Flashback for you....PART 1...

[ICEMAN JOHN SCULLY]

1995 saw future 168 pound prospects Brandon Mitchem and Jeff "Left Hook" Lacy match up with Mitchem taking a decision at the U.S. Under-19 National Championships in the Light middleweight class.

At the 1994 U.S. Olympic Festival Augie Sanchez won a decision over future champ Diego Corrales. Corrales also lost a decision in the U.S. Championship finals that same year to future Olympian Terrance Cauthen.

Augie also split two amateur fights with Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

Vassily Jirov defeated future WBO 175 pound Champion Julio Gonzalez and future WBC champion Antonio Tarver on the way to the gold medal at the 1996 Olympics. Jirov, the future cruiserweight champion, also defeated future 168 pound champion Sven Ottke in 1995. Ottke then turned around and defeated future WBO 175 pound champion Zolt Erdie in a 1996 match.
Pernell "Sweet Pea" Whitaker scored a 1982 National AAU decision over another future champ in Frankie "The Surgeon" Randall.

The 1994 Olympic Festival also saw current WBO heavyweight champion Lamon Brewster score a second round stoppage over future (1996) Olympian Nate Jones in the 201 pound class while super heavyweight Derrick Jefferson scored a championship night stoppage over DaVarryl Williamson.

Williamson, meanwhile, defeated future contender Monte "Two-Gunzz" Barrett in a national tournament in, or around, 1995 in the 201 pound class and he also scored a stoppage victory over future (and current) WBO champion Lamon Brewster. Other Williamson amateur victims include four different U.S. Olympians in Calvin Brock, Nate Jones, Jason Estrada and Michael Bennett.
Brock and Williamson actually stopped each other in separate tournaments back in 1997. Brock also scored at least two decisions over Dominick Guinn including one in the semi's of the 1999 USA/ABF nationals.

When Lennox Lewis stopped Donovan "Razor" Ruddock in just two rounds back in 1992 it likely erased much of the memory of his Junior Division loss to Ruddock back in 1980.

Undisputed middleweight world champ Jermain Taylor reportedly split two amateur contests with former WBO 154 pound champ Felix Sturm while future champs Wayne McCullough and Tim Austin met up in the early 1990's with Wayne taking the decision. McCullough, on the other hand, lost in the 1992 Olympic gold medal match to another future world champion, Joel Casamayor of Cuba.

The 1995 Pan-American Games saw future WBA 154 pound champion David Reid score victories over future contender Hercules Kyvelos of Canada and (in the finals) future WBO Champion Daniel Santos of Puerto Rico

The early 90's saw a 139 pound bout that had Ronald "Winky" Wright winning a decision over future lightweight champion Stevie "Lil' But Bad" Johnston.

Marvis Frazier, a great amateur in his own right who was sometimes overshadowed by the legend of his father Smokin' Joe, defeated the likes of Phillip Brown, "Bonecrusher" Smith, Tony Tubbs, Tim Witherspoon and Mitch Green in his illustrious amateur career. He defeated Green in the 1980 U.S. Olympic Trials quarterfinals before losing in the finals to James Broad.

Michael Spinks won the 165 pound class at the 1976 Olympic Trials, defeating future 168 pound IBF champion Lindell Holmes in the process.

As young kids, twelve or thirteen years old, future Olympic Gold medalist/WBA World Champion David Reid and light heavyweight contender Eric Harding fought twice with each winning once

The 1986 National Golden Gloves in Cedar Rapids, Iowa saw future WBA cruiserweight champions meet up, with Orlin Norris winning a decision over Nate "MR" Miller.

Future light heavyweight contender Johnny Davis won a decision over Gerry Cooney in the light heavyweight final of the 1975 New York City Golden Gloves tournament.

The 1988 version of the New York City tournament saw future ranked contender Ernest "M-16" Mateen win a finals night decision at 178 pounds over fellow Brooklyn-based boxer Clinton Mitchell (Interesting when you know that Mitchell turned pro about six months later with a decision victory in Atlantic City over future world middleweight champion Bernard "The Executioner" Hopkins).

