Dominican Republic hasn't produced champs but their amateur boxing is better than Puerto Rico's. Felix Diaz won a gold medal for Dominican Rep. PR has never won a gold in the Olympics. For all of their success in the pros, PR gets beat year after year in the amateurs.
Frankly, if Cuba didn't have an embargo with the States, it would've been a complete takeover of the pro game. Andy Cruz right now can beat Loma or Crawford at whatever damn weight they want to fight at. People think Rigo is crazy. Andy Cruz just jumped from 123 to 143 and obliterated the division for his first World Championship. He is still young and doesn't have the extensive CV yet but he's the best fighter in the world right now and it's not even close.
Just like the last Worlds in the AMS, Cuba won 5 golds and 2 silvers out of 10 possible medals. It should've been 6 golds too but they gotta rob them here and there cause it's not supposed to be the Cuban Championships, but the World Championships.
Loma would also beat Cruz bro. I like Cruz but he slaps a lot and misses a lot.
I wouldn't be worried if Cruz turned pro tomorrow, honestly.
Theres approx 70 world champions in boxing at any one time and 17 weight divisions
And someone is jumping for joy mentioning a female boxer (not relevant) and having just TWO yemeni boxer world champs EVER !!haha Completely proving my point about having extremely low standards!
Actually, I’ve been corrected. There have been three male pro champion boxers of Yemeni descent. (Females are indeed relevant, if we’re talking about culture/race, etc.) The point is that they were all born and raised in Britain, where I’m sure they’re a tiny minority. By your logic, Yemeni people “can’t fight” or are “hopeless at sport.” These three are evidence that what I’m positing is accurate, and that you’re wrong. They had access to a boxing culture, opportunity and resources they wouldn’t have in their native land. And I’d be willing to bet anything that they will give rise to more champion athletes of Yemeni descent as kids like them look up to them for inspiration.
I hate it when people make excuses like little girls.
When it's very clear some races/nations just cannot fight at all.
Joe Calzaghe trained out of a ****ing shed in a rural Welsh village for the majority of his pro career. He didn't have any top facilities or resources.
Ukraine is a very,very poor country full of poverty and of just 45 million people. And they constantly produce world class talent all the time.
Yeah, but Calzaghe is from Great Britain, with a boxing culture to draw from and access to professional boxing circles. “Poor” has a different definition in the West than it does in other parts of the world. If Joe was some African kid living in a hut and eating dirt, I’d be a lot more impressed with his rise. As I said before, blacks are clearly represented disproportionately in pro boxing, but nearly all of them come from western nations. Why is that? They all share the same DNA. The difference is they don’t all have access to the same things.
He won the vacant wba superfly belt after beating Luis Concepcion
Missed that. I stand corrected. Add another boxer of Yemeni descent to the roster of professional boxing champions. :fing02:
Good call. But Khalid Yafai is not a world champion (yet). Interestingly, he’s yet another Yemeni athlete born in Great Britain. Still more proof that the countries that haven’t produced champion boxers haven’t done so because of the lack of a boxing culture, opportunity and resources.
He won the vacant wba superfly belt after beating Luis Concepcion
I give Cubans credit for being a boxing nation. My statement was a reply to the guy who was saying ridiculous things about Cuban amateurs being able to "completely take over" professional boxing if there were no limitations and that Andy Cruz could beat Loma and Crawford right now (LOL).
If those amateurs were so great that they could just step into the pro world and beat all the elite fighters with no pro experience, they should have completely dominated the much less competitive amateur competitions. Not just win some medals but obliterate them. Which of course, doesn't happen, Uzbekistan actually won more medals than them.
Hrgović knocked out a lot of Cubans in the amateurs so how the hell would the Cubans take over the HW division for example?
Every Cuban that is stuck in the amateur system and continues to win medals was once new. So, yes, the gold medal tally would probably be diminished, but the history of Cuban gold medals in boxing would still be impressive.
Then you have guys like Lara and Rances Barthelemy, who never won Olympic medals, but became professional world champions. Luis Ortiz is another one. He’s not a champ, but he’s definitely a serious contender. There are probably a lot of Cuban fighters who don’t sport the hardware but would probably do pretty well as professionals.
I don’t agree that Cubans would necessarily “take over” pro boxing if allowed to freely compete, but I do agree that there would be even more Cuban professional champions. Of that I have no doubt. The number would be disproportionate. Of that I have no doubt as well. It already is.
Yafai has roots in Yemen too
Good call. But Khalid Yafai is not a world champion (yet). Interestingly, he’s yet another Yemeni athlete born in Great Britain. Still more proof that the countries that haven’t produced champion boxers haven’t done so because of the lack of a boxing culture, opportunity and resources.
