Some deep amateur history for you...hope u enjoy...

[ICEMAN JOHN SCULLY]

Unedited:

FLASHBACK, U.S. Amateur Boxing Rankings, 156 pounds. December 1985:
1. Kevin Bryant, U.S. Army
2. Tim Littles, Flint, Mich.
3. Mylon Watkins, Tacoma
4. Ray McElroy, Long Beach
5. Antoine Byrd, Cleveland
6. Paul James, St. Louis
7. Alphonso Bailey, Louisville
8. Michael Moorer, Monessan, Pa.
9. Charles Ingram, U.S. Army/Ft. Bragg.
10. Cordell Steadman, Hillcrest Heights, Maryland

FLASHBACK: USA Amateur Boxing rankings, June 1987:
1. Anthony Hembrick, U.S. Army
2. Darin Allen, Columbus, Ohio
3. Joe Lipsey, Springfield, Ill.
4. Al Cole, U.S. Army
5. Fabian Williams, Lansing, Mich.
6. John Scully, Windsor, Ct.
7. William Guthrie, St. Louis, Mo.
8. Willie kemp, Syracuse, N.Y.
9. Marco Rios, Tacoma, Wash.
10. Donald Gray, Boynton Beach, Fla.

Back in the early and mid-1980's Plainfield, N.J. was one of the hottest HOT BEDS for amateur boxing anywhere in the country. The 2nd Street Youth Center that was run by Johnny Davenport produced a powerhouse amateur team that boasted such standouts as Harold "The Shadow" Knight, "Slam Bam" Tracy Spann, Dolphin Moody, Davey Franco, Glenwood Brown, Antoine Tarver (NOT Antonio Tarver) and Derrick "Poppy Too Sweet" Rolon.

(Poppy Rolon ended up being a pretty good professional in the late 80's and early 90's and as an amateur in the late 80's he was one of the better amateur welterweights in the country. It was as a kid, though, in the early 80's when he weighed under 100 pounds that he made his mark and name and he was almost legendary in junior olympic boxing before he was fifteen years old. I saw a professional fight card poster once that had the pictures and names of the professionals that were boxing that night and at the bottom of the poster, in a special font, were the words "Special Attraction: Special appearance by Junior Olympic Champion Derrick "Poppy Too Sweet" Rolon.")

You had Plainfield 119 pounder Michael Green win the 1984 Eastern Trials with a championship round decision over future world champ Tracy Harris Patterson.

There was also Adam Garland, a top rated U.S. amateur that Montreal, Canada trainer Russ Anber tells me fought a mid-1980's WAR with future Olympic Silver Medalist Egerton Marcus that was one of the greatest amateur bouts ever in the mold of the Hagler-Hearns fight. Says Russ: "They hurt each other more than Tommy and Hagler did. It was back and forth with bombs the whole way."

In 1987 you also had Derrick Parks out of Plainfield win the National PAL 132 pound title and through the first half of the 1980's you had the tall and powerful Cornell Sims doing good things at 156.

FLASHBACK, USA Amateur Rankings, 156 pounds. June 1987:
1. Gerald McClellan, Freeport, Ill.
2. Tim Littles, Flint, Mich.
3. Roy Jones, Pensacola, Fla.
4. Michael Moorer, Monessan, Penn.
5. Thomas Tate, Detroit, Mich.
6. Donny Giron, Thornton, Co.
7. Kevin Grantham, Kansas City
8. Ray McElroy, Long Beach, Ca.
9. Aubrey Beard, Jakson, TN.
10. Keith Graves, Hawaii

NEW YORK had some great talent all through the 1980's as well. Of course you had the Great Mark Breland at 147 and the exceptional Dennis Milton at 156. But there was also the flashy Kevin Kelley at 119 and 126 and at 112 pounds you had "Poison" Junior Jones. If you were 106 and wanted to make it out of the city then you had a big hurdle to overcome in the form of Davey Villar. Riddick "Big Daddy" Bowe excelled at 178 and super heavyweight in the 80's while Michael Bent owned the 201 pound class. Ike Padilla was his most worthy challenger at that time. Too bad Queens heavyweight Bent was just a couple years too late or else he could have faced off in some great battles in New York with the fearsome Brooklynite, Mike Tyson. Michael's brother, Winston Bent, was also a standout New York amateur in the 1980's.

