Overall thoughts on olympics and what next for deagle?

[bigped]

What was your overall throughts on the olympics, i thought the judgeing was pretty bad on a whole not enough good punches been scored ect,

what about the standard aswell? thought it was quite weak in some areas dont know how the hell tony jeffries is an olympic medalist and thats no disrepect to him, he won a dodgy coount back and beat a useless hungarian and bang u have a medal kinda takes the shine off things.

And what about deagle, how would you rank him to Khans skill levels ect when khan won a medal?
i dont know what deagle should do he could turn pro now and make some coin or stay about for 4 years, problem with staying about is i dont think he is unbeatable at all and think he will lose a good few fights from now until the next one so will that damage his stock?

[stujones]

Standard wasn't great overall IMO. Liked the Welter gold medalist and the Val Barker winner, and really those were the only two that caught my eye as fine champions.

Degale should turn pro now - at 22 he is the ideal age... he's achieved the pinnacle in the amateur sport his stock can only, really, go down.

[ALI]

Does anyone know Degale's amatuer record? ..... please tell!

I think some people are being overly harsh on Degale for his performance in the final. Sure he was holding, but not as bad as some are claiming. For a start, i'm sure he knows he was ahead on points going into the last two and not overly eager to mix it up. Thats no excuse for holding i know, however the Cuban was lunging and mauling causing Degale to clinch. The Cuban made it a very messy fight, i honestly think the holding from Degale would have been minimal had the Cuban calmed down a little and tried to box from range. But then he'd have lost by a wider margin i'm sure!

Degale's future is bright. I wish him all the best........ lets just hope Warren does not get a hold of him!!!

[Goz]

Heard an interview with Degale's dad (nice bloke) and he was all for James staying on for 2012 to defend his gold medal but I really can't see it.

He can financially secure himself and eat off this gold medal for the rest of his life - only Cuban gold medallists (who don't defect) stay amateur.

I expect him to have fought as a pro by the years end.

And yes I hope SN don't get him.

[hitman_hatton1]

he should go pro.

but i can understand why he wants to stick it out.

the olympic games don't come to this country every few years.

big decision for him to make over the next few weeks.

i'm sure warren will have him at ringside on september 6th.

[Gray-Fox]

Professional boxing is a business. It would be a foolish business move for him to stay amateur now, IF he intends to turn over at a later date.

[bigped]

Yeah think he has to turn over, whose his main rivals in england? would he enter the abas? would he win them?

also compared to khan when khan won silver khan was a much bigger talent wouldnt u say so?

long way to go, i read today golden boy are looking at jaffries and price ect i cant see them going any further really cant but all the best anyway.

[DG.]

HayeMaker should sign him.

Fwank will just make him a laughing stock the same way he did Calzaghe - Hatton - Khan.

He might make more money with Fwank - but at what price?

He would make good money with Hayemaker and have his pride, imo.

[hitman_hatton1]

also compared to khan when khan won silver khan was a much bigger talent wouldnt u say so?

i think degale has a better style for the pro's.

he packs a bigger wallop.

looks the solid sort.

good skills.

khan was unlucky in that he boxed a cuban great in the final and therefore had to settle for silver.

he would have taken gold this time round without doubt i think.

[hitman_hatton1]

HayeMaker should sign him.

i think haye will get him.

[scrap iron]

Not the best Olympics I have seen; Americans very poor, some dodgy judging and this annoying phenomenon of a referee telling off a boxer for landing an illegal punch, but yet the judges scoring a point to that boxer.

Also boxing for two minutes for four rounds, rather then boxing three minutes for three rounds means boxers tend to run a lot more then they use to. Bring back the old 3 x 3.

I think the light-welterweight Felix Diaz who won the gold medal will turn professional and will be a very exciting addition. Great inside fighter.

I don't think James Degale was as impressive as Audley Harrison or Amir Khan when they won their medals, but I believe he fought against a better calibre of opposition in the five bouts he was in.

I hope James Degale does go professional, he has become Olympic Champion at 22 and now has nothing left to prove at amateur level.

[SticknMove]

Yes the judging was generally bad – not to mention the refereeing. In the earlier rounds there was an almost complete absence of clean body shots registering, although it got redressed a bit as the competition went on. Plenty of clean jabs weren’t counted either which is scandolous given the format.

The standard was generally poor too. But I think this has as much to do with the evolved computerised scoring system than anything else with the NEW emphasis of keeping the scorecards lower. I don’t blame the boxers and their national setups. They will inevitably adapt to the system in front of them that appears to change from one Olympics to another with the scorecard in running – FFS boxing isn’t fencing, judo or Twae kwo Do. That’s why we are getting the cat and mouse fencing and backfoot counterpunching that this system favours. The other side effect is for fencers and more direct boxers to to engage in messy ‘tangles’ running down the clock whilst the ref has little clue how to deal with it.