The 1990 New York City Golden Gloves tournament saw two future Roy Jones opponents match up in the 178 pound when Richard Frazier won a decision over future WBA 175 pound champion Lou "Honey Boy" Delvalle.

The 156 pound final of the 1984 National Golden Gloves championships saw future NABF 168 pound champ Ron Esset win a decision over future IBF light heavy champ William Guthrie

Sharmba Mitchell won the 1985 National Junior Olympics 106 pound title with a championship round decision over fellow future Champion Paulie Ayala.

The semi-finals of the 1988 U.S. Olympic Trials saw Rid**** Bowe win by second round disqualification over Lou Savarese. In that same tournament, at 201 pounds, Ray Mercer won a decision over Tommy Morrison

In either 1993 or 1994, at a national tournament, future champions Floyd Mayweather and Eric Morel met up in a 106 pound match-up that saw Mayweather come away with a decision victory.
Jermain Taylor scored a 1999 National Golden Gloves decision over SHOWTIME 168 pound tournament finalist (he had a draw with Jean Paul Mendy in those finals) Anthony Hanshaw

Sugar Ray Leonard won the 1973 National Golden Gloves Championship with a final round decision over future world champion Hilmer Kenty from Detroit

Future IBF Cruiserweight world champion Steve "SSS" Cunningham scored a victory over fellow future world champion Tavoris Cloud while losing twice to future light heavyweight contender Shaun George on two occasions. He also split two bouts with 1999 World Amateur Champion and 2000 U.S. Olympian Michael Simms.

Two future world champions met up in the 125 pound class at the 1988 National Golden Gloves in Omaha with future 130 pound champion Eddie Hopson winning a decision over future featherweight champ Kevin Kelley. The semifinals of that same tournament saw 106 pound Mark "Too Sharp" Johnson win a decision over future bantamweight world champion Timmy Austin.

The 1988 U.S. National Championships saw future WBA 154 pound Champion Carl Daniels win an opening day decision at featherweight (125 pounds) over fellow future champ Sharmba Mitchell.

Kelcie Banks lost in a big upset in the semi-finals of those same 88' U.S. Championships to Daniels at 125 but not before defeating future elite status World Champion Shane Mosley in the quarterfinals.

Carl Daniels had a spectacular week there at the 88' Nationals where he not only beat Banks and Mitchell but he also scored a decision over "Mighty" Ivan Robinson along the way.

To give you an idea of what type of competition is seen at these national tournaments, take a look at the quarterfinal round of those 1988 nationals in the loaded 125 pound division. Ivan Robinson, Vernon Forrest and Sugar Shane Mosley all were defeated (by Daniels, Myron Walker and Banks respectively) on the same day. Add that to the fact that you had Kevin "The Flushing Flash" Kelly lose in an earlier round of competition and you have yourself a DEEP Featherweight class.

[ICEMAN JOHN SCULLY]

At the 1988 Eastern U.S. Olympic Trials two future world champions matched up on opening day in a tussle that saw a young Sharmba Mitchell win a decision at 125 pounds over an even younger Vernon Forrest (I was there) before losing later in the competition to another future champ in Kevin Kelley. At the Eastern Trials one year earlier (Lake Placid, 1987) Mitchell won the 125 pound crown and defeated future world title challenger Virgil McClendon along the way.

Chris Byrd's brother Patrick scored a decision at those 87' Eastern Trials over future (1988) Olympian Romallis Ellis.

Ivan Robinson scored a 1989 stoppage in the first round over future welterweight contender Thomas Damgaard of Denmark and Jeremy Williams, maybe best known now as one of the trainers on "The Contender," scored a 1990 stoppage in the second round over future cruiserweight contender Dale Brown of Canada.

The 1988 U.S. Olympic Trials saw Carl Daniels score another big win, this time in the semis, over Kevin "The Flushing Flash" Kelley. Daniels lost the next day in the finals to Ed Hopson.

The 1999 National PAL tournament saw 132 pounder (and future 2004 U.S. Olympian) Rock Allen score a decision over future world champion Paulie Malignaggi.

