Getting into amateur boxing?

DDuncanJr · Post by **DDuncanJr** » 04 Jan 2008, 15:20

Here is my situation. I'm 26 years old now and getting things in my life straightened out. I boxed when I was younger, from 5 to about 12 when other sports started becoming more important to me. Now that I'm 26, I still have this burning desire to test myself in boxing. Is it too late to start or is there a division in US Amateur boxing for someone like me? Would I already be a senior? I've done some dumb things these past couple years without a lot of direction in my life, but that is behind me. Now I'm going to college, but still want to compete. Is it too late for me? I'm not looking for a huge career or anything. Just to test myself in the sport with a goal being to win a tournament. Thanks for any input.

emile · Post by **emile** » 04 Jan 2008, 15:40

You can box in the regular amateur levels until you're 34, so you have plenty of time to test yourself out as a novice once you get back into training.

Dennis · Post by **Dennis** » 08 Jan 2008, 12:18

He may not be eligible for the novice division. If he had more than 10 bouts as a junior, he would now have to box in the open division. His situation is not that uncommon. We have had numerous boxers who have taken years off and then come back. The hard part is jumping right back into the open division. This is where the coach is important. You have to get the boxer a lot of good gym work including quality sparring. Maybe take a bunch of show bouts against novice or lower level open boxers. If possible, work the boxer back to where he needs to be before entering a tournament. Sometimes that isn't possible, then it is important to do the gym work and be in top condition.

boxmel · Post by **boxmel** » 08 Jan 2008, 17:22

He may not be eligible for the novice division. If he had more than 10 bouts as a junior, he would now have to box in the open division.

Any good Registration Chair should take into consideration the number of years since he boxed. From a safety point of view, I don' think anyone who hasn't boxed in 14 years would automatically become open. Case in point was Montel Griffen, who had many Junior bouts but quit as a JO and didn't box for 11 years. When he came back he started as a novice.

Dennis · Post by **Dennis** » 09 Jan 2008, 00:00

That violates the rules Mel. The rule states:

109.2 Classification of boxers.
(1) The following shall establish experience classifications.
(a) Sub-novice class. A boxer who has not competed in a sanctioned USA
Boxing boxing match.
(b) Novice class. A boxer who has competed in 10 or less sanctioned USA
Boxing boxing matches. Said boxer’s 10th bout shall be in the novice class.
(c) Open class. A boxer who has competed in more than 10 sanctioned USA
Boxing boxing matches. Said boxer’s 11th bout shall be in the open class.
Note: Common sense and good judgment must be used when matching
boxers.
(2) The number of bouts of experience shall be counted continuously through a
boxer’s career without interruption. Note: Do not start the count of bouts of
experience over when a boxer moves from one class of competition to another
(i.e. from Junior Olympic boxing to open boxing to masters boxing).

EMPHASIS ADDED.

boxmel · Post by **boxmel** » 09 Jan 2008, 17:42

Well, hey - we violate the rules all the time! For the sake of safety, Dennis, would you put someone who hadn't boxed in 14 years in the open division? Seriously?

Dennis · Post by **Dennis** » 09 Jan 2008, 22:18

Yes Mel I would and did. Me. I guess it wasn't quite 14 years, more like 12.5, but I got back into the ring in an open-class bout. I only trained for 4 weeks and lost a 3-2 split. I had fun doing it, which was the reason I did it and because my sons wanted to see me compete. Now just because I hadn't competed in 12.5 years didn't mean I hadn't sparred off and on over the years. The person we were talking about in this thread could do the same. Get back into shape and spar a lot. Take a few easier bouts before stepping up the competition.

It isn't fair to put someone in there with the knowledge of a dozen or more bouts with a new person. I don't care if the bouts were 14 years ago, the knowledge is there. If it isn't, it never was and never will be. If it is there, then it is like riding a bike. You never forget how. You just need practice to hone the skills.

boxmel · Post by **boxmel** » 10 Jan 2008, 10:48

Guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this one.

Puncher7 · Post by **Puncher7** » 10 Jan 2008, 11:52

I agree with Dennis, it would definitely be unfair for the other novices. Regardless of amount of time out of training, the knowledge/know how and even more importantly EXPERIENCE is there for the boxer. There is no reason that the boxer couldn't do well as open class as long as he got his conditioning back and sparred a lot to get everything back.

