People claiming eastern euro "phase" is "done", sad news for you..

[DinoCop]

How come Kazakhstan is eastern euro? OK, Eu is not a continent thus doesn't have clear cut borders but how come you can call a central Asian country a European one? Same is applied for Ukraine.
Caucasians, Middle East and Asia are not Eu (also africa and americas, in case you don't know).

[NEETzsche]

think the key is transitioning from amateur rules, where inside fighting is not a major factor and ref involvement is extreme to the pro game where the ref lets them fight in the trenches.

That's the make or break factor. Being a complete fighter that can be effective from all ranges.

I would like to see the fighters turn pro earlier so they can develop these skills that they will need to not only win titles but maintain dominance and be prepared when facing different styles.

AIBA has already bridged that gap to a large extent. Amateurs these days fight under the 10-point must system with no headgear and pros are allowed to compete if they want to (a couple got their arses handed to them in Rio, in fact). The only major difference remaining is the length of the fights, and even on that count there is the WSB which is five rounds

Also there are plenty of fighters from that part of the world already in the pros who can fight in the trenches. Beterbiev, Shafikov, Gassiev, Chudinov, Zhakiyanov, Golovkin, etc. There is not really a single style that can be used to describe all Eastern Euros and Central Asians. For example the Kazakh school and Uzbek school are different and there is even variation within these countries (Golovkin's style for example is actually not a typical Kazakh style compared to the most famous amateurs like Sapiyev and Yeleussinov)

USA will always out-perform any single EE/CA nation as long as it has the largest talent pool. There are many more American fighters than Russian, Ukrainian, Kazakh, etc. It would be surprising if the USA wasn't #1

[BrometheusBob.]

IDK why anyone would want this phase to end. Eastern Euros are good for boxing, as is any other nation that produces quality, exciting fighters.

Good post.

[Hatesrats]

Some of these dudes with V's & K's in their names need to fight eachother doe...
#DuckingTheirOwn

[BrometheusBob.]

They have some great amateur programs. That region will always produce superstar fighters. Kovalev has been a very solid pro. There is no shame in going 0-2 vs a fighter the caliber of Andre Ward.

I think the key is transitioning from amateur rules, where inside fighting is not a major factor and ref involvement is extreme to the pro game where the ref lets them fight in the trenches.

That's the make or break factor. Being a complete fighter that can be effective from all ranges.

I would like to see the fighters turn pro earlier so they can develop these skills that they will need to not only win titles but maintain dominance and be prepared when facing different styles.

[Derranged]

The people who are claiming that are just trolling. No need to pay attention to them.

[Godsfly]

i don't think any true heart to heart boxing fan wants eastern europe to faze out. look at lomachenko.

But the realty is the superstars have taken a major hit kovalov just god dogged and mauled (no inside fight gameplan whats so ever) and golovkin just arguably lost to jacobs.

wlad got tko'd. lomachenko and a few up in comers who don't look all that impressive is really left. the name of the game of boxing is not up in comers all the time. you need your hall of famers also. (it solidifies the mark of the nation) wlad is a hall of famer. but apart from him who else? golovkin? no hell no. kovalov had the chance if he beat ward & superman, now it is ward who is already a hall of famer, he is in the postion to be a brilliant ATG. hopkins, mayweather, jones jr (if he freaking retires already) toney (if he freaking retires already) all hall of famers.


theres no knock on on eastern europe. but people exaggerated it's dominance. from fans, to an entire network (HBO) we all have slow periods. no knock on that. but the nation truly needs more hall of famers to make a stamp at the pro level.

[NEETzsche]

Egidijus Kavaliauskas, Ivan Baranchyk, vasyli lomachenko, Oleksandr Usyk, Oleksandr Gvozdyk, Dmitry Mikhaylenko, artur beterbiev, dmitry bivol, GGG..Krzysztof Glowack.and I'm missing a bunch

Kavaliauskas and Baranchyk, although exciting, are not quite cut out for the world level and Mikhaylenko and Glowacki are far from being "up-and-comers". Mikhaylenko is facing a Central Asian up-and-comer on the Lebedev undercard in a few weeks though

[champion4ever]

Notable up and coming "eastern Euros":


Egidijus Kavaliauskas, Ivan Baranchyk, vasyli lomachenko, Oleksandr Usyk, Oleksandr Gvozdyk, Dmitry Mikhaylenko, artur beterbiev, dmitry bivol, GGG..Krzysztof Glowack.and I'm missing a bunch


Wlad and kov lost and people are freaking out, pump the breaks. Wlad and Kov lost 50/50 fights as well. Not to mention the nature in which sergei lost.

It's not all that bad boss. GGG is expected to beat the breaks off Canelo come September of this year.

[Mammoth]

It's over bros!