The 1988 USA National Junior Olympic tournament, for fourteen and fifteen year olds, saw future Olympic Gold Medalist and WBA world champion David Reid get stopped in the third round of a fight with Tony Hodge of Detroit in the 125 pound semifinals. Oscar DeLahoya won that same J.O. tournament at 119 pounds, beating future lightweight contender Lamar Murphy along the way in the semi's.

"Contender" Results: In a result that might be of interest to some boxing fans that have been keeping up with the NBC TV series "The Contender," at the 1998 USA Under-19 National Championships, in the 147 pound class, Miguel Espino (last seen on the "Contender" losing to Peter Manfredo Jr.) scored a championship night victory over future (and current) WBA regular welterweight champion Luis Collazo of New York.

What's very interesting about the show is the fact that, even though they never mentioned it, several of the guys on the show actually fought each other in the amateur ranks and were often together at national tournaments and, in some cases, they were even teammates on USA teams that fought internationally against other countries. For example, in July of 1999 a United States squad of amateurs faced off with a team from Korea and two of its members were future "Contenders," 147 pound Ishe Smith and 156 pound Sergio Mora.

NBC's "Contender" Champion Sergio Mora lost a decision at the 2000 U.S. Olympic trials to future undisputed middleweight champion Jermain Taylor (Taylor also defeated future -and now current- up and comer Kelly Pavlik by decision at those same 2000 Olympic Trials). Taylor also scored a victory in the amateurs over future Contender star Peter Manfredo.

The 1992 U.S. Championships saw Season 1 star Tarick Salmaci score decisions over Cleveland Corder and Ross "The Boss" Thompson before being eliminated while Season 2 star Nick Acevedo lost a decision to Bones Adams in the 119 pound class at the 1991 National Junior Olympic tournament that Clarence (bka Bones) captured gold at.

Zab "Super" Judah won the 1995 National PAL 139 pound title with victories over David Diaz, Hicklet Lau, Chantel Stanciel, Kimberlin Baine, and current "Contender" TV star Ishe Smith. Ishe also lost at the 1999 National PAL tournament on a preliminary round decision to future welterweight champion Luis Collazo.

Hector Camacho, Jr. won decisions over Ishe Smith at both the 1994 National Junior Olympics and the 1995 U.S. Championships.

[ICEMAN JOHN SCULLY]

In a very interesting occurrence, current up and coming prospect 154 pound Sechew Powell not only won decisions at the 1999 National PAL tournament over both "Contender" winner Sergio Mora and runner-up Peter Manfredo Jr. but Powell also defeated Contender star Miguel Espino at the 1997 U.S. Under-19 nationals.

The 1980 U.S. Olympic Trials saw future contender Rockin' Robin Blake beat Joe Manley in the quarterfinals at 132 before losing in the semi's to Frankie "The Surgeon" Randall.

The 1997 World Junior Olympic Championships in Mexico City, Mexico (15-16 age division) saw Ricardo Williams win a clean decision over current star Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico. Williams did not lose a whole lot of fights as an amateur, that much we know. However, one guy who he won a decision over -a VERY disputed and controversial one- was future (2004) USA Olympian Rock Allen of Philly at the 1997 National PAL.

Cotto, meanwhile, defeated Francisco Bojado in the finals at 132 pounds of the 1999 Cheo Aponte Tournament in Puerto Rico.

The 1986 final in the super heavyweight division at the New York City Golden Gloves saw two future contenders match up with Lou Savarese taking a decision over Alex Stewart. At the 2000 NYCGG tournament future WBA champion Luis Collazo matched up with future contender Yuri Foreman and came away with a decision victory at 147 pounds.

THE CUBANS:
The tiny island of Cuba has long had a reputation as an amateur boxing powerhouse and it is with good reason that they are seen in such light. The list of talented and accomplished Cuban amateurs that never turn professional is VERY long and former 139/147 pounder Juan Hernandez is very prominent on that list. Hernandez defeated Kostya Tszyu in the 1987 Junior World Championships and then bested #1 rated american light welter Nick Kakouris in 1987. In 1988 Charles "The Natural" Murray fell victim to Hernandez by way of a decision as did Englishman, and future world ranked contender, Robert McCracken, who fell to the Cuban by way of a second round knockout. Then Hernandez scored two early 1990's decisions over future Olympic gold medalist David Reid and a 1994 Goodwill Games stoppage of future WBO 154 pound champion David Santos. Hernandez' celebrated amateur career also saw him defeat future contender Ross Thompson and score two decision victories over Patrick Byrd (the younger brother of Chris).

