If Cubans went pro...

[porlie]

He reached the US and turned professional in Miami in June 1991. His progress as a professional was severely hindered by Gonzalez's refusal to co-operate with trainers or training, feeling as a top Cuban amateur there was nothing he could be taught. He went through several different trainers during his first few years as a pro, due to his arrogance and laziness.

Great post thats exactly my point boxing is very different from amatuer to professional probably the biggest difference of any sport between am and pro.
Great amatuers dont always make great pro's and great pro's werent always great amatuers.

[Underboss]

Great post thats exactly my point boxing is very different from amatuer to professional probably the biggest difference of any sport between am and pro.
Great amatuers dont always make great pro's and great pro's werent always great amatuers.

not only that, cuban amateur boxers if they turn pro first they need to learn some discipline..and then comes the rest.

[porlie]

not only that, cuban amateur boxers if they turn pro first they need to learn some discipline..and then comes the rest.

Any amatuer boxer would be advised to goto a pro gym for sparring for awhile before they turn pro. Its a totally different trade in there and best way to learn its to be in there learning how to fight out of a clinch,how to get sly digs in etc stuff that happens in pro ranks but is punished or jumped on by the ref in amatuer.

[QueensburyRules]

what differences would there be in pro boxing?

who wouldnt have a legacy?

which cubans would have left a mark?

what would be different...

- -14 years later, clearly the former Soviets have dominated while even the best Cubans have managed to hit all the wrong notes.

Kid Gavlin from the 40s-50s still remains the best Cuban pro.

[The Old LefHook]

There is not a Cuban other than Mark who has a real punch. Cassamayor only had a fair punch, and he was the best of the Cuban bunch.

[YNG]

There are plenty of things about Cubans turning pro, some of them don't give a **** like Jorge Luis Gonzales or Odlanier Solis, some of them were mismanaged like Gamboa and Diosbelys Hurtado, some of them have a glass chin like Yan Barthelemy, some of them get the actual opportunities but don't have the meanstreak like Rigondeaux or the other Barthelemy's and some can put the mindset and opportunities together to have a solid career like Lara or Casamayor.

It's hard to know which one you would get, Robeisy Ramirez looked like he was part of the Solis/Gutierrez type, ****y and lazy but got his lesson early on and seems to be improving under Ismael Salas, who clearly understand the mindset of a Cuban athlete and the transition from living in Cuba to living in the US. At the end is really hard for them, they have been living in a gym since they were kids, most of them poor, to go to a place where no one gives a **** about what they do, it's a cultural shock.

Teofilo Stevenson had all the talent in the world but he struggled against swarmers, Felix Savon had dynamite in his punches but he had a glass chin.

I feel like Angel Espinosa could have been an ATG, one punch ko power in both hands, great footwork, beautiful technique, excelent balance, iron chin, liked to fight and could box as well. He had cardio issues tho.

Mario Kindelan is a P4P talent, he could have been at least at good as Rigondeaux IMO and maybe even better.

Ariel Hernandez was a fantastic mover, light on his feet, sharp counter puncher and he could punch as well but he said that he didn't liked inside fighting and that's not a good sign for a succesful pro.

Adolfo Horta could fight at any distance, he was a great boxer and his combinations were as good as anyone's, I think he could have been a world champion.

You have guys like Jose Gomez, Hector Vinent, Juan Hernandez Sierra, Candelario Duvergel, Leonardo Martinez Fizz, Roberto Balado, Julio La Cruz, all of them could have been good pro's but the truth is that we would never know...

[YNG]

Angel Espinosa

Jorge Luis Gonzales when he actually trained

Adolfo Horta

Teofilo Stevenson

[Rick Taylor]

Jorge Luis Gonzalez, i remember that fight.He had beat both Bowe and Lewis in the same week in his amatuer days, he was knocking out limited opposition in all his fights and he was disrespectfull towards Bowe in the build up to the fight. Bowe punished him badly in every round for it before putting him to sleep.

george foreman thought he was the sh%t doe leading into that fight LMAO 😝

[JAB5239]

Being a great amateur Is not the same thing as being a great pro it's two different styles with a different scoring system. There have plenty of great cuban amateurs but seldom had that translated to the pros.

[QueensburyRules]

- -Shame Fidel nixed Ali/Stephenson.

Stephenson at his peak with Ali in an Alarming fade that only a few of us could see as the media and fans had Ali walking on water by then.

I would've picked him over post Manilla Ali in easy $ fight.