2008 Olympic Games Beijing 8.8.08-8.24.08 (with spoilers)

[El Raincoat]

Sapiyev was robbed blind.

effing disgrace.

Yeah, that was abysmal.

Sapiyev should of won that.

[skinnyman]

I found a report online stating that Andrade lost his quarterfinal bout. I'm surprised. I thought he would win gold.
Wilder won though and will be our only medalist.

[Dennis]

USA Boxing's scorecard for 2008 Olympics: 1 medal.
Now the question is what color will it be?
The least experienced guy on the team had a great draw and is now in the medal rounds. Way to go Deontay. He has a real tough bout in the semis so it will be tough to improve upon a bronze medal. He had a 10-10 tie against a much lesser skilled opponent.

[Dennis]

The talent was there for 3-5 medals for the USA, but now we can say the whole 2007-2008 process for Team USA was a failure. It does not matter what Deontay does, even a gold won't salvage the team.
Millman (if he remains) needs to clean house and make some changes. The problem is that he does not know boxing so he needs to hire someone who does. Cuban import? Maybe.

[Roberts J]

I look foward to seeing the matches. After reading Andrades interview. “It’s tough for the kids back home who want to take up boxing because if they come to the Olympics to be treated like this, there’s no point in coming at all,” he added

I am not sure if he was robbed blind , but this was kind of what I saying earlier, what the scoring does for up and coming boxers.

[boxmel]

I am not sure if he was robbed blind , but this was kind of what I saying earlier, what the scoring does for up and coming boxers.

The scoring is too low - have no idea why. Demetrius didn't score ANY accepted points in the first round - that makes it difficult to win - I seriously doubt that he "got robbed." If this is the case, every boxer from every country who has lost could make Andrade's statement. And I don't know what you mean by "up and coming boxers."

[Roberts J]

By up and coming I just mean current amatuers like my self who watch this and have to take a 2nd look at the amatuer system. For some people it might discourage them from staying amateur. Just my opinion.

[boxmel]

By up and coming I just mean current amatuers like my self who watch this and have to take a 2nd look at the amatuer system. For some people it might discourage them from staying amateur. Just my opinion.

I think it depends on what's important to you. To become an elite boxer at the national and international level or to just get enough experience to be a decent pro. I don't think the 2008 U.S. team had the best training - not enough international experience; picked too far ahead, too much dissention in the ranks, etc.

And I don't think you should get discouraged before giving your best shot.

[Roberts J]

I agree. Amateur is the way to go until you are ready.

[charlieb]

I bet every am boxer who chose to turn pro early rather than stick around for 2008 is breathing a huge sigh of relief after these olympics because so far it's been a hell of a raw deal for a helluva lot of fighters.

This has been the worst advert for staying amateur imaginable.

The only bright spot in this mess is that this year's debacle may cause such a fuss behind the scenes that London 2012 is put under massive scrutiny.

[squarering]

At this point in time I say let the spotlight shine right on Wilder. He has earned it and with all the dissapiontment ,I would still be thrilled to watch a green kid like him make a big splash. I think being one of the olest and least experienced on the team says volumes about his maturity. He is a great kid and his coaches told me he was a complete pleasure to train. They told the story of taking him to a tounament many miles from home once and stopping to get gas and a drink. When they got ready to leave they had to go get him and found him fixing a beer display that was messed up..... it was the same brand that he worked for back home. Nuff said?

Lastly the other good thing that came out of this Olympic experience was that they got Willy to change his hat, that may have been harder than winning a gold medal.

[Kolya]

What an embarassment this Olympics has been/ Good for Deontay though; I hope he can do it. I just wish the USA hadn't come out of it looking like a joke. :(

[Kolya]

By up and coming I just mean current amatuers like my self who watch this and have to take a 2nd look at the amatuer system. For some people it might discourage them from staying amateur. Just my opinion.

I agree with you.

[DCAmateurBoxing]

Lastly the other good thing that came out of this Olympic experience was that they got Willy to change his hat, that may have been harder than winning a gold medal.