There’s no disputing the focus, but it still doesn’t adequately explain how a small, impoverished, third world island-nation is so disproportionately successful at sports on the world stage. You’ve gotta give credit where credit is due. Your statement seeks to brush aside a great achievement with very little thought.
I give Cubans credit for being a boxing nation. My statement was a reply to the guy who was saying ridiculous things about Cuban amateurs being able to "completely take over" professional boxing if there were no limitations and that Andy Cruz could beat Loma and Crawford right now (LOL).
If those amateurs were so great that they could just step into the pro world and beat all the elite fighters with no pro experience, they should have completely dominated the much less competitive amateur competitions. Not just win some medals but obliterate them. Which of course, doesn't happen, Uzbekistan actually won more medals than them.
Hrgović knocked out a lot of Cubans in the amateurs so how the hell would the Cubans take over the HW division for example?
You're such a dummy, I don't even know where to begin with.
Cubans can't come to U.S and the ones that have made it like Lara, Rigondeaux, Barthelemy, Ugas, Gamboa, Dorticos, Ortiz are or have been champs. That's pretty successful.
Well that just proves my point doesn't it? Cubans are stuck in the amateurs that's why they win those medals.
Imagine you bring in Robeisy, Lazaro, Andy Cruz, Roniel, Arlen, La Sombra and Savon from the current squad.
But that's why those guys win medals in the Olympics which was the point I was arguing for.
You can go the other way too, imagine if you had Golovkin, Gvozdyk, Usyk and Loma still stuck in the amateurs. How many medals would Cuba win then?
It will be almost a complete takeover of professional boxing
LOL you listed like 7 guys who might or might not be suited for pro boxing. There are 17 divisions in boxing multiplied by 4 ABC belts for each one. So those Cubans would just take over all the 68 belts or what? You're completely delusional.
That's because Cubans put everything into amateur boxing while other guys move to the pros. They got beaten by Uzbekistan like you said, do you consider Uzbekistan a global boxing world power?
Well, obviously they are! Haha At least in the amateurs. Once again, we’re back to one of my criteria: opportunity. Uzbeks don’t have ready access to the big pro markets.
I’ve heard the argument that Cuba “puts everything” into their boxing program for years (actually, their entire sports program). There’s no disputing the focus, but it still doesn’t adequately explain how a small, impoverished, third world island-nation is so disproportionately successful at sports on the world stage. You’ve gotta give credit where credit is due. Your statement seeks to brush aside a great achievement with very little thought.
There have been three Yemeni world champions, two male (Naseem Hamed and Sadam Ali), and one female (Isra Girgrah). Hamed was born and raised in Sheffield, England, and Ali was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, USA. Girgrah, although born in Yemen, lived in Canada from the age of three. It’s no coincidence that these three grew up where they did. Had they been born or raised in Yemen, they would not have been world champions. That’s without a shadow of a doubt. Once again, this supports my theory: culture, opportunity and resources. There might be those that would claim “Yemeni people can’t fight,” because no boxing champions actually come from there, but clearly that is not the case.
Yafai has roots in Yemen too
Cuba won three gold and three bronze, for a total of six medals. What more do you want? Haha The only country that did better was Uzbekistan, with a total of seven medals (three gold). Funny thing is — and I don’t know this for certain, but I would be willing to bet — Cuba probably sent coaches and trainers to help with that country’s boxing program.
This year, in Germany, Cuba reasserted herself as the juggernaut in world amateur boxing, winning the AIBA Championships with five gold and two silver medals. Uzbekistan came in second with one gold, three silver and two bronze. Kazakhstan came in third with one gold, two silver and three bronze. Doesn’t look like Cuba is easing up to me. Lol
That's because Cubans put everything into amateur boxing while other guys move to the pros. They got beaten by Uzbekistan like you said, do you consider Uzbekistan a global boxing world power?
Uzbekistan bought a bunch of medals these last Olympics.
The then president of AIBA t, was in Uzbekistan a couple of months before the Olympics to promote boxing in Uzbekistan. Met with the president of the country and everything.
Fazliddin Gaibnazarov from UZB was gifted victories over Garry Russel Jr.'s younger brother, Dunaytsev and Sotomayor. He was gifted 3 victories to get the gold. I think these fights are on youtube too.
Very interesting. Wouldn’t surprise me. Amateur boxing seems as prone to corruption as its professional big brother.
Haha... Oh my...
He lost 0:3 to some 123 pounds Russian guy Dmitriy Asarov in 2015.
http://www.boxing-scoop.com/show_boxer.php?boxer_ID=14670
Does Asarov beat Loma and Crawford as well? LOL.
Cubans didn't do that well on the 2016 Olympics. The best days are probably over for them.
Cuba won three gold and three bronze, for a total of six medals. What more do you want? Haha The only country that did better was Uzbekistan, with a total of seven medals (three gold). Funny thing is — and I don’t know this for certain, but I would be willing to bet — Cuba probably sent coaches and trainers to help with that country’s boxing program.
