If Félix Savón went pro...

[Guest]

It's hard to say. It's a lot different than fighting kids with headgear on versus guys that stand to make millions if they knock someone's head off to put food on the table.

Different game when there is a lot of money involved in winning.

[Jam Jars]

Yep sure did. Was some slick skills for such a large guy who was facing one of the hardest hitting HW's ever in history.

Also upon chekcing tua, Briggs, lewis etc age. Savon was not much older, say 5-6 years in most cases. So maybe he wasnt picking on kids as much as everyone thinks.

Savon was 24 and Tua 19. At 24 Tua was wrecking John Ruiz in the first round. That Tua was a different animal to the 19 year old kid that fought Savon.

[Tmann400]

Savon was 24 and Tua 19. At 24 Tua was wrecking John Ruiz in the first round. That Tua was a different animal to the 19 year old kid that fought Savon.

While true to an EXTENT, it doesn't change the fact Savon was head and shoulders above everyone in the amateurs and proved time and time again. I really don't see how it's fair to discredit him like that. He's won 17 medals in total, and of those 17 medals, a shocking 16 were all gold. You have to be an elite fighter to make those sort of accomplishments, plain and simple. You don't win 16 gold medals, 3 of them being Olympic gold medals, for no reason. Anyway, how would he do in the pros? Hard to say exactly 'cause amateurs don't always translate well to the pros, but Savon was one of a kind and I'd be hard pressed to believe he wouldn't of least won a belt.

[calamaro]

Hpoe do you explain he beat Mercer being six years younger then? Savon was 21 and Mercer 27, and they fought in Atlanta.

[MalikKnucklez]

Beofre Felix, there was Teofilo Stevenson. He was offered by Muhammad Ali a whooping $1 000 000 for his first professional fight with the HW belt on line but Teofilo said, "You can have all the money in the world, I will have my Cuba".

It's hard to compare the two because the international amateur landscape was quite different, some subtle and some major. From the level of competition to even the fact that when Teofilo competed, there was no headgear, smaller gloves, etc....and there was a lot more attention/emphasis placed on the Olympics back then...he was really fighting the best in the world....Teofilo was a boxer's boxer....and one of those guys who made it look extremely easy against world class competition. Watching him against Ali would've really been a treat.

Both Savon and Teofilo were physical specimens, and both huge guys who wielded their size with great athleticism, power & strength.

But it's just hard to argue against Savon's run...u don't dominate the way he does for that long and not be the real deal...I'm of the impression he was actually stronger than Teofilo...and he was really just runnin through dudes...

Fun fact....one of Savon's trainers was actually Pedro Diaz ....

[frosty-g]

Beofre Felix, there was Teofilo Stevenson. He was offered by Muhammad Ali a whooping $1 000 000 for his first professional fight with the HW belt on line but Teofilo said, "You can have all the money in the world, I will have my Cuba".

it is slightly less well known that Stevenson offered Ali to opportunity to instead fight him 5 times over 5 days, 3x3minutes each bout, just like Ali had done previously in international amateur tournaments. Ali insisted it could only be a single 15 rounder or nothing at all.

[frosty-g]

Savon was 24 and Tua 19. At 24 Tua was wrecking John Ruiz in the first round. That Tua was a different animal to the 19 year old kid that fought Savon.

that john ruíz was a different animal to the Savón that Tua fought. or am i supposed to believe that ruíz could counter like Savón and had a right hand like he did?
useless to compare the two fights

[edgarg]

how do you think at an educated guess he'd of done?

For those who are unfamiliar with the name he is the most accomplished amateur to ever live winning 3 olympic golds back-to-back, 6 golds at world championships & won the Cuban national championships 14 times consecutively.

He knocked Tua out in the AMS, as well as Brewster & Briggs.
Beat Krasniqi, Davey boy Izon, Ibragimov, Chagaev, Odlandier Solis


6ft5 slick Cuban, 82" reach with the handspeed of a middleweight & dynamite in both hands. You talk about athletic big men of today, maayn you gotta see this cat to believe it.

I've seen a couple of videos of him. He was not bad, and was using his height and reach well. I think Stevenson was better. Hungarian Laszlo Papp, 20 years before Stevenson, and first ever to win 3 successive Olympic Golds, was recognised with a major WBC award in the 1980s, as being the best amateur and professional fighter in history-until then anyway. This may have been a bit of an exaggeration, but he was a couple of classes above Savon. His amateur record was 312-6. Some say 312-10. he won at middle first, then Jr. Middle twice. The amazing thing about him was that he was only 5'5", shorter than many bantamweights.

He was the only Communist country boxer to fight as a professional, allowed because of his exceptional skills.

[CubanGuyNYC]

Savon was a beast. I'm sure he would've done well as a pro, but it's tough to say how he would've done against a post-prison Tyson, prime Holyfield and Lennox Lewis, among others. I don't see how anyone could confidently predict that an amateur champion, no matter how dominant, would've beaten all those men.

As a few have already mentioned, Stevenson was offered a fight with Ali. Teofilo was a hero of mine growing up, but it's really tough to say that one of the greatest amateur fighters of all time would beat (arguably) the greatest heavyweight of all time. Can anyone even be sure Stevenson would beat Frazier or Foreman?

[CubanGuyNYC]

6ft5 slick Cuban, 82" reach with the handspeed of a middleweight & dynamite in both hands. You talk about athletic big men of today, maayn you gotta see this cat to believe it.

During his run, Savon was a physical specimen. As you point out, Felix was quite athletic. However, I just can't help but wonder how that athleticism would've carried over to a professional career. Looking at Savon's videos, it's easy to imagine that he'd maintain that Olympian physique; but here's a good chance Felix would've put on a few pounds and lost a step. Just look at the young Briggs and Tua, how lean they appeared...not to mention Solis....