Another special Cuban was 165 pounder Ariel Hernandez. Ariel defeated future contender Stephan Ouellette at the 1989 Junior world championships before defeating the trio of future world ranked contender Joseph Laryea, IBF Super Middle Champ Sven Ottke and future heavyweight champion Chris Byrd on his way to winning the 1992 Olympic Gold Medal at 165 pounds in Barcelona. At the 1993 World Championships Ariel defeated both Ottke and future middleweight contender Raymond Joval on the way to that gold medal.
Antonio Tarver won a decision over future 168 pound WBA Champion Byron Mitchell at the 1994 Golden Gloves and again at the Olympic Festival that same year. At a 1994 Cuba-USA dual meet Tarver lost a decision to future Cruiserweight Champion Juan Carlos Gomez

Cuban great Felix Savon scored stoppage wins over David Tua (first round), Andrew Golota, Shannon Briggs and Davarryl Williamson and decisioned David Izon, Nate Jones, future WBA heavyweight champion Ruslan Chargaev, and future WBO champions Ray Mercer and Lamon Brewster, and Michael Bentt. The Cuban also stopped and decisioned Kirk Johnson.

Cuban Super heavyweight Jorge Luis Gonzalez scored 1987 Pan Am Games decisions over both Lennox Lewis and Rid**** Bowe. Gonzalez also won the 1983 Pan-Am Games with a gold medal decision over the following years (1984) Olympic Champion Tyrell Biggs. On top of that, Gonzalez once scored a decision over fellow Cuban star Teofilo Stevenson. (Many knew already that Gonzalez had beaten Lennox as an amateur in those Pan-Am games but what most do not know is that only one week later, in the North American Championships, Lennox reversed the loss with a decision win in the finals.)

The 1971 Pan-American Games saw American heavyweight Duane Bobick cleanly defeat legendary Cuban Teofilo Stevenson. Stevenson on the other hand reversed the loss to Bobick later on in a different tournament, adding Bobick to a list of victims that includes future pro heavyweights Phillip Brown, Jose Ribalta, Tyrell Biggs (twice), Michael Dokes, Tony Tubbs, John Tate (at the 1976 Olympics) and Greg Page.

Cuba's very well regarded 165 pounder Bernardo Comas was a feared middleweight in the 1980's who defeated many top level boxers, including future two-time world champion Michael Nunn who ended up on the wrong end of an RSC loss in 1983.

Cuban Great Angel Espinosa defeated top Americans like Meldrick Taylor, Fabian Wiliams, Vincent Releford, Darin Allen and Jerome James. Espinosa also scored THREE unanimous decisions over future IBF light heavyweight Champion Henry Maske and, in the 1987 Pan American Games finals, Espinosa scored a decision over future WBO Middleweight Champion Otis Grant. In the 1986 world amateur championship tournament he beat future 168 pound contender Danny Sherry from Canada in the light middleweight class and he also defeated Otis' Brother, #1 world rated Howard Grant, at 139 pounds in the same tournament (1983 Junior Worlds) that he stopped Meldrick Taylor with a body shot in. Espinosa also scored a 1989 decision over future IBF 168 pound world champion Sven Ottke. (At one point in 1987, Espinosa was ranked Number 1 in the world at 165 pounds ahead of amateur stars like Henry Maske, Egerton Marcus, Joe Lipsey, Darin Allen and Sven Ottke).

John Revish scored a decision over future superstar Andre Ward at the National Silver Gloves in Lenexa, Kansas on February 7, 1998.

