When were Soviets allowed to fight pro?

[Steak]

I understand that most of the eastern block were not allowed to fight Professionally until like the 1990's.

If they had the same freeedom as USA fighters do you think history would be vastly different?

I think the likes of Frazier Foreman Ali etc etc would have had a much harder time to secure legacies.......and the golden era would have been even more Golden!

Opinions.

(keep it clean....this is not about black and white)

Foreman KOed the best Soviet heavyweight in the world when he was a teenager in the Olympics. I believe in the 2nd round. and other successful amateurs did the same.

I can certainly see some Soviet's having success and being top ten guys at times...but Frazier, Ali, Foreman...these guys were special. they would have walked through the best Soviets without that much of a hard fight, imo.

I mean, a green teenage Foreman already beat the best Soviet HW, a green 20 year old Frazier beat the best Soviet HW, a green 18 year old Ali beat the best Soviet LHW in the world, etc...
and these Soviets were in their prime ages, around their midtwenties through 30s.

[Khmelnytsky]

understand what some are saying but guys like Rid**** Bowe, Michael Spinks, Roy Jones jr, Teofilo Stevenson lost to Soviet fights, lots of western greats did

Gennadi Shatkov was the guy who Ali beat in the semi's, Shatkov was a middle weight, fighting at that weight against Ali and it was a close fight tied going into the last round

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvyUa6hmAnE&feature=related

here is the link for Ali's next fight in the final against Pietrzykowski who Ali beat, to say he "outclassed" them is ridiculous, i'm sure lots of eastern greats could of competed with the best from the west, any era

read up on Valeri Popenchenko, Vyacheslav Lemeshev, Viktor Savchenko, Nikolai Korolev, Igor Vysotsky, Gennady Shatkov

Vysotsky Hvywt that beat Teofilo Stevenson twice, K.O.'ing him once, Igor cut easily, that was his achilles heel but tough as nails

No matter how bad of a mother****ur you think you are there is always someone just as tough

[Khmelnytsky]

actually after seeing this post i just rewatched the Pietrzykowski vs Ali finals fight

1st i gave to Pietrzykowski, not much happened but Zigzy landed more

2nd no doubt Pietrzykowski won

3rd 1st half Pietrzykowski had a slight edge then half way through Ali really started landing good and definitely took
the 3rd

so yeah, i think Clay's Gold is Bullshyt, Pietrzykowski won 2 rounds to 1

if you watch the fight pay attention to how horribly bias the english play by play is though, in the first 2 rounds he's crediting Ali for shyt that isn't landing

[UKBRAWLER]

just watched it.....thanks for posting.....i too think Pietrzykowski may have clinched that fight

[PlasticFlamingo]

If they had that freedom then yes, but they didnt have it because they were communist. If they werent communist, they wouldnt have the fighters they had, so it would make no difference.

The Soviet Union were good at sports because dictatorship somehow improves the sport in a country. Watch Cuba, and Hugo Chavez's Venezuela. Ever since Chavez became president of Venezuela, the sports there has grown by leap and bounds, just last Olympics were the first time Venezuela classified in soccer, volleyball, and baseball was the other I think.

Venezuela is socialist not communist. The difference in those countries, is that the athletes are constantly monitored and they are trained 24/7 without having to worry about paying bills. In a way its like super-welfare.

[Benny Leonard]

actually after seeing this post i just rewatched the Pietrzykowski vs Ali finals fight

1st i gave to Pietrzykowski, not much happened but Zigzy landed more

2nd no doubt Pietrzykowski won

3rd 1st half Pietrzykowski had a slight edge then half way through Ali really started landing good and definitely took
the 3rd

so yeah, i think Clay's Gold is Bullshyt, Pietrzykowski won 2 rounds to 1

if you watch the fight pay attention to how horribly bias the english play by play is though, in the first 2 rounds he's crediting Ali for shyt that isn't landing

18 year old Cassius

how old was Zigzy Pietrzykowski?

Also note that there is no guarantee an Amateur fighter will make a great pro.

[The Hammer]

As a teenager, Ruslan Chagaev twice defeated Felix Savon at his peak (age 27 and 28) in the amateurs.

There are far more examples of fighters from the former Soviet republics and before that from the USSR than there are of Americans beating Soviets! That guy Foreman beat didn't look like a top heavyweight at all.

Human beings are more highly motivated by money and the better quality of life it brings than they are by medals. The Communist system did not bring out the best in East European fighters the way the opportunity for eventually making big money brought out the best in Americans.

During the 20th century, most of the best boxing gyms in the world were located in the inner cities of the US. Nowadays, some of the best are in Germany.

[Klitschko2011]

I am Ukrainian and I am proud to say that Eastern European heavyweights are SUPERIOR. We're dominating and will conitnue dominating for a very very long time...you haters better get used to it.

[The Hammer]

actually after seeing this post i just rewatched the Pietrzykowski vs Ali finals fight

1st i gave to Pietrzykowski, not much happened but Zigzy landed more

2nd no doubt Pietrzykowski won

3rd 1st half Pietrzykowski had a slight edge then half way through Ali really started landing good and definitely took
the 3rd

so yeah, i think Clay's Gold is Bullshyt, Pietrzykowski won 2 rounds to 1

if you watch the fight pay attention to how horribly bias the english play by play is though, in the first 2 rounds he's crediting Ali for shyt that isn't landing

Thanks for bring this to our attention.

[UKBRAWLER]

I am Ukrainian and I am proud to say that Eastern European heavyweights are SUPERIOR. We're dominating and will conitnue dominating for a very very long time...you haters better get used to it.

theres some italian guy in philly eatin raw eggs and beaten cow carcusses......he gonns upset ya'llbig time ...lol