amatuer boxing can someone help me understand this??

[PunchDrunk]

Top pros tend to have been good amateurs (good showing at the world championships, olympics, multiple golden gloves wins etc).

Of course. But there are differences too. The number one p4p pro fighter today couldn't win the Olympics when he tried, and with the way he's fighting nowadays, he wouldn't be able to do it today either. Putting your head between your legs everytime your opponent attacks is, oddly enough, not considered "defense wizardry" in the ams, it's against the rules, and will lead to point deductions and disqualification.

Besides, you're missing my point. The top pro's you're talking about, are the 1% I'm not talking about in what you replied to. 99% of all pro's are not top pro's. Is that so hard to grasp?

[PunchDrunk]

Yeah, what he said. The judging system is setup so that the blow is only scored when all the judges see you land the punch. That's why amateur boxing suits the best guys with a style that constitues a lot of moving, straight punches and outside work, along with a relatively low workrate.

Actually, only three of five judges have to see the punch (and the score it within 1.2 seconds of each other).

Low workrate? No, it's a sprint. You need to get ahead in the first round, and then stay ahead.