The only American I ever heard of that ever beat Espinosa was Bomani Parker (a.k.a. Parker White) in a 1986 CUBA-USA duel meet, no shame there, and Espinosa was thought of so highly by Otis Grant's coach, Russ Anber, that Russ told me once that Espinosa was the second best fighter he has ever seen fight in person... behind only Roy Jones, Junior.
1970's and 1980's era Cuban star Angel Herrera scored a 1976 decision over U.S. Olymian Davey Armstrong, a 1977 decision over future champ Rocky Lockridge and a 1978 decision over another future champ in Johnny Bumphus. Herrera's main nemesis as an amateur was U.S. 132 pounder Pernell "Sweet Pea" Whitaker who defeated Herrera in four of their five meetings.

One more Cuban for you. Hector Vinent, a 139 pounds who between 1990 and 1993, scored decision wins over Sugar Shane Mosley, Oktay Urkel and Steve "Lil' But Bad" Johnston.

In the light heavyweight championship bout held in the finals of the 1979 New England Golden Gloves tournament in Lowell, Mass. its two participants were among the best boxers in the entire nation and it ended with Hartford's Kelvin Anderson winning a hard fought decision over New Bedford, Massachusetts boxer Andre McCoy to qualify for the 1979 national tournament.

Both Anderson and McCoy had been successful internationally as members of Team USA and were both considered to have realistic chances at making the 1980 U.S. Olympic Boxing Team. Sadly, neither boxer would get the chance to try as they were both members of the U.S. Boxing Team that perished less than a year later on a plane that crashed en route to an international meet in Poland, tragically killing each passenger.

(A statue of a "fallen boxer" that is dedicated to the entire team stands on display on the grounds of the U.S. Olympic training center in Colorado Springs, Colorado.)
Amazingly, I was looking through an old issue tonight of the AMATEUR BOXER MAGAZINE that covered the 1987 Ohio State Fair Nationals. In it, the complete results of championship night were printed. You had me winning the 165 pound Open division title by decision over future Heavyweight contender Melvin Foster and you had quality boxers like "Too Sharp" Johnson, Vernez Duskin aka Kady King and Bones Adams winning titles, too. One thing I never noticed before, though, was that at 139 pounds in the senior JO division future cruiserweight contender Ravea Springs won a championship night decision over the guy I defeated in my last professional fight, Cleveland Nelson of Detroit.

[ICEMAN JOHN SCULLY]

At the 1996 World Junior Olympic tournament, Brian Viloria scored a decision over one-time Sugar Ray Leonard protege' Bernard Dunne of Ireland.

One of the greatest pure boxers in history, Howard Davis Jr., defeated future world champions Hilmer Kenty, Aaron Pryor and Tommy "Hitman" Hearns in the 1970's on his way to Olympic Gold in 1976. Hearns, meanwhile, won the 1977 National Golden Gloves tournament and defeated future 140 pound contender (and high profile trainer) Ronnie Shields along the way to do so.

1993 saw future cruiserweight contender Don Diego Poeder sore an RSC (stoppage) victory over future heavyweight champ Wladimir Klitscko while 1990 saw Oleg Maskaev turn the same trick against brother Vitaliy.

The 1972 U.S. Olympic Trials saw future heavyweight champion Larry Holmes knocked down with a right hand on his way to losing by disqualification to Duane Bobick while the 1973 National AUU championships saw Randy Shields defeat Sugar Ray Leonard on his way to the 139 pound crown.

Heavyweight Duane Bobick not only won that fight over Holmes, but he also beat future WBA heavyweight champ Mike Weaver by decision in 1969, and defeated legendary Cuban Teofilo Stevenson on a unanimous decision in 1971.

Bobick was also stopped twice as an amateur, once by future contender Ron Lyle in 1970 and also once by Stevenson in a rematch that took place at the 1972 Olympics.

The 1971 New York City Golden Gloves tournament saw future light heavyweight champion Eddie Gregory (aka Eddie Mustapha Muhammad) win a decision over future middleweight champion Vito Antuefermo in the 147 pound final.

Rocky Marciano, as you all know, ended up 49 and ZERO as a professional champion. In the amateur ranks, though, at the Eastern Regional Golden Gloves tournament in 1948, he lost an opening bout decision to Coley Wallace of New York City, making Coley a famous footnote in the annals of boxing history along with at least two other men who reportedly beat the Rock (Bob Girard and Joe DiAngelis).