There were also some guys in New York that were extremely well known by those in the boxing community, if not the casual boxing fan. Ask anybody from the mid 80's about the Loving brothers from Rochester, NY, Daryl and Joe.

Other standout amateurs from New York were guys like Super heavy Winston Bent from Queens and 156 pounder Andre Coles from Brooklyn. There was Vince Kittle (119), Kevin Pompey (147), Tom Patti (165), Ricky Thomas (156) and Stephon Frost (156) from Albany.

139 pound U.S. Olympic Trials 1984 Champion John Wesley Meekins was from Laurelton, N.Y. while future world champ Tracy Harris was from upstate New Paltz. Top ten rated 139 pounder Curlie Sanders was from Rochester. 1988 USA National 156 pound Champion (and future WBA 168 pound Champion) Frank Liles was from Syracuse.

1988 National Golden Gloves 165 pound champion Keith Providence (he defeated yours truly on a very controversial 3-2 decision to win that title) was from The Bronx. Keith advanced to the Olympic Trials in 1988, losing a decision there to eventual Olympian Anthony Hembrick.

Don't forget about 1987 USA/ABF National 132 pound Champion Charles "The Natural" Murray. Charles came within one fight of making the 1988 Olympic team, losing to Todd Foster in the Box-Offs. 1987 PAL National Champion Lou Savarese was from Greenwood Lake. 1988 Eastern U.S. Olympic Trials 119 pound Champion Anthony Perez was from Brooklyn. Top ten ranked 106 and 112 pounder Lionel Odum was boxing out of New York City while 125 pound contender Vernon McGriff was out of Buffalo. Top ten rated Willie Kemp, 165, was out of Syracuse while one of the top amateur light heavies, Ernest "M-16" Mateen, out of Brooklyn, was a top ten rated 178 pounder that fought and won internationally for the USA in the late 80's while former WBC 154 pound champion Keith Mullings is from The Bronx.

One of the best but (along with Mylon Watkins of Tacoma, Washington) sometimes forgot about boxers from the 1980's or any other era (probably because he never turned professional) was the previously mentioned 1985 USA/ABF National Champion Kevin Bryant who fought for the U.S. Army by way of The Bronx, New York. Kevin Bryant at 156 pounds, at six foot one and carrying power in both hands, was a legitimate threat to any light middleweight in amateur history including a guy by the name of Roy Jones, Jr.

Clinton Mitchell, a top ten ranked light heavy (and the man who defeated Bernard Hopkins in Hopkins' pro debut) boxed out of Brooklyn while 201 pound National team member Tim Igo was out of upstate Binghamton.

Future IBF World Champion Al Cole fought his successful amateur career out of the U.S. Army by way of New York in the late 1980's while the very early 80's had future world champions like Davey Moore, Iran Barkley and Hector Camacho and future world ranked contenders Carl "The Truth" Williams, Mitch Green, Pedro Vilella, David Sears, Alex "The Bronx Bomber" Ramos and Doug Dewitt all boxing in the NYC Golden Gloves tournament.

The 1988 U.S. Eastern Olympic Trials in North Carolina saw New Yorkers Anthony Perez (119), Kevin Kelly (125), Sean Daughtry (132), Charles Murray (139), Lonnie Davis, (156) and Michael Bent (201) all win Gold Medals while Ernest Mateen (178) lost in the finals to future heavyweight contender Phillip Jackson.

And, for what it is worth, I have often read people say that "Mike Tyson didn't excel as an amateur because he had too much of a pro style" and they point to his two losses at the 1984 U.S. Olympic Trials to Henry Tillman as some kind of proof of this. They say that "amateur scoring didn't suit him," etc., but what people need to realize is that not only was Tyson a highly accomplished amateur boxer but, I mean, does the average person have any idea at all what he had to go through to even get to the Olympic team deciding fight with Tillman in 1984?? First of all, Tyson was a two-time National Junior Olympic Champion, a National Golden Gloves Champion (1984) and an Ohio State Fair champion (in 1983) and on the way to these and other titles he defeated stand out amateur boxers such as Jonathon Littles (twice by stoppage), Jerry Goff, Kilbert Pierce, Derek Isaman, Orbit Pough, Warren Thompson, Avery Rawls, Olian Alexander, Henry Milligan, and Winston Bent (He stopped Littles, Pough, Goff and Milligan).

