Russian and Ukrainian amateur system.

they ground their punches and their young ones dont try to box like mayweather

I don't follow amateur boxing closely but every time I hear about an international tournament, it always seems like Kazakhstan is winning it.

Khazakstan has a big focus on their amatuer program. More than this though, they aren't afraid to try new things and teach the boxers some unconventional footwork coupled with the way they throw. For example they step out to the side with a hook instead of stepping forward, and over rotate their foot and the hook whilst doing this. This means they aren't in the line of fire for a return shot. It also allows you to step back and pump the straight right into a fighter from an unconventional angle.

I would like to add something, with all the success in europe and central asia, pro boxers coming through those amateur systems aren't all that exciting and don't have the smooth style, must watch spark or brilliance of Ali, Leonard, Tyson, Holyfield, Frazier, Whitaker, DLH etc. I miss the days of exceptional American fighters, especially the smooth, slick African Americans. Who from europe is must watch TV? Froch was to a certain extent, possibly Hatton and Khan at stages in their careers....from Ukraine? Russia? Asia? Kovalev is exciting but the language barrier may stop him form being a truly big star. GGG, though a very hard hitting fighter punches too correct and has the stand up straight, box behind a guard european style that isn't all out exciting or smooth. He isn't as fluid a puncher as say Tyson or Norris. Just my two pence.

Yeah Kazakhstan produce some quality amateurs I must admit. GB also have a modest amount of success too considering we're kind of small in population and it's not our biggest sport, I think this has a lot to do with the funding they set and the facilities they provide for the GB Boxing team, the Sheffield Institute of Sport is supposed to have some of the best facilities available, that mixed with good training programs helps produce results I suppose. I'd say team GB did more than just modestly in the 2012 Olympics, with 2 golds, a bronze and a silver and with 7 male qualified boxers, with only one not getting to the quarters or beyond. That's exceptional considering just 8 years prior, in 2004, only one exceptionally talented GB amateur boxer made it to the Olympics (AMir Khan). Since then, with the spotlight on Khan and his immense initial popularity in Britain, British amateur boxing has had a lot of funding. It has grown considerably.

Its more likely that team usa are using peds, and they're still ****. almost all cases in boxing of people being caught with peds, its americans 90% of the time, mexicans 10% of the time. Yeah. Americans are the world leaders in doping and then still have to make excuses when coming up short. Insecurity and still living in bunkers thinking about the Cold War.

Pumping out boxers like crazy. Team USA needs to step their game up The urban style is taking over america. Everyone wants to be slick quick and pretty. Take no damage ,win on points and be the A side .. The mayweather phenomena. Fat kids ,lazy kids,privledged kids ,slow kids ,athletic kids ,non athletic kids.. Imo the brawler and swarmer style 7 to 8 years from now Is gonna make a comeback. The guys who really wanna bang and fight and take the fight to some of these wanna Be's . They are out there. And they dont post on face b oo k and iG and twi tt er . They fight in sparring . They train hard. Then you have the eastern euro technical power houses who are gonna keep bringing it. . The urban style and american boxing is gonna die out soon..

It's not just Ukraine and Russia, it's also Kazakhstan and the UK, both of which, if I'm not mistaken have produced more Olympic medalists recently than the Russians. But whichever country and system you want to pick, they produce top level amateurs which, more often than not, convert to top level professional fighters. There really isn't a secret behind it beyond good funding, good coaching and good amateur competitions. The US had the exact same thing going from the 40s-80s, the longest sustained run of amateur and professional success in the sports history. Issue is now, the amateur system is underfunded, the coaches aren't as good the competitions not as competitive. Yeah Kazakhstan produce some quality amateurs I must admit. GB also have a modest amount of success too considering we're kind of small in population and it's not our biggest sport, I think this has a lot to do with the funding they set and the facilities they provide for the GB Boxing team, the Sheffield Institute of Sport is supposed to have some of the best facilities available, that mixed with good training programs helps produce results I suppose.

I think they just have a great amateur system, and just train train train, similar to the Cubans, the technique and fundamentals are drilled into them from an early age and they fight very regularly, you see Cubans and Russians/Ukranians having 3-400 amateur bouts, that mixed with the relentless training and drilling them with technique work is bound to produce results. The difference between these countries and places like the U.S. and UK is you have more of a choice in these countries on what you do, whereas if you want to box under the Cuban/Ukrainian/Russian system you do it their way or you're ****ed off. Similar to what the Chinese are like in diving in a way. They all train like robots.

