Comments Thread For: Should Amateur Records Count in Evaluating Greatness?

[LoadedWraps]

To be a great amateur you're likely going to be at the age that most pro's are starting to slip, they're then expected with 300 or so fights worth of wear and tear and all the damage sustained in training and day-to-day life to go on to have an ATG career in the pro ranks also.

A world class amateur can have great success in the pro's and often do, you won't see a world class pro having any great success in the amateurs where it relies more on athleticism & angles.

Rigondeaux, Gamboa, Lara were all #1, severely ducked, multiple time long reigning world champions & 2/3 at least are also looked at like they achieved practically nothing. They were like 30 with 300-400 fights under their belt at the highest level before they even turned pro, its probably quite remarkable them still having enough in the tank to achieve as much as they did especially with such promotional issues.

Well said. Great post.

[1hourRun]

Wilder is in no way greater than Breland. Wilder is an overrated goony-bird. Took him 39 fights to finally step up. Got worked over in his last two outings.

Mark Breland got whooped and KO by Marlon Starling in Breland's first title defense for the WBA welterweight crown. Now you compare that failed reign as champion, to the Bronze-Bomber's ten straight successful defenses of the WBC HW world title.

There is no debate, the inexperience untrained Bronze medalist surpassed the outstanding amateur Gold-medalist, where it counts.

[_Maxi]

Not in Loma's case. It's the highlight of his overall boxing career, if you know your boxing and have followed him over the years. Loma was an amateur great but a good pro boxer, not great.

The good thing about Gervonta Davis is that he doesn't have any accomplishment as either professional or amateur.

[Lomasexual]

He gave his reasoning for that. The three men at the pinnacle all won 3 gold medals.

Lomachenko only won 2.

Loma is regarded as having the best amateur record of all time.

If the author decides to omit Loma because he didn't win 3 gold, then he is also omitting the best amateur fighter.

It seems a weird pinnacle that doesn't include the actual peak.

[garfios]

nope, it's a different game

plenty of great amateurs were not top professionals, so there is no relation

not accurate. There's a correlation and a big one I might say. More often than that good or great amateurs that goes professionals, at an early age, became great in the profesional ranks.

[BodyBagz]