The State Of Connecticut in years gone by has had its share of top ten rated amateur boxers (in both the open and JO classes), some of whom you know and some you don't. In recent years there have been kids like Greg Cuyler, Sammy Vega (Sammy was #1 in the USA in the J.O 95 pound class in 1997. The most highly decorated junior olympic boxer in state history), Brian Macy and Jaidon Codrington.

Mike-Mike Oliver was maybe the most experienced Connecticut amateur ever in terms of sheer number of bouts and time invested (he was in the gym, literally, since he was just two years old). He began boxing at the Bellevue Square Boys Club in Hartford as a tyke and by the time he was twenty-years old it was estimated that he had about 300 amateur bouts including matches against highly accomplished amateurs like Jose Aquiniga, Tiger Allen, Clarence Vinson, Gabriel Elizondo, Gerald Tucker, Broderick Harper, "Steamin" Josh Beeman, Sammy Vega, Carney Bowman, Roberto Benitez, Aaron Garcia, Angel Torres, Rashiem Jefferson, Dat Nguyen, Eric Fagan, and Felix Cruz. In 2000 capped his long amateur career by becoming one of the few boxers from Connecticut to ever qualify for the U.S. Olympic Trials (along with myself in 1988 and Lawrence Clay-Bey in 1996).

Back in the 1980's you had myself along with Lenny Gargagliano, the flashy Italian southpaw from Stamford, and that kid with a TON of potential from Bridgeport I mentioned earlier, Joey Negron. You had Marlon Starling in the 70's and two time national heavyweight champion Jimmy Blythe in the late 1950's come through as accomplished amateur boxers. Clay-Bey was the USA Olympic Team captain in 1996, the last in a long line of solid Connecticut heavyweights over the years. Blythe, Herbie Cox, Harold Rice, Kelvin D. Anderson, U.S. Army Champion Hassan Shabazz, and Earl "Terminator" Anderson and then Clay-Bey all made names for themselves as big men from Hartford "that could fight."

Kelvin Anderson was a fast moving and flashy USA team member and a guy that is still often talked about with great respect by guys that knew him well like Troy Wortham and Marlon Starling. He won the 1979 National Sports Festival in the heavyweight class and as a teenager fought a memorable (albeit losing) fight on ABC Wide World of Sports, with Howard Cosell calling the action, against legendary Cuban Sixto Soria. Sadly, Kelvin perished in the 1980 plane crash that took the lives of an entire national boxing team that was competing in a dual meet in Poland.

Joseph Pemberton, originally from down in the New London/Groton area of Connecticut, was a U.S. Marine that won the light heavyweight title at the 1987 Eastern U.S. Olympic Trials, beating amateur star Loren Ross along the way. Pemberton also placed second on two occasions at the U.S. National championships, losing in the 1987 finals at 201 to future WBO champion Mike Bent and, back down at 178 pounds a year later, he lost to future gold medalist Andrew Maynard in the 1988 finals.

In New England's other five states (besides Connecticut, for those non-geography majors out there, you have Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maine and New Hampshire) you have had good kids crack the amateur U.S. top 10 over the year like Joey Gamache (#1 for a time at 132 pounds), "Sucra" Ray Olivera, Vinny Paz (also #1 at 132 pounds and a gold medalist at the 1981 Sports Festival), Harold "Bubba" Souther, Marty Foley, Matt Godfrey, Bobby Harris, James Johnson, Peter Manfredo Jr., Eric "The Energizer" Fagan (Fagan holds the distinction of being the very first amateur boxer EVER to defeat future Olympian Brian Viloria), Josh Beeman, Dave Lawhorn, Rashad Minor, David Gauvin, and Andre McCoy.

McCoy, along with Kelvin Anderson, was an accomplished national level boxer who went down in the 1980 U.S. Team plane crash in Poland that took the lives of an entire American amateur boxing team.