Dennis · Post by **Dennis** » 10 Jan 2008, 13:25

Another example is Jesse Briseno. He won the National Golden Gloves in 1990 and continued boxing for a couple more years including competing in the 1992 USA Olympic Trials. Jesse then stopped boxing for many years.

Mel, should he have been put back into the novice division when he returned to the ring after almost a 10 year hiatus? I don't think so.

In fact, Jesse returned to training in early 2002 in an attempt to comeback and box in the Michigan Golden Gloves. Jesse almost lost his first bout in the West Michigan Golden Gloves as he was very rusty. He continued to work hard and spar and continued to improve. Several weeks later, he won the Michigan GG open tournament. He then continued to train very hard until the National GG tournament. He went to Denver and won the National GG, just a matter of months after getting back into training.

zhdamistro · Post by **zhdamistro** » 10 Jan 2008, 13:36

[quote="Dennis"]Another example is Jesse Briseno. He won the National Golden Gloves in 1990 and continued boxing for a couple more years including competing in the 1992 USA Olympic Trials. Jesse then stopped boxing for many years.

Mel, should he have been put back into the novice division when he returned to the ring after almost a 10 year hiatus? I don't think so.

In fact, Jesse returned to training in early 2002 in an attempt to comeback and box in the Michigan Golden Gloves. Jesse almost lost his first bout in the West Michigan Golden Gloves as he was very rusty. He continued to work hard and spar and continued to improve. Several weeks later, he won the Michigan GG open tournament. He then continued to train very hard until the National GG tournament. He went to Denver and won the National GG, just a matter of months after getting back into training.[/quote]

Uhm fighting in a few junior fights and competing in the olympic trials is a little different. Jesse was obviously very schooled in boxing. Thats a little different then some kid who used to box when they were 10 years old.

Dennis · Post by **Dennis** » 10 Jan 2008, 13:57

I know, but the point I'm making is where do you draw the line. USA Boxing draws the line at more than 10 contested bouts (byes do not count).

We sometimes hold a boxer back near the end of his junior olympic days. We do this if he has 9 or 10 bouts and we don't think he is quite ready for the open class. We are then able to enter them in the novice division.

Remember these classifications really only matter for the tournaments. For matched bouts, you can test a novice boxer against an open boxer to see if the novice boxer is ready for the open division. You can also match an open boxer who has had a long layoff against other boxers who aren't the best in the area. It is called smart match-making. We do it all the time. I usually won't put a kid who just turned 17 and only has 12 bouts in there with a guy who has 100 bouts and has won national championships. I match him with someone who has less experience and has not even won a state championship.

boxmel · Post by **boxmel** » 10 Jan 2008, 19:30

Uhm fighting in a few junior fights and competing in the olympic trials is a little different. Jesse was obviously very schooled in boxing. Thats a little different then some kid who used to box when they were 10 years old.

Hah! My point exactly!

Dennis · Post by **Dennis** » 11 Jan 2008, 00:49

But what about all the novice guys who have 0, 1 or 2 bouts of experience and have been training for months going against a guy who has knowledge that was gained years ago and is just having to remind himself what to do. If a boxer had 11 or more bouts all before the boxer was 10, the boxer will not be ready for an open tourney until he boxes a couple of senior bouts. However, if the 11+ bouts were spread out through the age of 12 like the thread starter stated, he would not forget what he learned. He just needs to sharpen his rusty skills and get in shape. I do question the poster's history. He said he boxed from age 5 to 12. We all know that you can't compete until age 8 so how much training did he really do before age 8. Back in the early 80's you could actually compete in boxing at age 5.

The poster does not seem to be asking if he can avoid the open class.

boxmel · Post by **boxmel** » 11 Jan 2008, 10:14

Dennis - maybe this means that all the boxers you've seen who have come back after 10+ years have been phenoms. The ones I've seen have no business in the open division.

Dennis · Post by **Dennis** » 11 Jan 2008, 15:23

boxmel wrote:Dennis - maybe this means that all the boxers you've seen who have come back after 10+ years have been phenoms. The ones I've seen have no business in the open division.

Then they might not ever have the ability to belong in the open division.

classboxer · Post by **classboxer** » 11 Jan 2008, 15:41

The Golden gloves should have no age limit and no AM experiance Limit.