In his autobiography "Sugar Ray," Ray Robinson tells of an amateur bout that saw him lose a close decision to future professional contender Billy Graham.

Muhammad Ali (then,obviously, known as Cassius Clay) split a few childhood bouts at different weights and ages with fellow future heavyweight champion Jimmy Ellis back in the 1950's while another eventual 1960 gold medalist (and future M.D.), Wilbert "Skeeter" McClure, defeated Ellis in the finals of the 1960 U.S. Olympic Trials in the middleweight class.

And, FINALLY, in what might be the most interesting -yet little known- amateur boxing result in the history of the game, a decision was rendered right here in Connecticut (in either Norwich or Thompsonville, depending on who you talk to) after a three round bout back in the late 1930's (1938?), that is the stuff of legend.

In an over the weight matchup that featured two future all-time greats (legitimate legends) of the professional game, two men who would go on to win over 400 professional fights between them in Willie Pep and Sugar Ray Robinson, the two teenagers battled each other in a three round bout that saw Robinson come away with a decision victory over his fellow future Hall Of Famer.

Note: Both Pep and Robinson referred to the match in detail in their autobiographies (Pep's "Friday's Hero's" and Robinson's "Sugar Ray").

Now imagine what a videotape of those two going at it as amateurs would fetch among memorabilia collectors today? Actually, when you think of it, how crazy would it be to actually have a tape of fights like Jones-McClellan, Gregory-Antuefermo, or Leonard-Kenty?? I know that a tape exists of the Pryor-Hearns fight because I have it.

[raskat]

Thanks, very interesting stuff. also interesting how Andy Liebing once beat Roy Jones in the amateurs, cause I seen Liebing box in the pros and no disrespect to him, he had nothing that was "special". That just shows how different amateur and pro boxing are. I once made a video about the 5 (or was it 6) guys who beat Floyd Mayweather in the amateurs, and basically all of them had a terrible pro record with only a handful of fights and losses against "bums" (but I dont mean it disrespectful).
Only Martin Castillo became world champ (as u mentioned) and Augie Sanchez had the honor to get knocked unconscious by Naseem Hamed in the pros.

[Hougigo]

Good **** man. Got me some reading material in class today

[ICEMAN JOHN SCULLY]

So glad I could help u ignore the higher learning today to learn about old results LOL

[ICEMAN JOHN SCULLY]

"One guy who should turn pro tomorrow is Mike Tyson, a super heavyweight who at just 16 years of age has National Championship potential. He is an absolute monster in the ring as Lowell's Jimmy Bisson found out last night when the Holyoke fighter staggered him early in the round with short uppercuts then kept after him until the referee stopped the bout 42 seconds into the first round. His fight with James Rayburn should be worth the price of admission tonight. Rayburn, who puts the super in super heavyweight had his face painted with his own blood by Eugene Williams of Southern New England before turning into a tiger in the third round, chasing and pounding Williams all over the ring as the crowd went crazy. He became a cult figure in six minutes. Rayburn brought back memories of Harold "Mountain Man" Rice to some although one fan likened him to the Humphrey character in the old Joe Palooka comic strip. Either way, though, he'll have his hands full with Tyson tonight." - Lowell Sun, February, 1983

[ICEMAN JOHN SCULLY]

Thanks, very interesting stuff. also interesting how Andy Liebing once beat Roy Jones in the amateurs, cause I seen Liebing box in the pros and no disrespect to him, he had nothing that was "special". That just shows how different amateur and pro boxing are. I once made a video about the 5 (or was it 6) guys who beat Floyd Mayweather in the amateurs, and basically all of them had a terrible pro record with only a handful of fights and losses against "bums" (but I dont mean it disrespectful).
Only Martin Castillo became world champ (as u mentioned) and Augie Sanchez had the honor to get knocked unconscious by Naseem Hamed in the pros.

Yea, I remember when Mayweather lost to Castillo at the MGM...in Las Vegas, USA-MEXICO duel meet the night before Jones-Toney, November 1994...

[Larry the boss]

Ice you are a well of knowledge...bet you are a interesting person to kick it with