Kilbert "Junior" Pierce was one of the best and most highly decorated heavyweight amateurs ever to come out of New England - along with other top big men like Chris McDonald, Blythe, Clay-Bey and 2004 USA Olympian Jason Estrada. Pierce was also one of the first amateur boxers (along with guys like Ray Bright, Jeff Leaks, and Joey Gamache) who I looked up to when I was just making my way into the open class as a middleweight. I remember my first big tournament, the 1985 New England Golden Gloves in Lowell, and Pierce was there like the Muhammad Ali of the tournament, getting into a war of words at ringside and in the newspapers on the day of the finals with his championship night opponent, Alan Yassen of Vermont. Seeing those two go back and forth outside the ring on the night of the semi fnals made "Junior" one of the first amateurs who made me feel like the amateurs could really be like the pros in that an amateur boxer could gain recognition for more than just his boxing ability. He had a certain flair about him, Kilbert did, a certain outward display of confidence and bravado that I had never really seen before in an amateur boxer up to that point and that was impressive, especially when you consider he was a guy who weighed well over 220 pounds but could get up on his toes and dance and punch in combination, sort of like a cross between Ali and Greg Page.

In 1987 Pierce lost a very disputed decision to Riddick Bowe in the Eastern Olympic Festival. He also was a #3 rated amateur who defeated one of the top Russians, Alexei Prianichnikov, in a 1985 USA-RUSSIA duel meet in Atlantic City. Interestingly enough, his main claim to fame here might be from the fact that, in only his tenth amateur fight ever, Pierce boxed at Freeport Hall in Dorcester, Massachusetts one night back in 1982 in a match that saw him go head to head with a sixteen year old former junior champion named Mike Tyson, losing a three round decision to the future undisputed world champ.

The boxing world is so small and crazy sometimes. On June 11, 2005 famed Massachusetts trainer Goody Petronelli worked the corner for his fight Kevin McBride in the fight that will more than likely go down in history as the final match of Mike Tyson's career as Tyson stayed sitting upright on the floor up against the ropes, refusing to get up, thereby losing the fight on a technical knockout.

As a trainer, Goody never got the chance to have one of his boxers face the prime (young and ferocious) Tyson but that's not to say he was never in the opposite corner when Mike was in his younger days. It is crazy for me to think how you would have to rewind all the way back to the middle of 1982 (twenty-four years!) to see the first time Tyson stood across the ring from Goody at the Region One USA/ABF (aka the AAU) tournament where Goody's boxer (Pierce) lost that decision to Tyson in just his tenth match.

In the 70's and 80's you had the Massachusetts brother combinations of The Devoll, Roach and Attardo brothers. Joey and Tommy were before me but I went to the 1987 nationals with 132 pound Kevin DeVoll. And the very tough Roach brothers, Pepper and Joey, saw their equally tough brother, Freddy, go on to become one of today's most respected trainers. At the 1981 Ohio State Fair out in Columbus, South Boston's David Attardo -one member of the fighting Attardo family- won a final round decision over future National Junior Olympic champion Marcell Triplett of Jackson, Tennessee to grab the 125 pound championship. 1983 saw another one of those Earl Manigault types, Jose Arias of Providence, win the 132 National Junior Olympic title. Arias was definitely one of the most talented New England amateur boxers in years, a guy with sharp skills and debilitating power, but at the end of the day he eventually made it less further than many who had half his talent, potential and skills.

In 1996 a rough and tough intermediate (13 and 14 year old division) boxer out of Worcester, Massachusetts named Javier Colon captured a National Silver Gloves title at 80 pounds by defeating future (Mexican) Olympian (and hot pro prospect) Francisco Bojado on a decision. You also had Rhode Island's "Sugar" Ray Healey capture a title at 156 pounds at the 1990 National PAL (in the Junior Olympic class) championships.

At one time in New England in the late 1990's there was a gym in Rhode Island (Manfredo's Boxing Gym) that boasted an unprecedented FOUR top ten rated amateurs at the same time: Peter Manfredo (165), Eric Fagan (119), Matt Godfrey (165) and Jason Estrada (201) were all among the best in their respective weight classes and they all trained daily at the gym that later would become more well known than ever with the emergence of young Peter after his turn on the first "Contender" show.

