Rising boxing nations and future super powers?

[CubanGuyNYC]

Pro boxing has recently been allowed in China. In 2006 they had their first world champion and 2 months ago a chinese boxer became WBC silver champion. I did a search on boxrec and I'm surprised at how many pro boxers china has but most of them have less than 10 pro fights. The pro boxing scene in China is just starting to develop, the WBC is regularly staging events there and a lot of promoters are interested in doing business over there because of the huge market. Two freaking billion people, imagine how much money you would make on a ppv...

lol The latest estimate of the Chinese population is 1,347,350,000. You're right, though; that would make for amazing PPV numbers. The Chinese could easily become the major power in professional boxing, if they really got into it. The potential pool of young athletes is simply enormous.

[Kagami Taiga]

For all those who didn't get my message, reread it. This time very carefully. I am specifically talking about the Olympic boxing system that exists today. Not the one that existed when ward or Floyd or anyone else was around. Smh. U would think u guys would understand the system is vastly different than it was just 10years ago.

[CubanGuyNYC]

For all those who didn't get my message, reread it. This time very carefully. I am specifically talking about the Olympic boxing system that exists today. Not the one that existed when ward or Floyd or anyone else was around. Smh. U would think u guys would understand the system is vastly different than it was just 10years ago.

I get what you're saying, and I agree that the system has increasingly degenerated over the years. But that doesn't mean that the best Olympians should be overlooked. With the exception of the obvious travesty, as with RJJ, gold medal winners have to be regarded as bright professional prospects.

[Kagami Taiga]

I get what you're saying, and I agree that the system has increasingly degenerated over the years. But that doesn't mean that the best Olympians should be overlooked. With the exception of the obvious travesty, as with RJJ, gold medal winners have to be regarded as bright professional prospects.

Not right now. I don't see it. Some of them, definitely. But most? No. The amateur style is vastly different from the pro style. Most of them will not be as good as an Andre ward or Floyd mayweather. I've watch pretty much every match in the olympics and the guys with the professional styles are obvious but they usually aren't the guys who win.

[CubanGuyNYC]

Not right now. I don't see it. Some of them, definitely. But most? No. The amateur style is vastly different from the pro style. Most of them will not be as good as an Andre ward or Floyd mayweather. I've watch pretty much every match in the olympics and the guys with the professional styles are obvious but they usually aren't the guys who win.

Most pros aren't, either. lol

And who's to say the kids with the "professional styles" will do better than the gold medalists? Boxing is still, in it's purest form, a sport of hit and don't be hit. That's what Olympic boxing is all about, even with all its flaws. The way I see it, the best amateurs will be able to adapt when the time comes. The others will tend to fail as pros, too.

[raf727]

Where's that opinion coming from?

You can't have that level of thinking when majority of boxing's greats (almost if not all 90%) came from the amateur ranks.

That's an unfair assessment considering Amateur Boxing changed drastically since the 1970s or so.

Lots of ATG's did not have any amateur careers such as Billy Conn, Pacman, etc.

Lots of ATG's didn't do well in the ammy's like Tommy Hearns yet were able to turn it around in the pro's.

I agree that the amateur game sets you up for success, but 90 percent is a pretty ridiculous number to put out there, especially considering it is a fairly new venture the way it is now. You can say yeah Willie Pep was a standout amateur, but it was just pro boxing lite back then with the scoring and the lack of headgear, so it's a different beast.

I'm just playing devil's advocate.

[Tamis!]

That's an unfair assessment considering Amateur Boxing changed drastically since the 1970s or so.

Lots of ATG's did not have any amateur careers such as Billy Conn, Pacman, etc.

Lots of ATG's didn't do well in the ammy's like Tommy Hearns yet were able to turn it around in the pro's.

I agree that the amateur game sets you up for success, but 90 percent is a pretty ridiculous number to put out there, especially considering it is a fairly new venture the way it is now. You can say yeah Willie Pep was a standout amateur, but it was just pro boxing lite back then with the scoring and the lack of headgear, so it's a different beast.

I'm just playing devil's advocate.

It's just a number I threw with exaggeration

Point is amateur is the basic grassroots campaign which may or may not produce ATG boxers, but more often than not it does develop.

[-Johannes-]

Yes, so that's why the K brothers, Rigondeaux, Gamboa, Lara, Salinas, Franco, Dlh, Floyd, Ward, and so many others had fail in the pro?

It's not like it really means jack shit but look at your list, most are excellent technicians. The K brothers are great at what they do and the amateur system works for them. The pros are a different game though. Say like Antonio Demarco, sometimes the slow starter durable guy that finishes strong. Or any slow starter for that matter. A big puncher with limited boxing ability would not be suitable for the Olympics.

[Tamis!]

It's not like it really means jack shit but look at your list, most are excellent technicians. The K brothers are great at what they do and the amateur system works for them. The pros are a different game though. Say like Antonio Demarco, sometimes the slow starter durable guy that finishes strong. Or any slow starter for that matter. A big puncher with limited boxing ability would not be suitable for the Olympics.

Agreed.

From what I noticed the amateur boxer with sound fundamental technical skills fare well when turning pro.

[The Gambler1981]

Anyone with good skills should be able to fight decently for 9 minutes~ fighting 4 times as long is a whole different ball game.

Yea the guys that do well tend to be toward the top of the heap, but that just means any of the 32 guys that get to compete not really the guys that have stripped their style down to win in this format.

Who from the 2008 games has done anything in the pro ranks that won a medal.