I'm very happy for Deontay. He has a great story and seems like a great young man. I haven't heard any negative stories about him at all. I do know that he quit college and worked two jobs to help take care of his daughter, who was diagnosed with spina bifada http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 02814.html and per his interviews before a USAB dual meet, he listens to gospel music before his bouts because it "soothes him" and gets him ready to box. Pretty unique in boxing and it even through the interviewer off . His story is actually a true testament to perseverance and I hope that he wins the Gold! Having a very limited amateur career may give a longer pro career if he should so chose. He has a huge upside and seems to be growning as a boxer during each bout. I can't wait to see his last bout because I missed it.

Let's go Deontay!

[Stephen]

I wonder how many in USA Boxing are wishing they would have chosen "the other coach" now.

[JAHamilton77]

I just noticed.... EVERY Cuban boxer is still in it, except their Super Heavyweight.

[Kolya]

Dan Campbell said something I agreed with. When asked about Andrade's loss he said something about the scoring going against them. Jim Grey asked if he thought it was directed at Americans or some such and Campbell said "the Russians and us. Russia came out of the Worlds as the number 1 team, and we were number 2; and they've systematically removed nearly all our fighters from the tournament."

[emile]

The next bout for Wilder is going to be hard, although with the unpredictability of the results, who knows? Russo is very tactical though - even when people were scoring in the 20s, he was scoring in the less than 10s. He's small though, so if Deontay can keep that jab in his face he might have a chance. Needless to say, Wilder's shot is to fight from the lead.

I have some more thoughts on the unpredictability that I need to work on, but it's amazing what's left. No bad fighters really, but only three Russians and no more than three of the defending world champions are even going to medal. India is doing very well, if anyone noticed.

[Dennis]

Mel - Deontay Wilder was the beneficiary of a 4th round warning so it is obvious that the refs can give warnings in the 4th round.

[Dennis]

Russo got credit for SLAPS. Blows that clearly weren't scoring blows.

Deontay can beat this guy, but he can't fall in all the time like he did today.

[Gray-Fox]

Dan Campbell said something I agreed with. When asked about Andrade's loss he said something about the scoring going against them. Jim Grey asked if he thought it was directed at Americans or some such and Campbell said "the Russians and us. Russia came out of the Worlds as the number 1 team, and we were number 2; and they've systematically removed nearly all our fighters from the tournament."

The USA and Russia have both boxed like garbage. There's no bias.

[kidscoach]

Canada, you were talking about Shawn Porter earlier and how he was "schooled". Everyone knows that on any given day, any boxer can win or lose. Shawn can indeed bang with those guys that wrestle and hold, because that is what everybody does to him. He hits so hard, they don't know how to keep him from hitting them any other way. Here we have all been discussing the scoring, and so it has been for many many tournaments both here and overseas. Just for the record, Porter beat Andrade last year at the Ringside tournament; he has beaten Shawn Estrada, and Danny Jacobs (Jacobs was flat on his back all fours up during one of the matches at the USA Tournament), and he beat Carlos Gongora and Olasander Usik in his travels. And on another day another time, Jacobs beat Porter. Depends on so many factors, as you of course know. And what boxer hasn't been caughrt with a stray shot and hit the canvas. To my knowledge, none of the above have been knocked out. But I guarantee they have all caught a hard shot or two. If you wander over to the discussion from "big picture", you can wonder (as many others do) which boxers were manipulated. We all know too that a referee can make or break a match. The entire mess needs to be cleaned up!!!

[Kolya]

Dan Campbell said something I agreed with. When asked about Andrade's loss he said something about the scoring going against them. Jim Grey asked if he thought it was directed at Americans or some such and Campbell said "the Russians and us. Russia came out of the Worlds as the number 1 team, and we were number 2; and they've systematically removed nearly all our fighters from the tournament."

The USA and Russia have both boxed like garbage. There's no bias.

Yeah, that Vodopyanov and Raynell Williams looked like trash. Get bent.

[Dennis]

Actually Porter beat Andrade at the 2006 U-19 tourney (which was held at the Ringside Tournament) at 165#. I was in the corner with Kenny and Shawn was just too strong for Demetrius. Demetrius then went back down to 152 which was a good move for him.

[Kolya]

What did the dude fighting Wilder get warned for?