Why do people praise guys with long amateur careers?

[Motorcity Cobra]

Are you seriously going to tell me that people in boxing don't respect Rigondeaux's amateur achievements?

I accept Rigo's amateur achievements because he didn't have a choice, he couldn't turn pro. He was 28 years old still fighting teenagers whose bodies hadn't fully developed and who had nowhere near the same level of experience he had. No, I don't respect that. I respect what he did up until he turned 22. Anything after that is to much. He had to much experience for those kids.

Lomanchenko was fighting for a World Title his second pro fight and he held his own against a guy coming in overweight. He won a world title in his 3rd fight. He'll likely become a two weight champion in his 7th fight. That tell me he should've been a pro years ago. After 22 years old it's time to hang up the amateur gloves and fight other grown men, not teens.

[SouthPawHitman]

Are you seriously going to tell me that people in boxing don't respect Rigondeaux's amateur achievements?

Why would they? He only went 374-12 and won two Olympic gold medals.

[Nod]

Gotta respect guys with long ones.

[Banderivets]

I accept Rigo's amateur achievements because he didn't have a choice, he couldn't turn pro. He was 28 years old still fighting teenagers whose bodies hadn't fully developed and who had nowhere near the same level of experience he had. No, I don't respect that. I respect what he did up until he turned 22. Anything after that is to much. He had to much experience for those kids.

Lomanchenko was fighting for a World Title his second pro fight and he held his own against a guy coming in overweight. He won a world title in his 3rd fight. He'll likely become a two weight champion in his 7th fight. That tell me he should've been a pro years ago. After 22 years old it's time to hang up the amateur gloves and fight other grown men, not teens.

Why do you have have such a hard-on for amateurs?

It goes both ways...with the Cubans you have AMs in their 30s.

Your Canelo fight proved that age is nothing.

The amateur game is completely different, just go read that Lomachenko interview where he talks about amateurs and how he believes not all pros would do well.

You have 5 fights in 5 days. You don't know who you are going to fight, there is no game plan, you go out and fight 70% of the time without knowing your opponent past a basic one sentence description of his abilities from your coach. You have to make weight for each fight over 5 days. You have 3x3min rounds and there is no feel out period, you can't look to land a bomb because 1. Your opponent might just take your power shot then what do you do? 2. You have to score points in bunches because you have a total of 9min.

High energy 20 year old could whoop ass in AMs, what is the slow 30 year old going to do against a kid who is active and bouncing around when you dont have the power to put him out, or you cant land on him while he is peppering you scoring points???

Its a different sport.

Hence, people respect long amateur records because they are great at developing fundamentals, reflexes, movement....can you do the same in the pros? I would say its a lot more difficult.

[Motorcity Cobra]

Why do you have have such a hard-on for amateurs?

It goes both ways...with the Cubans you have AMs in their 30s.

Your Canelo fight proved that age is nothing.

The amateur game is completely different, just go read that Lomachenko interview where he talks about amateurs and how he believes not all pros would do well.

You have 5 fights in 5 days. You don't know who you are going to fight, there is no game plan, you go out and fight 70% of the time without knowing your opponent past a basic one sentence description of his abilities from your coach. You have to make weight for each fight over 5 days. You have 3x3min rounds and there is no feel out period, you can't look to land a bomb because 1. Your opponent might just take your power shot then what do you do? 2. You have to score points in bunches because you have a total of 9min.

High energy 20 year old could whoop ass in AMs, what is the slow 30 year old going to do against a kid who is active and bouncing around when you dont have the power to put him out, or you cant land on him while he is peppering you scoring points???

Its a different sport.

Hence, people respect long amateur records because they are great at developing fundamentals, reflexes, movement....can you do the same in the pros? I would say its a lot more difficult.

I don't think it's impressive for grown men to fight teenagers. There is no reason a boxer that's good enough to turn pro at 22 to still be fighting in the amateurs.

But this is only accepted in boxing. Steph Curry is the same age age as Lomachenko. He's been playing pro basketball since he was 21 He spent 3 years in college (amateur basketball). If he would've stayed 3 more years in college playing against the kids coming in he would've dominated.