Bring back 3x3s and officials that can judge fights on tthe balance of merits – no doubt it will not eliminate the corrupt, but there's plenty of room within the current system to be corrupt.

Anyway on a more positive note I think that Lomachenko was fantastic and would adapt to any system of boxing and still win gold - very exciting prospect. Cammarelle was also good, as was Enkhbat - very classy within the format (controlled the pace and picked punches beautifully throughout).

[lefthook82]

Forget his name but there was one dude ripping in bodyshots in the final. He looked the dog's. Think he was Mongolian or something

[TerribleTerry]

Degale will go po I am sure - what is left for him to do in the amateur code now?..

Lomachenko is a monster of a 57kg fighter - here he is blowing the Frenchman away - he is scarily good:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvWKIJWCDwY

I thought Sarsekbayev looked good on his way to Welter gold - here is his final fight against the Cuban who beat BJ Saunders:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympic ... 579791.stm

Enkhbat of Mongolia boxed well in his final - the BBC website hosts the final round:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympic ... 579532.stm

[El Raincoat]

Degale will go po I am sure - what is left for him to do in the amateur code now?..

Lomachenko is a monster of a 57kg fighter - here he is blowing the Frenchman away - he is scarily good:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvWKIJWCDwY

I thought Sarsekbayev looked good on his way to Welter gold - here is his final fight against the Cuban who beat BJ Saunders:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympic ... 579791.stm

Enkhbat of Mongolia boxed well in his final - the BBC website hosts the final round:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympic ... 579532.stm

I don't see why Degale would wait till 2012 he won gold can't improve on that. Hit while the irons hot.

[Gray-Fox]

Not the best Olympics I have seen; Americans very poor, some dodgy judging and this annoying phenomenon of a referee telling off a boxer for landing an illegal punch, but yet the judges scoring a point to that boxer.

Yes.

Also boxing for two minutes for four rounds, rather then boxing three minutes for three rounds means boxers tend to run a lot more then they use to. Bring back the old 3 x 3.

They (the AIBA) are bringing 3x3s back as of the end of the Olympics.

I don't think James Degale was as impressive as Audley Harrison or Amir Khan when they won their medals, but I believe he fought against a better calibre of opposition in the five bouts he was in.

This is wrong. He wasn't as impressive and he fought equal to lesser opposition IMO. The first two guys he fought were shite. The Kazakh was good, Sutherland was good (but boxed like a man happy to settle for bronze) and the Cuban was good. Khan fought a shit greek, a brilliant Bulgarian who was a top fighter prior to that tournament (I believe he was the reigning European champion), a shit Korean, a quality Kazakh and an all time great. I think Khan's opponents were equal in all honesty.

[scrap iron]

Not the best Olympics I have seen; Americans very poor, some dodgy judging and this annoying phenomenon of a referee telling off a boxer for landing an illegal punch, but yet the judges scoring a point to that boxer.

Yes.

Also boxing for two minutes for four rounds, rather then boxing three minutes for three rounds means boxers tend to run a lot more then they use to. Bring back the old 3 x 3.

They (the AIBA) are bringing 3x3s back as of the end of the Olympics.

I don't think James Degale was as impressive as Audley Harrison or Amir Khan when they won their medals, but I believe he fought against a better calibre of opposition in the five bouts he was in.

This is wrong. He wasn't as impressive and he fought equal to lesser opposition IMO. The first two guys he fought were shite. The Kazakh was good, Sutherland was good (but boxed like a man happy to settle for bronze) and the Cuban was good. Khan fought a shit greek, a brilliant Bulgarian who was a top fighter prior to that tournament (I believe he was the reigning European champion), a shit Korean, a quality Kazakh and an all time great. I think Khan's opponents were equal in all honesty.

But Khan actually lost to that "all time great" in the final, so effectively it was only the Bulgarian and Kazakh who were the only two respectable opponents he beat.
I admit Degale's first two opponents were very poor (Estrada was on one of the worst Olympic American boxers who I have seen), but in the quarter-finals he beat a guy who was a reigning Olympic Champion, in the semi-finals he beat a big punching Irishman who had beaten him 4-1 in the 5 times that they had met before and in the final he beat a decent Cuban who in his opening bout had thrashed the reigning Commonwealth gold medalist who had previously beaten James Degale back in 2006.
Basically James Degale was the underdog in each of those final three contests. I'm not knocking Khan or Harrison, but I think James's gold was won against tougher opposition.