ST. LOUIS, Missouri:
Many boxing fans talk about New York, Detroit, Philly and Los Angeles as "the places to be" for boxers. Maybe so. They were all producing some great talent, that's undeniable. But I will tell you this: Very few cities or towns in this country can match the amateur boxing talent that came through the greater St. Louis, Missouri programs in the 1980's. I can't even think of ALL the good boxers that came from those programs under Myrl Taylor and the other coaches from in and immediately around that city because from the mid to late 70's uprising of 139 pound Lemuel Steeples and the Spinks brothers, Leon and Michael, on up to the mid-1990's emergence of Leon's son, Corey Calvin (much better known as Corey Spinks), there were a ton of good amateur boxers out of the St. Louis program. I won't be able to name them all... but I can try.

Top 10 USA rated amateurs from there include three-time U.S. Champion Nick Kakouris and 1988 U.S. Olympian Arthur Johnson. The Finger brothers (twins), Terrel and Lavell. Ed Hopson. Boris Powell. 1983 Pan-American Games welterweight champion Louis Howard. Future WBA Bantam Champion Eddie Cook. 139 pound Randy Cross. 132 pound Darrick Robinson. 1988 USA/ABF National 125 pound Champion -and future WBA 154 pound Champion- Carl Daniels. 119 pound Stevie Young. Light heavy weight Paul Carlo. 165 pounder Arthur Jimmerson. Welterweight Michael Goodeau. 139 pounder Tony Martin. Featherweight Patrice Brooks. 132 pounder Marvin Chambers.

Future IBF Light heavyweight Champion William Guthrie won the National Golden Gloves in 1984, qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials in both 1984 and 1988 and captured the Ohio State Fair title in 1985.

St. Louis is also the home of former National Silver Gloves silver medalist (and future IBO 168 pound champion) Willie Ball.

In 1981 you had Brian Westmoreland (heavyweight), William Trendly (165), Vincent Webb (139 and 147), Billy White (132), James Cooper (125), Ronald Freeman (112), and Dolphin Moody (106) all break into the top ten amateur national rankings at one point or another.

Later on, Vincent Webb was the runner up to the great Cuban Candelario Duvergal at the 1982 North American Championships at 147.

Anthony Dean went all the way to the finals of the 1982 Ohio State Fair where he lost a decision to fellow St. Louis boxer Tony Pruitt at 119. Pruitt had won the Fair's 112 title just one year earlier when he defeated yet another St. Louis boxer, David Wade, in the finals.

1986 saw 178 pound Damon Saulberry advance to the finals of the National JO's while 1988 saw St. Louis native Stanley Lee qualify for the Olympic Trials in my 165 pound class by way of the U.S. Marines.

The only man to ever beat Mark Breland as an amateur boxed out of St. Louis. Darryl Anthony became the one and only at the 1981 USA Nationals on a decision.

You also had 125 pound featherweight Lamont Buchanon who won the 1982 Ohio State Fair by beating future (1988) U.S. Olympic middleweight Anthony Hembrick in the finals.

Light middleweight was a HOT class to be in during the 80's in St. Louis with several 156 pounders getting ranked in the national top 10, guys like Roy Richie, Paul James, L.C. Robinson, Steve Erhart, Ray Lathon, Alfred Mayes and Michael Cross. DeLancey Ray also excelled at 156, winning the National JO's in 1986.

119 pound Tony Hollis and 112 pound David Wade both advanced far into the 1981 Ohio State Fair tournament and at one point in 1987 St. Louis had THREE 139 pounders in the USA Top 10 in Nick Kakouris, Lavell Finger and Tony Robinson.

In the December 1985 edition of The Amateur Boxer magazine St. Louis boasted FOUR weight classes with a homegrown kid in the USA #1 spot: Arthur Johnson at 106, Eddie Cook at 112, Darrick Robinson at 132 and Nick Kakouris at 139. One city. FOUR # 1 rated amateurs at the same exact time.

The 1980's also saw St. Louis, Missouri boxers Alfred Mayes, Louis Howard, Arthur Jimmerson, Marvin Chambers, Arthur Johnson, William Guthrie, Lavell Finger, Carl Daniels, Ray Lathon and Boris Powell all take home National Golden Gloves titles.

I am sure I am even missing a few names but, any way you cut it, very few regions of this country have ever had the success that the greater St. Louis area did over the course of the 1980's. The records speak for themselves.

