how do you think Teofilo Stevenson would've done as a pro?

[QueensburyRules]

- -Fidel stopped the Ali fight.

If you look at the post Frazier rubber, ali as weak as a new born kitty looked horrid. He was first looking horrid post Foreman. What would Stevenson have done to Leon in the amas?

Sorry, but this is no Ali slam dunk.

[billeau2]

Three time Olympic Champion

Three time World Amateur Champion

Two Time Pan-American Champion

Val Barker Trophy for the best boxer at 1972 Olympics

12-0 record at the Olympics with 9 knockouts, 2 decicions and 1 walk over win

Beat future world champions like John Tate, Tony Tubbs and Michael Dokes

Could have won a fourth gold but Cuba boycotted the 1984 games (he beat the eventual winner, Tyrell Biggs, twice)



"He is the most perfectly balanced fighter I have ever seen," said Enmanuel Steward.

"Everyone wanted Teofilo," recalls Angelo Dundee, Ali's legendary manager. "I think I was never after him because I had the champion. I had Ali. I had the guy who was going to beat him, you see? But everyone loved Teofilo and I say everyone. They were going to give him a million dollars. And a million dollars then it was money. "

"He would be great as a professional," said an ecstatic Don King. "He has the same class as Ali and Frazier."

"If with Bonavena I look for 100 thousand or 200 thousand dollars, I see you as a green bag of millions" -A man who claimed to be the manager of Oscar Bonavena-

Excellent post. Green K. Teofilo always got short shift. It started with the media when the Ali fight was proposed, and it persists to this day.

first of all, lets pretend we want to determine who would win if he fought Ali. The correct thing to do would be to have them fight under both conditions. So let Ali initially, cope with having 3 rounds, to figure out his opponent, win rounds, punch cleanly, etc... Then give them a year, let Teofilo train for a professional fight.

Teofilo had incredible talent. It was often said that he had middle weight speed, Joe Louis level punching mechanics... given the training he would have had power, speed, and technical ability in balance. Certainly we would see how he developed with the proper training... But starting out with those qualities is rare for any fighter.

Yeah he lost occasionally... But lets remember that in a short fight, there is not much time to make adjustments. If you have a bad day, come across a style, or approach that is initially a problem, you pretty much have to plug away, unless you can make an adjustment in a very short time.

The guy was an incredible fighter...

[JAB5239]

I'm sure he would have been a fine fighter, and a top 10 contender. He was incredibly talented. I doubt he would have been champion though. It is an incredibly difficult task to transition from an amateur style practiced for so long and successfully to a professional style fighting against top notch fighters in what was widely considered the greatest era in heavyweight boxing. This has been exhibited many times from fighters transitioning for communist country's. Very few were successful in the early 90's and most get a late start turning pro. Had Stevenson been brought up in The US, Mexico, Puerto Rico, The UK or many other non communist country's he may have been a force or even a legend in the pro ranks.