They're hungry and like to punch. Russian style(in general) is based off technique for efficient power. The Ukrainian style(in general) is less about power and more of a balance between offense and defense.

Vyaceslav Lemeshev... ... From his back foot, Lemeshev stops a southpaw pressure fighter from the U.S.... That's actually a very good fight. Perfect example of the differences between the American school and the Soviet school. Marvin Johnson was coming off a tough match against one of the Cubans yet early on still took it to Lebeshev (who he had beaten before.) But the Soviet boxer managed to absorb the punishment and eventually caught him with some good shots from long range. He ended up being the better man that day but both guys got to show their class.

Keeping inline with failing amateur fortunes, what about the CUbans? I know they aren't as bad as the Americans but they have fallen behind many of the Europeans and central Asians. I know the problems with the US story, but what about the Cubans?

None of the current boxers from Eastern Europe have tested positive. Are you suggesting that Mariusz Wach isn't from Eastern Europe? Or that he didn't test positive? Or that he isn't a current boxer? :lol1: Even though they've tested clean, you don't want them in the sport. :lol1: Nice try but I clearly said that IF they are using then I don't want them in the sport. Same as I would say about Anthony Joshua or Erik Morales or anybody else that is suspect. This isn't a nationalistic or race issue to me. The sport should be about clean athletes proving who is superior against other clean athletes.

Lemeshev was a great talent, he was just 20 yrs old in those clips you posted. Youngest Soviet Olympic champion. Sadly, alcohol addiction mainly ruined his later career, and life. I know Lemeshev's story... I only wanted to provide a "Soviet School" top example here...

Vyaceslav Lemeshev... ... From his back foot, Lemeshev stops a southpaw pressure fighter from the U.S.... ... Lemeshev wins Olympic gold after surgically KOing Virtanen (Finland)... Lemeshev was a great talent, he was just 20 yrs old in those clips you posted. Youngest Soviet Olympic champion. Sadly, alcohol addiction mainly ruined his later career, and life.

Vyaceslav Lemeshev... ... From his back foot, Lemeshev stops a southpaw pressure fighter from the U.S.... ... Lemeshev wins Olympic gold after surgically KOing Virtanen (Finland)...

Historically, the Russians and Ukrainians (and former Soviets) have strenuous approaches to training methods. This is one reason they excelled in the Olympics, for instance. It's a special school of thought and belief system. Athletes are identified and hand picked at an early age, and nutured all the way through 'scientifically based' training programs and techniques, utilizing a technology based approach. A Russian or Eastern European amateur typically has an extensive amateur background against top-tier competition before having his first pro fight. It's a tradition of competitivenss, effectiveness and success which carries through to this day.

It's for sure that they are so tough mentally and are training like there's no tomorrow, dedication combined with great schools took them here. But one of the greatest assets of very scientific soviet boxing schools is a boxing program called a "combinated style of boxing", or it's called something along those lines. In fact they created it in order to get more medals than the US in the olympic games. They gathered their best coaches, their best PHD's and scientist to create this program. After the analysis they agreed that the problem of soviet amateur boxers at that time was of a technico-tactical nature. Their program consisted of schooling their boxers how to be successfull at boxing at any given distance (at long rage, mid-range and at the short-range), and then to school them how to change the distance fluently and flawlessly from any actual distance they are finding themselves into to any of other 2 distances at any giving moment.

It's not just Ukraine and Russia, it's also Kazakhstan and the UK, both of which, if I'm not mistaken have produced more Olympic medalists recently than the Russians. But whichever country and system you want to pick, they produce top level amateurs which, more often than not, convert to top level professional fighters. There really isn't a secret behind it beyond good funding, good coaching and good amateur competitions. The US had the exact same thing going from the 40s-80s, the longest sustained run of amateur and professional success in the sports history. Issue is now, the amateur system is underfunded, the coaches aren't as good the competitions not as competitive.

Not true. Loma and Kov have skills bruh. Vic had skills, Dervy showed skills on Friday. And yes I know Vic is Armenian but we all know that's Russki land. good thing we don't have any turkish nationals here lolol But my opinion is that ukraine/russian fights are flavors of the month, bump this thread in a year and i may change my mind based on what we see coming out of that region