This year, in Germany, Cuba reasserted herself as the juggernaut in world amateur boxing, winning the AIBA Championships with five gold and two silver medals. Uzbekistan came in second with one gold, three silver and two bronze. Kazakhstan came in third with one gold, two silver and three bronze. Doesn’t look like Cuba is easing up to me. Lol
Haha... Oh my...
He lost 0:3 to some 123 pounds Russian guy Dmitriy Asarov in 2015.
http://www.boxing-scoop.com/show_boxer.php?boxer_ID=14670
Does Asarov beat Loma and Crawford as well? LOL.
Cubans didn't do that well on the 2016 Olympics. The best days are probably over for them.
Cubans are some of the worst and most delusional boxing fans. We get it, you guys exist and there is a country called 'Cuba', give yourselves a pat on the back.
Frankly, if Cuba didn't have an embargo with the States, it would've been a complete takeover of the pro game. Andy Cruz right now can beat Loma or Crawford at whatever damn weight they want to fight at. People think Rigo is crazy. Andy Cruz just jumped from 123 to 143 and obliterated the division for his first World Championship. He is still young and doesn't have the extensive CV yet but he's the best fighter in the world right now and it's not even close.
Haha... Oh my...
He lost 0:3 to some 123 pounds Russian guy Dmitriy Asarov in 2015.
http://www.boxing-scoop.com/show_boxer.php?boxer_ID=14670
Does Asarov beat Loma and Crawford as well? LOL.
Cubans didn't do that well on the 2016 Olympics. The best days are probably over for them.
Dominican Republic hasn't produced champs but their amateur boxing is better than Puerto Rico's. Felix Diaz won a gold medal for Dominican Rep. PR has never won a gold in the Olympics. For all of their success in the pros, PR gets beat year after year in the amateurs.
Frankly, if Cuba didn't have an embargo with the States, it would've been a complete takeover of the pro game. Andy Cruz right now can beat Loma or Crawford at whatever damn weight they want to fight at. People think Rigo is crazy. Andy Cruz just jumped from 126 to 143 and obliterated the division for his first World Championship. He is still young and doesn't have the extensive CV yet but he's the best fighter in the world right now and it's not even close.
Just like the last Worlds in the AMS, Cuba won 5 golds and 2 silvers out of 10 possible medals. It should've been 6 golds too but they gotta rob them here and there cause it's not supposed to be the Cuban Championships, but the World Championships.
This is true. PR just won their first gold medal ever in any sport in tennis, during the last Olympics. But maybe it’s precisely because their fighters don’t focus on the amateur game that they have so little success there. The same with Mexico. They don’t do that great in Olympic boxing either.
I do believe that Cubans would have even greater success in the pros if they were allowed to compete freely. The few that have managed to defect are definite proof of that. But, again, it goes back to my original point: culture, opportunity and resources. If Cuba was on the other side of the world, it’s doubtful she’d have such success at boxing, or perhaps anything else.
You definitely follow the amateurs much more closely than I do. I knew about the last world championships, but you’re right on top of it. :fing02:
Here is a picture of him together with the great Yugoslav inventor Nikola Tesla:
http://www.croatianhistory.net/gif/science/tesla/tesla_zivich640.jpg
http://nikola-tesla.ca/uploads/3/4/1/8/34184848/258480.jpg
Tesla attended his bouts at Madison Square Garden. These pictures were taken after Zivic beat Armstrong for the second time. After Zivic won the first fight by UD, Tesla supposedly told him before the second fight that he will win by KO (''Srušit ćeš ga, sinko, nokautom!"). After the fight Tesla organized a huge dinner in his honor and this is where the picture was taken.
This is very interesting because Tesla was pretty much a recluse, especially since 1937 after his health deteriorated and it wasn't usual for him to be hanging out like this.
He was definitely a big fan of Zivic but probably also a big fan of boxing too and was interested in the intricacies of sweet science.
That...is...awesome. Thanks for sharing. :fing02: Even that giant brain wasn’t immune to nationalistic pride. Haha
This theory has been proved correct time and time again. Social forces shape us in the ring which is why the most downtrodden minorities usually supplied most of the fighters in the USA.
There was a time when there were great Jewish boxers. They’ve disappeared, right along with the rise of Jews on the socio-economic ladder in the United States. The Chinese and Indian people I’ve observed, at least in the US, are much more concerned with academic excellence and business success than any athletic pursuits. It goes a long way towards explaining their lack of representation in sports in general.
I’m a big chess enthusiast. Whenever I play in a tournament, I see very few white kids and virtually no black or Hispanic kids. At least 90% of the children there are Asian, Indian or otherwise. It’s not because they’re somehow athletically inferior or intellectually superior. These are choices molded by their respective cultures.