olympic vs pro boxers

[threnody]

im confused by this. are olympic boxers considered to be the best of the best? if so, why arent they in pro boxing, and on top of everyone else?

and if olympic boxers arent the best..why are they in the olympics?? cause olympic wrestlers are the best there are, olympic lifters...etc. basically, im confused as to how its differentiated between "olympia" and "pro" caliber.

 

[kashiz]

...uh...olympic boxers wear headgear and only punch for points, KO's are super rare. Olympic style boxing is basically a sparring session.

 

[Evil Eye Gouger]

I believe that boxing is one of the few remaining sports in the Olympics where the "amateur" status is actually enforced.

In other words, if you've ever received money for a boxing fight, no Olympics for you. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

This doesn't mean one is "better" than the other. The rules are somewhat different, and the sport is somewhat different. Olympic boxing is, to my eyes, more technical. Pro boxing is more about getting the knockout and more power and endurance oriented. The more experienced boxers here will probably give you their thoughts.

 

[Deleted member 10003]

Olympics isn't always a collection of the best in sports. With some sports like track, swimming, and wrestling it is. But sports with good pro status no so much. Like the best baseball players, basketball players, and boxers aren't in olympics. I think you still have to be considered an amatuer to box in the olympics. I know for judo you have to be considered an amatuer. That is why tournaments will have stipends instead of cash prizes.

 

[Evil Eye Gouger]

...uh...olympic boxers wear headgear and only punch for points, KO's are super rare. Olympic style boxing is basically a sparring session.

Olympic boxing is much shorter than pro boxing. It goes for 4 rounds, pro boxing matches often go for 15.

Additionally, huge mismatches are what much of pro boxing is built upon. In amateur boxing, you are always matched up against someone of your own skill, and the fight is stopped if one of the fighters is obviously superior and dominating the fight.

These are two HUGE reasons why you don't see more knockouts. Headgear helps, but not that much. These guys can PUNCH.

 

[Evil Eye Gouger]

Olympics isn't always a collection of the best in sports. With some sports like track, swimming, and wrestling it is. But sports with good pro status no so much. Like the best baseball players, basketball players, and boxers aren't in olympics. I think you still have to be considered an amatuer to box in the olympics. I know for judo you have to be considered an amatuer. That is why tournaments will have stipends instead of cash prizes.

The best basketball players ARE in the Olympics. It's just that the US doesn't always send the very best team they have. Which is why they got their asses handed to them so often recently.

With baseball it's simply the fact that nobody plays baseball other than the US, which is why it's not an Olympic sport anymore.

With boxers, many great pro boxers had great amateur careers before moving to pro boxing and cashing in.

 

[kashiz]

Olympic boxing is much shorter than pro boxing. It goes for 4 rounds, pro boxing matches often go for 15.

Additionally, huge mismatches are what much of pro boxing is built upon. In amateur boxing, you are always matched up against someone of your own skill, and the fight is stopped if one of the fighters is obviously superior and dominating the fight.

These are two HUGE reasons why you don't see more knockouts. Headgear helps, but not that much. These guys can PUNCH.

There hasn't been a 15 rd fight since like '83. Huge mismatches are generally used to groom a young fighter for better competition, you just don't come outta the olympics and expect to fight top 10 opponents. Headgear is huge don't kid yourself.

 

[Evil Eye Gouger]

There hasn't been a 15 rd fight since like '83.

Fair enough, but 12 round fights are still common.

Huge mismatches are generally used to groom a young fighter for better competition, you just don't come outta the olympics and expect to fight top 10 opponents.

Sure, but this is a recipe for lots of KOs. Especially when coupled with longer matches.

Headgear is huge don't kid yourself.

It certainly helps, but if you get hit hard, you go down. It's not a magic pill against KOs.

 

[kashiz]

Fair enough, but 12 round fights are still common.


Sure, but this is a recipe for lots of KOs. Especially when coupled with longer matches.


It certainly helps, but if you get hit hard, you go down. It's not a magic pill against KOs.

12 rd's are Championship fights. 10 rd's is a normal fight.

Fighters just don't start out with 10 rd fights. If you were to check the fight records of any boxer who's been in the game for a while youd see many of their early fights (first 10 maybe) were in the 4-8 rd range.