The US Olympic basketball program allowed pros in the Olympics because other countries were using their professionals and beating our college kids.

In the NFL they don't allow 19 year olds to join the league and play with the 22 year olds because it's dangerous and the skill level is to far apart

In hockey you play in the juniors against those your age until you're ready to move up to the pros. Same thing in baseball

Yet in boxing people think it's impressive for grown men to beat up teens. With careful matchmaking your first couple of years as a pro you can develop just as much as you can in the ammy's. No other sport allows this type of foolishness

[fourtheboys96]

Nobody respects a fully grown 24 year old beating up on teenagers. That's why everybody is against pros fighting in the Olympics.

Were all of Lomachenko's opponents younger than him?
Did he fight 14 year olds when he was 18?

If not GTFO.

[i'm a fun haver]

When I see a guy with a long amateur record turning pro late all I can think of is a grown a** man beating up on teenagers.

Vasly Lomanchenko-24 years old turned pro at 25 years old
Felix Verdjo- 17-19? turned pro at 19 years old



But I'm impressed with a teenage professional beating up a grown a** man
Canelo Alvarez-19yrs old 29-0-1
Lanardo Tyner-34 yrs old 21-2-0



A 25 year old man fighting teenagers impresses you?

Why do people **** on the amateurs but love pro fighters who fight like amateurs?

[IboxSouthpaw]

When I see a guy with a long amateur record turning pro late all I can think of is a grown a** man beating up on teenagers.

Vasly Lomanchenko-24 years old turned pro at 25 years old
Felix Verdjo- 17-19? turned pro at 19 years old



But I'm impressed with a teenage professional beating up a grown a** man
Canelo Alvarez-19yrs old 29-0-1
Lanardo Tyner-34 yrs old 21-2-0



A 25 year old man fighting teenagers impresses you?

Garbage thread... Just garbage

[HI-TECH Boxing]

I don't know what point you're trying to make, but you're not making sense.
Let me school you a little.
Loma has been fighting at the top (Senior) level (in the amateurs) since he was 18 years old.
He got a Silver medal at the 2007 World Championships at the age of 19. He got his 2008 Olympic Gold medal at the age of 20.
And he did all of this while competing against older fighters. It's not like he started having success until he was already in his 20's. If he was able to do it, then why can't others?
Loma's father didn't want him to turn pro after the 2008 Olympics and that's one of the reasons why Loma didn't go pro after those Olympics. I'm sure there are more reasons. I would have liked to see him go pro after those Olympics, but it just wasn't meant to be.

Loma wasn't the only one. Rigo was 19 years old during the 2000 Olympics, where he won the Gold medal. His 20th birthday was actually on the day of the final, where he beat the older more experienced Raimkul Malakhbekov. And he beat him in impressive fashion. Rigo, one of the most talented boxers I have seen. Truly amazing. He made winning the Olympics look like nothing. There isn't many fighters that look like Rigo at that age (to name a few: Leonard, Loma, Whitaker; those are some of the more impressive young fighters imo).
You should know why Rigo didn't go pro earlier.
Loma and Rigo (and most top amateurs) start having success at an early age, often beating older more experienced fighters. If they could do it then why can't others?
Verdejo was 19 when he fought at the 2012 Olympics. Basically the same age Rigo and Loma were when they won their Gold medals. I think Verdejo is a good fighter and he had to go through Loma to medal, which obviously wasn't an easy task. Maybe he could have medaled had he been on the opposite side of the bracket? Well, we will never know.

There's even some non-Cuban and European fighters that had success at an early age. I could tell you a little about them if you would like.

People/fighters have different journeys. Some gain their experience through professional boxing, some through amateur boxing, and others through both.

[Motorcity Cobra]

All I'm saying is in every other sport when a guy is good enough to go pro, they go pro. They don't stick around in college an extra 4 years to hone their skills. If you're fighting for your second world title in your second weight class in your seventh pro fight you should've been a professional years ago.

Most of the best boxers who have ever lived didn't spend half their 20's fighting in the amateurs.