OHIO. If there is one particular state that comes to my mind as having a superior history of excellence in amateur boxing compared to almost every other state in the country it is Ohio. I have the feeling that the average person might not think of Ohio when they first begin contemplate the origins of some of the best amateurs in American history but the proof is there and it is clear. I mean, forget about the fact that Ezzard Charles, Aaron Pryor and James "Buster" Douglas are all from Cincinnati while Lindell Holmes is from Toledo and Ray "Boom-Boom" Mancini and Harry Arroyo are from Youngstown because you can leave those professional world champions out of the equation and still come through with a spectacular list of names.

2000 Olympic silver medalist Ricardo Williams of Cincinnati immediately comes to mind as do 1984 Olympic gold medal winner Jerry Page, Milton "Pete Seward (the most prolific Ohio State Fair champion in history), and 1986 world amateur champion Darin Allen. The last three names all hail from Columbus while multiple time amateur champion (I think he won the Ohio State Fair seven times) Anthony Hanshaw hails from nearby Mansfield. Other past Olympic team members like Tim Austin, Devin Vargas, Ron Siler, Larry Donald, Dante Craig, Raushee Warren and Mickey Bey all hail from the Buckeye state as do top flight amateurs from years gone by like Todd Hickman, Broderick Harper, Sanderline Williams, Henry Hughes, Ravea Springs, Craig Wills, and Virgil "Peanut" McClendon. Future light heavyweight contender Vonzell Johson was a top flight amateur hailing out of Columbus, 1960 Olympic Gold Medalist Wilbur Skeeter McClure hails from Toledo and 165 pounder -and current amateur coach- Antonio Hyde (I beat him at the 1987 National Golden Gloves before he rebounded a few months later to take home a bronze from that years PAL championships) is from Cincinnati .

DETROIT: When boxing fans think of Detroit the name "Kronk" probably first comes to mind along with images of professional champions like Thomas "The Hitman" Hearns and Milton McCrory but, for me, I also think of some of the best amateur boxers in this country when that gym comes to mind. In the late 70's, in fact, both Hearns and McCrory were two of the top American amateurs while boxing for Kronk on teams that included the likes of fellow amateur stars Mickey Goodwin, Hilmer Kenty, Bernard Mayes and Dwain Bonds and that type of success was duplicated in the 80's with the emergence of guys like the devastating light heavyweight Ricky Womack, as well as dual 1984 Olympic gold medalists Stevie McCrory, 112 pounds, and 156 pound Frank Tate. Roderick Moore was another celebrated amateur that fought out of the famed Detroit gym, a 139 pounder that won a 1983 National Golden Gloves title on the same night that Womack and Tate won theirs. (Moore also won the National Sports Festival 139 pound title that year)

Ask Evander Holyfield or Mike Tyson about Ricky Womack. Ricky Womack, light heavyweight from the KRONK gym in Detroit. Ask Mark Breland about Ricky Womack. Ask Pernell Whitaker or Meldrick Taylor. Ask Evander about Ricky because before he fought wars with Bowe and Lennox and Moorer, Evander fought WARS with Ricky Womack and he didn't win all of those, either. Womack also scored a third round RSC (The amateur equivalent of a TKO) over the great Cuban Pablo Romero less than two months after Romero beat Holyfield in a USA-CUBA meet in 1984.

Other Kronk amateur stars from days gone by include Kady King a.k.a. Vernez Duskin, Theotrice Chambers, Rick Jester, Brian Thomas, Myron Walker, Arthel Lawhorn, Keith Vining, and a super sharp young kid that went pro at just seventeen years of age by the name of Oba Carr.

(Nowadays you have kids boxing out of Cleveland and other cities in Ohio and Michigan that have allegiance to KRONK and consider themselves, and are listed as, "Kronk fighters" but back in the day, these guys trained in that same gym in Detroit night after night. They were homegrown products, not imported amateur stars. Don't let anybody fool you into thinking guys like Mark Breland, Jemal Hinton, Jesse Benavides, Gerald McClellan and Michael Moorer were Kronk fighters, either, because they really weren't. They only became Kronk fighters after putting together highly successful amateur careers that began elsewhere.

