The Iron Curtain/Eastern Euro Heavy's

[Machine Gunz]

Is it safe to say, had the iron curtain of the Soviet Union dropped earlier than 1991 and Eastern European heavyweight Boxers were allowed to turn pro back in 70's/80's, they would have had a massive impact on the heavyweight scene, the same impact they are having on the division today?

How well would of the Eastern Euro heavy's faired against the American heavy's of the 70/80's/early 90's? would they have changed the course of the heavyweight title? im sure there would have been guys like the Klitschko's, Ibragimov's, Chagaev's etc floating around in the Russian Amateur Boxing program but were unable to turn pro.

as we are seeing today, American Heavy's cant get by Eastern Euro heavy's, of course there were great American heavy's aroundn at that era, but im sure there would have been guys like the Klitschko's; imposing size, great power, real fast hands for big guys, great footwork etc around but were unable to compete at pro.

The question is: how would have the Ivan Drago's gone against the Holmes', Young Tysons, Razor Ruddocks', Rid****s Bowes, Lennox Lewis' around that era when they werent allowed to turn pro because of the powers of the Soviet Union? What are your thoughts?

[TheGreatA]

The Eastern Europeans were not all that successful against the Americans in the amateurs.
Perhaps the money they could've earned as pro fighters would've motivated more Eastern Europeans to take up boxing though...

Andrew Golota was the first one (or atleast one of the first ones) to show that the Eastern European heavyweights could certainly compete with the American heavyweights physically although not mentally in Golota's case...


Foreman wins the Olympic gold medal with only 25 amateur fights against a top Soviet boxer.

The biggest question to me is how would have Felix Savon and Teofilo Stevenson done as pros?


Teofilo Stevenson

[BrooklynBomber]

As manchine said there were not that many soviet heavies(visotsky comes to mind, and maybe there were other few) that would have made any sort of impact back then. However, you really never know, maybe with american techniques and soviet style training adopted to pro there would have been a couple of gems.

[Machine Gunz]

The Eastern Europeans were not all that successful against the Americans in the amateurs.
Perhaps the money they could've earned as pro fighters would've motivated more Eastern Europeans to take up boxing though...

Andrew Golota was the first one (or atleast one of the first ones) to show that the Eastern European heavyweights could certainly compete with the American heavyweights physically although not mentally in Golota's case...

Good post! Golota could of been anything, very good technique, hand speed, power, great all-round fighter, was just enver mentally prepared.


yes, Stevenson, Felix Savon, i'm sure they would have torn the division apart!

[Silencers]

As TheMachine said, there weren't many Eastern European heavyweight fighters that would have made a very big impact in the professional ranks.

I would have loved to see Stevenson turn pro and fight Ali back then.

[Machine Gunz]

maybe with american techniques and soviet style training adopted to pro there would have been a couple of gems.

no doubt, the soviets boxers trained very hard, beyond our imagination, i got a lil insight on soviet training methods from reading a Kostya Tszyu bio, ditch the typical stand up style and throw in the american style + soviet training, anything could of been possible

[Machine Gunz]

I would have loved to see Stevenson turn pro and fight Ali back then.

Is it true Stevenson turned down a multi million dollar offer to turn pro and fight Ali?

[Silencers]

Is it true Stevenson turned down a multi million dollar offer to turn pro and fight Ali?

It is, he said a million dollars didn't mean as much to him as all the fans he had in Cuba.

[Mr. Philadel]

back then the HW division was stacked with ex olympic medalist and fighters who knew a jab from a hook! now days the HW division is full of guys who used to work in supermarkets and **** like that! so to answer your question, no! I dont think Lewis, Holyfield or any of the top dogs of that era would've been out shined by anybody the Eastern block would've gave a passport to! today's HW's are ****in bums and everybody knows it! it's the most weakest and less entertaining division in the whole sport! Lewis, Tyson, and Holyfield bought something extra to the ring besides lefts and rights, they had this certain type of mystique 'bout their way of workin, and that created excitement! Today its the complete opposite! the Eastern boys are dominating the weakest division in the game! but for how long?