Let it be a free for all,just like when the New York Golden gloves started in 1927,and sold tens of thousand of tickets and streets were sealed of due to MASSIVE crowds striving to get near the venue

Then we will see who is the best,let the old AMs come back,see what they have got

classboxer · Post by **classboxer** » 11 Jan 2008, 15:54

DDuncanJr wrote:Here is my situation. I'm 26 years old now and getting things in my life straightened out. I boxed when I was younger, from 5 to about 12 when other sports started becoming more important to me. Now that I'm 26, I still have this burning desire to test myself in boxing. Is it too late to start or is there a division in US Amateur boxing for someone like me? Would I already be a senior? I've done some dumb things these past couple years without a lot of direction in my life, but that is behind me. Now I'm going to college, but still want to compete. Is it too late for me? I'm not looking for a huge career or anything. Just to test myself in the sport with a goal being to win a tournament. Thanks for any input.

Find an AM gym mate,step in a ring and spar with the AMs,maybe you have what it takes to win a Golden Gloves title(uk terms = ABA title) that = Olympic trails more or less
(an AM gym is harder to find than you think)

your only other option is "unlicenced boxing" (bum city)

squarering · Post by **squarering** » 12 Jan 2008, 00:27

I find it ridicules that coaches will argue over taking a bout at a club show for a couple pounds or a couple fights difference , then a tournament comes along and they thrown them in with the best guys in the LBC. I can understand holding back on fighting a top guy if you feel your kid is ready and you just done want to give your cards away before a tournament, but that's not what I'm talking about. If you wouldn't take a fight at a club show because you feel out classed, don't stick that same kid in a tournament in a half baked attempt to feed your own ego.

boxmel · Post by **boxmel** » 12 Jan 2008, 00:55

maybe you have what it takes to win a Golden Gloves title(uk terms = ABA title) that = Olympic trails more or less

Golden Gloves = Golden Gloves. In U.S. terms, U.S. Championships = USA Boxing title. Golden Gloves is but one of 8 feeders into the Olympic Trials.

Dennis · Post by **Dennis** » 12 Jan 2008, 01:11

Mel - don't get me started again. GG still draws a lot more people than the U.S. Championships.

boxmel · Post by **boxmel** » 12 Jan 2008, 13:57

Mel - don't get me started again. GG still draws a lot more people than the U.S. Championships.

I think you misread the Troll's post and my response. IMO, he was equating the GG to England's national championships, i.e., the NGB's most important competition. I was just trying to point out that it was one of several leading to the Olympic Trials (if we go back to the old schedule), or, as in last year, it was one of several tournaments leading to the U.S. Championships. The conversation was not about how many people spectate at GG as opposed to the Championships.

Dennis · Post by **Dennis** » 12 Jan 2008, 16:46

I know Mel, but we have a slightly different view and opinion about GG. I am working my butt off to make sure that the NGG in Grand Rapids will be a success. I am not the only person doing so as we have a whole group of people working hard. I hope you will eventually break down and attend a NGG. The one in GR would be a great place to start. You might realize how much good the GG does for the sport of amateur boxing.

boxmel · Post by **boxmel** » 12 Jan 2008, 17:43

I hope you will eventually break down and attend a NGG. The one in GR would be a great place to start. You might realize how much good the GG does for the sport of amateur boxing.

I have attended two Golden Gloves nationals and you couldn't pay me to go back. I watched officials being told who was going to win; referees are told to not call any fouls or warnings - lettum fight! They don't weigh in every day they box - blah, blah, blah. No thanks. And the Golden Gloves people in California are a microcosim of the whole - breaking rules and treating non-Golden Glovers like dirt. And the latest I hear is that GG is going back to the 20-19 scoring system. That is totally against the rules and does a real disservice to the boxers - more so than not using the computer scoring at the national level. Frankly, Dennis, I don't think it will get fixed in my lifetime.

Dennis · Post by **Dennis** » 13 Jan 2008, 01:13

Mel, I have been to the last 2 NGG and those things didn't happen. You might be surprised that AIBA is considering some rule changes that take into account some of the complaints the GG had with the current rules. It might be AIBA who does away with the headgear and/or jersey. Things sometimes have to change to improve the sport. Don't dig your feet in and be adverse to change.

Basketball had to change some rules to make fans happy including the shot clock. See, other sports make changes to survive.

Getting into amateur boxing?

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