 

[ouboxer]

well there alot different, alot of guys actually don't have a good style for amateur boxing and decide to go pro. arturo gatti is a good example he kept getting out boxed by taller guys and decided to go pro. they are different styles of fighting with different rules, but most good olympis boxers turn pro and usually sign with a promoter soon after and are pushed up the ranks by fighting scrubs for awhile. lennox lewis, perrnel whittiker, suger ray leonard, muhammad ali, and roy jones jr are all sucessful olympic boxers your probably farmilar with who turned pro and ended up becoming professional champions.

 

[mschatz]

The amateurs you see in the olympics will almost certainly end up as pros after fighting in the olympics. The style is still an amateur style for the most part , with more emphasis on landing "scoring punches," more head-hunting, less body work.

 

[mego]

The best basketball players ARE in the Olympics. It's just that the US doesn't always send the very best team they have. Which is why they got their asses handed to them so often recently.

With baseball it's simply the fact that nobody plays baseball other than the US, which is why it's not an Olympic sport anymore.

With boxers, many great pro boxers had great amateur careers before moving to pro boxing and cashing in.

baseball is the national sport of cuba, and japan (if you dont count mma)

 

[blanko]

puerto rico, the dominican republic, many centeral american nations such as panama play alot of baseball also.

 

[danny_171]

...uh...olympic boxers wear headgear and only punch for points, KO's are super rare. Olympic style boxing is basically a sparring session.

You've never sparred an amateur fighter, have you?

 

[Toujourpret]

With baseball it's simply the fact that nobody plays baseball other than the US, which is why it's not an Olympic sport anymore.

Cuba, Dominican Republic, Korea, and the World Baseball Classic Winner Japan would disagree with you.:icon_chee, although I understand your point.

 

[Rayrobinson#1]

The amateurs you see in the olympics will almost certainly end up as pros after fighting in the olympics. The style is still an amateur style for the most part , with more emphasis on landing "scoring punches," more head-hunting, less body work.

Yeah and they will go pro with mixed results. The amatuer game is so different now then it use to be that winning a gold medal doesn't even mean you will be a good pro. Audley Harrison won gold and he has been a failure as a pro. If you hit fast and move good you can be a good amatuer. In the pros you need so much more. also your chin is tested much more in the pros

 

[Sinister]

Most Amateurs who do terribly as Professionals succomb to the pressures of being a Professional because there's not built-in support and it's stressful to grind out a living as a Fighter.

The role of Olympic Boxing and any Amateur system is to build fighters up and get them experience. Although as has been indicated here, things are vastly changing and corruption has entered the Amateur ranks where fights are being fixed, guys are being purposefully held-back, and bad decisions are being rendered.

When you start out in Amateur Boxing it's RARELY encouraged to go all-out, and nowadays you can earn a KO or TKO victory just by being far enough ahead on points (flurrying softly). However, Boxing remains one of the few Sports where there IS a comprehensive Amateur system that can lead a young fighter all the way to National and International competition BEFORE going Professional. That's the idealistic scenario. Fight locally, win, fight in US tournaments, win, fight in the Golden Gloves, win, qualify for the Olympic team, win, turn Professional, win.

 

[savageasfuk]

...uh...olympic boxers wear headgear and only punch for points, KO's are super rare. Olympic style boxing is basically a sparring session.

ehh...

I am boxing at an amateur level and I do not simply punch for points. In fact the majority of my fights have ended in 1st round TKOs as an amateur. If you think Olympic Style boxing is merely a sparring session, why don't you join a well known boxing club in the gutter of your city and see if you happen to go home thinking the same thoughts.

 

[Sinister]

I am boxing at an amateur level and I do not simply punch for points. In fact the majority of my fights have ended in 1st round TKOs as an amateur. If you think Olympic Style boxing is merely a sparring session, why don't you join a well known boxing club in the gutter of your city and see if you happen to go home thinking the same thoughts.

He's not entirely incorrect. There's another Amateur Boxer who posts here who can tell you a lot of guys slap and sprint and get more credit for it. Because of the scoring systems in most-places, a knockdown isn't different than scoring a normal point, so there's no real point in punching for power. This is specifically in America, though.