It shows when they fight because they seem to totally outclass their opponents which they should do. Both guys try to go for KO's which makes them exciting.

19y ago

Chipper

I think it does can it can burn them out,and they might get to used to that am. style and try to just tag and tag and running. Mayweather

19y ago

Verstyle

I think it does can it can burn them out,and they might get to used to that am. style and try to just tag and tag and running.

19y ago

michaelwbray

Amateur boxing is good for young fighters in that they get to fight a lot of different boxers, and get used to facing a lot of different styles of fighting. They'd fight a lot of quick boxers, a lot of sluggers, orthodox, south paws etc. It's best to get that learning curve over in the amateur's rather then in the pro's. Amateur boxing really does put emphasis on just touching your opponent and getting out of there. A punch is a punch regardless of how hard it was thrown. If they transfer that style over to the pro's, obviously they are not going to be knock out artists. I think that a boxer would be better off having 50 to 100 amateur bouts, and then having quite a few more easier fights early on in there pro career rather then having a lot of amateur bouts and hoping for an early world title shot.

19y ago