Teofilo Stevenson: The Touch of Death

[billeau2]

Woulda coulda. Great ability but it wasn't a guarantee for the pro's, we've seen countless cases of this. And I'm especially critical of cases where a guy sticks around the amateur system his whole career and turns into a primed adult beating up kids.

Some of it balances out, not all...its certainly a legit critisism. One of the great competative vehicles for guys like Savon and Stevenson was the actual internal system of the Cubans. You had a lot of very good prospects, with excellent training behind them. To distinguish oneself amongst them took a lot of talent.

The Ammys is a young man's game. You go out and do everything in 3 rounds. on the other hand, College Football, is it really that different in quality to the pro's? Its also a different game in many respects.

The real issue would have been if Stevenson could have trained, adapted to the pros enough, so that he could beat an elite fighter. We know that fighters from the Cuban system come into the pros all the time and do very well. I mean the fact that a guy like Gonzalez who lost to Bowe, didn't beat Bowe, does not mean he didn't beat a lot of decent professional fighters before he took on Bowe. Yet, I guarantee people would describe gonzalez as an example of a failure. I would say far from it.

Most of the cuban fighters are their own worse enemy. None of them seem to be struggling in a chasm between the amatuer background they come from and the professional level they are fighting at. Somoene like Ortiz and Solis (who I like the best of the bunch) could all have been fantastic with more discipline...it was not their level of ability that was the problem.

With this in mind I see no reason why Stevenson does not make the jump in another time line. and he was a disciplined workhorse!

[ShoulderRoll]

Fighting 15 rounders in those days was a whole different animal from 3 round amateur bouts.

It's not to say that Stevenson couldn't adapt to it but there is no guarantee either.

It takes a whole different approach than what the Cuban system was geared for.

[Dariusz]

And I'm especially critical of cases where a guy sticks around the amateur system his whole career and turns into a primed adult beating up kids.

Perhaps you don't know about it but during the communist era of Soviets and their satellite statesd (as Poland was unfortunately also one of them) there was not allowed to compete professionally.
Some of the greatest amateurs in that sad period would have beaten many pros without any problems.

[Rusty Tromboni]

I am actually more surprised by these guys when they DON'T have lethal power and DO have a jaw.


Like Toney and Whitaker. They impress me. Hell, I have heard neither ever got picked for basketball, and they preferred their chicken grilled.


Put Stevenson in the Pro's and I am sure he has massive success. He'd also get stopped badly by out-matched opponents who'd find his chin first/test his heart.

It's a shame we missedout on what might've been. But Boxing is the sport of "Could've Beens"

[Rusty Tromboni]

The best HW amateur ever who would have beaten many pros very badly.

Wait until you find out about a kid named Lomachenko.

[billeau2]

Perhaps you don't know about it but during the communist era of Soviets and their satellite statesd (as Poland was unfortunately also one of them) there was not allowed to compete professionally.
Some of the greatest amateurs in that sad period would have beaten many pros without any problems.

Great Point

[Dariusz]

Wait until you find out about a kid named Lomachenko.

Lomachenko has been already a pro for quite some time now, therefore, he does not qualify for this.

[Dynamite76]

Teo was a great amateur, but let's get real, people overrated him somewhat. Vysotsky beat him twice never avenged, and Greg Page, Mitch Green, and Marvis Frazier would have taken him had they fought. If Igor had fought Montreal, Teo would not have won in Montreal, Angel Milian might have.