Career Advice

****in' A, Rockin'. Put this joker in his place FFS! kokingbill, get back to the amateurs (or amatuers, if you will) and have a few good fights with the pads. Then, and only THEN, can you consider turning pro to get KTFO in fifteen seconds by someone with a 15% KO ratio. Learn from those who know and you might get wise... but I doubt it. http://i1191.photobucket.com/albums/z474/veronicaandbetty/popcorn.gif

You guys know nothing........Rockin':boxing: Fair enough Rockin, I know nothing and you earned a living from your 'career' as a 'pro' boxer. In the basically one fight you had per year, for four or five years, did you earn tens of thousands for each fight? You must have done to have sustained you through the rest of the year doing nothing but some sparring maybe. Or were you considered such a good sparring partner that you were paid enough to live on by only sparring against the champs earning enough to pay well for sparring? You must have had some mean sparring against the very best world champs for that to be the case, because no one but the best have the money to be giving guys like you a proper wage. Should have some good vids of that, apart from the one where Toney gives you a rectal thumbing. So I still know nothing, but how much did you earn against the debuting Larry Wright, who ended his career an impressive 1-0 (that one career win being against you by the way) that allowed you to make a good living from boxing? Considering you lost that fight, and then didn't fight again for over another year, you must have made some serious cash from that fight. Was Larry Wright a highly touted HBO prospect or were you the prospect with the golden future? I mean, if you consider that after fighting Pac for the first time, Marquez only made 30,000K in his next world title fight against a titlist and national sporting hero, then I'm guessing you must have had some serious backing to be making a living from it. I do know because I've been there and seen it all. I didn't have a few 'pro' fights like you (wasn't good enough to beat someone like ol' Larry, but then again I was able to beat up the gyms janitor so....) but I certainly watched as guys like you struggled through their hated day jobs because they didn't get paid **** for their fights. I watched as guys getting sponsors from Fosters Beer company and put up for the Olympic boxing team still had to work because when they turned pro, you just don't earn **** from boxing unless you have star potential and backing. It's the way it works. But hey, your seven fights and the millions you earned from them, now that you recovering and aren't able to train anyone or work clearly tell me I'm wrong.

****in' A, Rockin'. Put this joker in his place FFS! kokingbill, get back to the amateurs (or amatuers, if you will) and have a few good fights with the pads. Then, and only THEN, can you consider turning pro to get KTFO in fifteen seconds by someone with a 15% KO ratio. Learn from those who know and you might get wise... but I doubt it. you do realize the vast majority of trainers had weak pro careers right? i mean there are a few like the mayweather bros and roach who did pretty well but the majority of top notch trainers didnt get anywhere themselves, doesnt mean they dont know the sport and cant teach someone else. ever heard the term learning from your mistakes? perhaps rockin isnt trying to say "look how great i was, do as i say and you can be a legend like me", he might be saying "look kid, i know how hard it is to make it and i know how it feels to fail, dont make the same mistakes i made". regardless of the results rockin' does have more pro boxing experience than most if not all posters on this site so his voice should be heard. id take the opinion of someone who had a failed career over an armchair warrior any day of the week.

Didn't want to post his last name just in case he wants his privacy

From what it looks like he is either Bill M#*@ or Fred L$#@. Judging by his post I'm going to say he is Bill.From PA golden gloves site

Where u fight at in PA, and where was the guy you fought from? Just curious.

****in' A, Rockin'. Put this joker in his place FFS! kokingbill, get back to the amateurs (or amatuers, if you will) and have a few good fights with the pads. Then, and only THEN, can you consider turning pro to get KTFO in fifteen seconds by someone with a 15% KO ratio. Learn from those who know and you might get wise... but I doubt it. oh here we go

:rofl::rofl::rofl:

This is the kind of insight that someone with your experience can provide. It's the side of the sport that doesn't get an HBO special, that doesn't get pyrotechnic entrances, where the only belts on display are for holding your trousers up. The dressing room after defeat, the "meat wagon" on the way home from failure, the guys that take the fights on short notice, not for the opportunity, not for the exposure, but for the wage packet, it's the romantic heart and soul of boxing. Well done Rockin. A boxer at his level fighting for the wage packet? Nah, they don't make ****. Guys at that level don't make any living from boxing, or anything even remotely resembling a decent pay for one fight. Even someone as good as Scully would have struggled with it, let alone dudes that fought a few fights against no one over a few years for no consequence apart from his own enjoyment. When you have top flight world contenders or even champions still working day jobs and only making anywhere between several K to a few tens of thousands at most (divide that by two or three per year, and take off promoters, managers, trainers fees etc and you have someone struggling to make ends meet at the highest level of the sport) then guys who struggle to win a single fight against the most basic fodder level fighter isn't even going to make much more than the taxi ride home....he could ask his opponent to give him a lift in his taxi though which could save him a few bucks. If you're just some dude that decides to fight a few pro fights, win a few, lose a few, nothing of any consequence at all, of which there are many, (you know? the types with a 0-1, 4-3 or 1-2 record and no future whatsoever and can't even beat some other bum with a similar crappy record) then honestly, what does it matter? Turn 'pro' (odd expression as only the very top guys are really pros: definition of a pro being that you make an actual career of your chosen field and are at the top), have a bit of fun. Or don't, get a bit more experience and do it in a year or two. Unless you're the next Nate Campbell, who's currently bankrupt, I wouldn't stress too much. Have fun with it. Don't be too serious. It's not as if it's your livelihood and you'll starve. It's just for the fun of it.

Thanks to everyone who gave me all the meaningful advice. To answer some of the criticism, I do have people who I can talk to about this stuff- I just feel like they arent looking at things objectively. Also, I have had to get rid of people who are only with me to promote themselves---The video with the loser who was pretending to coach me for a while was mentioned.) I have had four fights back since the end of January. All my fights back have been open class- I am not a novice- I have had 20 fights (only four in my comeback). My record is 16-4 now. This past one- the Pennsylvania State Golden Gloves championship- was a loss to a guy who had won the championship the last couple years and lost a 1 point decision to Dominic Brezeale - the guy who is going to be the SHW on the olympic team this year at SHW. He was a good fighter---just akward amateur style. Every time I came at him to fight he backed up. He fought with his hands down. I have sparred several successful professionals the past few months who are known to be good punchers- and did much better against them than this opponent. I did better because they were there to be hit because they were trying to hit me. The guy would fall backwards like a goof balll and throw from funny angles with his hands down. I had not sparred anyone like that before but the two opponents Ive lost decisions to in my recent fights fought like that. I had him in the first round...but I guess he realized that was working well, despite losing the first round. I would have done better to keep more pressure on him and not let him be comfortable doing that crap, but I guess I just got too frustrated while I was out there. Like I said, I appreciate all the constructive advice. Unlike some of the guys like Nate Campbell that were mentioned, I did not START boxing now. I have started to box AGAIN, so I dont really see myself in that boat since I am not starting at square 1 like another guy who is 25 and putting on the gloves for the first time. After considering some of your advice I think I will probably stick around a while. Money isnt an issue for me. I went to college at Penn State and have some other things going for me. I love boxing more than the other things, but I guess there is no rush at this point considering I am already "late". I will try to do things right like there is no pressure.

sh1t happens........Rockin':boxing: I'm serious. That was moving.

I would say that I rode in a meat wagon once. Went down to Cleveland to fight after about a 6 year lay off completely out of shape. The ride home the car just smelled like a wounded animal. This is the kind of insight that someone with your experience can provide. It's the side of the sport that doesn't get an HBO special, that doesn't get pyrotechnic entrances, where the only belts on display are for holding your trousers up. The dressing room after defeat, the "meat wagon" on the way home from failure, the guys that take the fights on short notice, not for the opportunity, not for the exposure, but for the wage packet, it's the romantic heart and soul of boxing. Well done Rockin.

Gotta agree with Rockin. It might sound harsh. You could listen to this advice or wait till your broke, penniless and needing a helluva lot of medical work. Nothing cool about getting smashed up for just a few pennies.

never said that my career glittered, and I had many more years experience than this guy when making the transition. you've really turned into a genuine piece of **** squeal piggy, thankyou for your snide remark........Rockin':boxing: Interesting that some kid comes on here for some advice (and the correct answer is of course that he needs to have more amateur fights and win a major contest as an adult if he's looking to pick up a good promoter) and you make a response about "meat wagons" and then accuse other people of being snide. Interesting you should mention the meat wagon. Didn't you get knocked out by the driver?

