The age which most take up boxing now is their late teens and early 20's now...if you are lucky. A lot of tall, big guys are trying boxing as heavyweights after they fail at other sports. When they have 20 padded wins under their belt they are touted as the next big thing at 28, until they are exposed by a European with over 100 amateur fights to their 20 to 25, which is the main problem. They are still learning to fight while a pro when the guys with 100 or so amateur fights aren't learning Boxing 101 because it's second nature.
Golden Gloves were once a big deal. My uncle won the Memphis heavyweight regionals at 18 by knocking a 28 year old out of the ring. It was in the Commercial Appeal, his local small town paper in Arkansas and the Democrat in Little Rock, etc. Today it would be in the locals and that would be about it. Amateur boxing needs to be pushed and advertised more to younger kids, especially to those in reform school or juvie. A lot of the lower weight divisions have guys with long amateur careers, but the heavyweights suffer especially, with guys taking up boxing up as a backup plan and a career choice. If the amateurs get more recognition and are sponsored by large and well known companies (Nike, Reebok, Ecko, Fubu, Sean Jean, etc.) who will kick in free gear and if possible (with no strings attached) more reputable promoters like Golden Boy (NOT Don King) and K2, the amatuers will be viable again and with the internet the younger boxers that are more successful will get recognition. On top of that the national and world tournaments will be on ESPN or ESPN2, which it should be all along. If something like this happens Americans would be a viable force in boxing again and my favorite present day fighters wouldn't be Robert Guerrero and Lucian Bute, it would be The Ghost and some other American more than likely.
Poetic, you think this could happen? Complex?
[Reply]
parker002 03:33 PM 09-28-2009
My cousin's son fought in the 2008 GG national tourney but got beat in his first match. He's 18 or 19. But his dad (my cousin) is also a boxing manager and the kid grew up around it.
What's wrong with American boxing is that there's no youth pipeline.
It's even mentioned in Teddy's commentary on the game - kids that would have normally boxed are pursuing other sports now.
[Reply]
mr_president 10:51 AM 10-05-2009
Originally Posted by parker002:
My cousin's son fought in the 2008 GG national tourney but got beat in his first match. He's 18 or 19. But his dad (my cousin) is also a boxing manager and the kid grew up around it.
What's wrong with American boxing is that there's no youth pipeline.
It's even mentioned in Teddy's commentary on the game - kids that would have normally boxed are pursuing other sports now.
along with that, boxing has become invisible. i remember growing up you would be able to catch fight when ever you turn on the tv especially on saturday with wide world of sports. i remember being disappointed if there were no fights on WWoS:-)
moving into the 80's fights were very accessible with multiple stations broadcasting fights throughout the week, there was tuesday night fights, thursday night fights, friday night fights, msg fight night etc..... now all we have is PPV, sho box and boxing after dark with the occasional friday night fights on espn thrown in every now and then.
it has alienated it's fan base with its dirty politics, lack of great fights because of said politics, money squabbling and horrible marketing(if any at all).
the biggest division, the heavyweight division ,with all of its great history has become a joke. there have been no significant fights there going back at least 5 years or more. the fighters there have become sloppy, unpolished and undisciplined.
boxing should do a few things(none will ever happen) and one of them is make a return to prize fighting. there should be a 60/ 40 split for every fight with the winner taking home the bulk of the purse.
mills lane had great ideas for boxing, and he was in the right position to accomplish many of his goals for the sport, it's just to bad he was cut down by illness.
[Reply]
acts238shaun 11:20 AM 10-05-2009
Originally Posted by mr_president:
along with that, boxing has become invisible. i remember growing up you would be able to catch fight when ever you turn on the tv especially on saturday with wide world of sports. i remember being disappointed if there were no fights on WWoS:-)
moving into the 80's fights were very accessible with multiple stations broadcasting fights throughout the week, there was tuesday night fights, thursday night fights, friday night fights, msg fight night etc..... now all we have is PPV, sho box and boxing after dark with the occasional friday night fights on espn thrown in every now and then.
it has alienated it's fan base with its dirty politics, lack of great fights because of said politics, money squabbling and horrible marketing(if any at all).
the biggest division, the heavyweight division ,with all of its great history has become a joke. there have been no significant fights there going back at least 5 years or more. the fighters there have become sloppy, unpolished and undisciplined.
boxing should do a few things(none will ever happen) and one of them is make a return to prize fighting. there should be a 60/ 40 split for every fight with the winner taking home the bulk of the purse.
mills lane had great ideas for boxing, and he was in the right position to accomplish many of his goals for the sport, it's just to bad he was cut down by illness.
This is my future heavyweight champ. It's in his blood to fight. I'm working on speed, combination punching, aggression. He has natural power in both his hands and they are like a grown man hands; he just turned 8 years old.
Originally Posted by SHAKYR:
This is my future heavyweight champ. It's in his blood to fight. I'm working on speed, combination punching, aggression. He has natural power in both his hands and they are like a grown man hands; he just turned 8 years old.
if i didn't know better i'd say that was weequahic park.
[Reply]
SHAKYR 08:00 PM 10-05-2009
lol...wow! you are absolutely correct. I use to train about 2 miles from there in Hillside. I use to hate them stairs that used to be there. My trainer had us run up and down them stadium stairs...memories.
[Reply]
mr_president 08:06 PM 10-05-2009
Originally Posted by SHAKYR:
lol...wow! you are absolutely correct. I use to train about 2 miles from there in Hillside. I use to hate them stairs that used to be there. My trainer had us run up and down them stadium stairs...memories.
that's where i trained...those stairs were a beast. you must have trained at the pal in hillside??
[Reply]
SHAKYR 08:13 PM 10-05-2009
Originally Posted by mr_president:
that's where i trained...those stairs were a beast. you must have trained at the pal in hillside??
Yes, I trained at the community center in Hillside.
Originally Posted by acts238shaun:
The age which most take up boxing now is their late teens and early 20's now...if you are lucky. A lot of tall, big guys are trying boxing as heavyweights after they fail at other sports. When they have 20 padded wins under their belt they are touted as the next big thing at 28, until they are exposed by a European with over 100 amateur fights to their 20 to 25, which is the main problem. They are still learning to fight while a pro when the guys with 100 or so amateur fights aren't learning Boxing 101 because it's second nature.
Golden Gloves were once a big deal. My uncle won the Memphis heavyweight regionals at 18 by knocking a 28 year old out of the ring. It was in the Commercial Appeal, his local small town paper in Arkansas and the Democrat in Little Rock, etc. Today it would be in the locals and that would be about it. Amateur boxing needs to be pushed and advertised more to younger kids, especially to those in reform school or juvie. A lot of the lower weight divisions have guys with long amateur careers, but the heavyweights suffer especially, with guys taking up boxing up as a backup plan and a career choice. If the amateurs get more recognition and are sponsored by large and well known companies (Nike, Reebok, Ecko, Fubu, Sean Jean, etc.) who will kick in free gear and if possible (with no strings attached) more reputable promoters like Golden Boy (NOT Don King) and K2, the amatuers will be viable again and with the internet the younger boxers that are more successful will get recognition. On top of that the national and world tournaments will be on ESPN or ESPN2, which it should be all along. If something like this happens Americans would be a viable force in boxing again and my favorite present day fighters wouldn't be Robert Guerrero and Lucian Bute, it would be The Ghost and some other American more than likely.
Poetic, you think this could happen? Complex?
More companies need to support amateur boxing like they did years ago. It's hurting the youth that no one is support shows and tournaments. The USA will be a force if amatuer boxing was sponsored in general.
[Reply]
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