It's no skin off of my nose if he succeeds or gets hurt in there, turn him pro. opponents like the one that charlie zelenoff showed off his skills against are few compared to the number that can fight.......Rockin':boxing: I gotta respectfully disagree again. I think there are far more club fighters out there than guys who will ever even see an ESPN contract let alone HBO. That doesn't mean they can't fight, only that they're in the same boat trying to get better but just being a wee bit short and doing it for the love of it rather than the paycheck.

rockin' is right. if he turns pro now he wont find anyone willing to invest in him, he will either be an oponent or a nobody. that means working your way up fighting guys with more experience, taking fights on short notice and all that. there will be no adjustment period, no soft touch. considering that he just lost in the ams my guess it wouldnt take long before he took an L in the pros or even got hurt, and then the chance of someone investing in him is even smaller. im not saying he should wait around for the olympics in 2016, but turning pro now is downright stupid. think about it.. hes been out of the ring 10 years, lost his last fight bcuz he dont have any recent experience and couldnt cope with an oponents style. how is that the time to turn pro? the styles arent gonna be easier to cope with and he will have to adjust to the pro ranks when he hasnt even adjusted to being back in the ring yet. start a short amateur campaign. could be as short as 6 months but it will get you back where you need to be, you cant shake off 10 years of innactivity in one fight. have atleats 4 or 5 fights in the ams, get used to being a fighter again, not just for one fight but living that lifestyle for several months. look at your performances and then ask this question again.

dude, you just lost to an akward amatuer and now you're talking about wanting to turn pro? Gas is not cheap to be driven to the fights in the Meat Wagon these days. Beat some amatuers and then maybe come back with this question again..........Rockin':boxing: :lol1: yeah you can't lose in the amateurs then expect to have a glittering professional career like Rockin'!

It costs money to bring in the stiffs to get knocked out. Who would pay money to bring in stiffs for this guy when the stiff is actually probably himself. I understand what they bring in for the local shows and I know what they bring in for the televised bouts, I did both. NOBODY is going to invest in a 25 year old who hadn't fought in 10 years and lost his last amatuer bout. If the guy turns pro tomorrow and fights any time soon in the pro ring he is probably going to be in for some trouble. Just tell me one promoter who would even get close to thinking about investing in a fighter with his credentials, you won't find one. Go out and atleast fight in the Open class at the PAL National before turning pro. If he doesn't get stopped in any of those bouts then I would say fine turn pro, still wouldn't recommend it but if he had to then fine. 'Til then he's just simply dreaming. Just real talk.........Rockin':boxing: I think its more logical to see him fight and then ask the question of who would take a chance on his. Does his style translate? Is the rust removable and the potential there? If he has the raw capabilities to improve most small outfits would sign him. We've both seen guys that were pro that had no business putting gloves on in their backyard let alone being paid for it. If the underlying potential is there I'd go for it. He would be matched according to his ability by most respectable promoters. That's the way it was always done in the New England area anyway. After a few fights he either improves or he doesn't and will know if he has what it takes to move up. :dunno:

okay buddy, only someone who is undefeated in amateurs should bother trying to be a pro just because you're a bitter old man doesn't mean you should be crapping on everyone else's dreams :tool: And at the same time someone who has actually been there should have his opinion respected if not agreed with. His words are from experience, and while I may not agree on this particular argument his opinion carriers weight. Take the trolling somewhere else, ok?

by his words I had taken it as he wants to turn pro now. aswell fighting in the nationals as a junior is great but 10 years later with nothing inbetween is going to make his climb a steep and treturous one. He hasn't even had an open bout yet. He should enter himself into the PAL National if it's still rolling. Win that tournament and you might have a chance with the pros. When I fought there I encountered somebody similar to you, he had some how won his preliminary bout and we met in the semis. While I will give him credit for finishing the fight he took a horrible beating. Once I saw that he had a chin I just coasted trying to conserve my energy for the next fight the following day. Skill wise he just couldn't measure up, he simply lacked experience. Maybe this guy here can measure up but it's very unlikely. Jumping to the pros immediately will most likely get him hurt. If he can't even beat the amatuers whats he even thinking of the pro game for?.......Rokin':boxing: I think it depends on whether he is fed to the wolves or not. I've known many pros who had decent success but weren't outstanding amateurs at the national level. At 25 I would work a steady diet of stiffs and guys who's amateur success never translated from the ams and build myself of. You gotta remember bro, not everyone is fighting the level of fighters you so often worked with and he could catch on with a smaller promotional company such as CES to see if he could developed. See someone like Vladine Biosse as an example. He may never be a world champ, but he's having a fairly successful pro career thusfar with little amateur experience. Tommy Galipeau who I use to spar almost daily got himself an NABF or USBA ranking was on his way to a successful career till he got hooked on the pipe is another.