When discussing the most prolific amateur teams in this country then special mention must also be made of Joe Clough, Tom Mustin and the spectacular amateur program they put together out in Tacoma, Washington in the 1970's and early 80's. I know that Washington State might not ring a bell with many fans as a boxing hotbed but, Oh man, at one time it was the hottest "hotbed" for amateur boxing in the whole United States! The "Tacoma Boys Club" was as famous in amateur boxing circles as the Kronk was in the pros!! United States Olympic Team members 1972 Gold medalist Sugar Ray Seales, 1976 Gold Medalist Leo Randolph, 1972 Silver Medalist Davey Armstrong, 1980 Olympic team member (the USA boycotted that year) Johnny Bumphus, and three time National Golden Gloves Champion Mylon Watkins all came from there. Add to the list Robert Shannon, a two-time U.S. Olympian (1980 and 1984) out of nearby Edmonds, 130 pound world champion Rocky Lockridge and top class amateur turned pro Emmit Linton.

FLASHBACK, USA National Amateur Rankings, 125 pounds. June 1988:
1. Carl Daniels, St. Louis
2. Kelcie Banks, Chicago
3. Ed Hopson, St. Louis
4. Frank Pena, Colorado
5. Sharma Mitchell, Washington D.C.
6. Ivan Robinson, Philadelphia
7. Myron Walker, Detroit
8. Derek Little, South Carolina
9. Runnel Doll, U.S. Army
10 (tie). Kevin Kelley, Flushing, New York
Tony Braxton, U.S. Marines

Shoutout to the Peterson twins, Anthony and Lamont, that fight out of Washington D.C. - Two of the best amateurs in the whole USA who overcame extreme hardships and homelessness during their early years to find Coach Barry Hunter and, with his help, they both advanced within a fight or two of making the 2004 U.S. Olympic team. Here in 2005 they are both unbeaten professionals that have already been showcased in nationally televised fights.

Some of the best amateur fights I have been witness to over the years include current rising star Anthony Peterson going at it (and losing) in the 1998 PAL National 85 pound finals against a kid I trained named Dwayne "Super D" Hairston, Rock Allen vs. Ray Sanchez in the 139 pound final that was held on the same day as Peterson-Hairston. Roy Jones, Jr. losing to Gerald McClellan in the 1988 National Golden Gloves semi's at 156. Allan Green decisioning Brooklyn's Curtis Stephens in the 178 pound finals of the 2002 National Golden Gloves.

I also cannot forget yours truly in a decision victory over Roberto Perez in the 165 pound semi's of the 1988 Western Massachusetts Golden Gloves tournament that was the consensus pick for best fight of the six week long competition and one of the few times in my career that I got a standing ovation. Considering the fact that Perez had beaten then #1 ranked Michael Moorer of Monessan, Pa. at the national Golden Gloves just eight months prior and was considered one of the top boxers in the tournament, I recall the bout as one of th emost memorable of my amateur career.

(And If my fight with Perez wasn't the best fight that year then Holyoke's Carmello Hernandez over Springfield's Jose "Popeye" Davila in the 126 pound final one week later definitely was. They still talk about those fights up in Holyoke!)

[DCAmateurBoxing]

Here's a list of some video of some of the boxers mentioned in John's posts. All of these are pre-Olympics Games. Great post, John!! I don't know how you keep all of that info together. You are a walking boxing encyclopedia

1976 Golden Gloves Aaron Pryor vs. Tommy Hearns: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GNR8paIpv8

1977 Golden Gloves Mitch Green vs. Calvin Cross: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoC0ed6iwLs

1981 Junior Olympic Championship Mike Tyson vs Joe Cortez : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHyi9Yv6fwY

1984 NYC Golden Gloves Mark Breland vs. Antonio Ratliff: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UEwygyg70c

1984 NYC Golden Gloves Mark Breland vs. Victor Laguer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjnZqgyEDxI

1984 New York State Empire State Games Finals Mike Tyson vs. Winston Bent:
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m97hSfP5B9c
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=labjAZpmJAc

1984 Olympic Trials Rickey Womack vs. Evander Holyfield
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zRobbMeo9k
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SA7IpVWS ... re=related

1984 Olympic Trials Mike Tyson vs. Henry Tillman Pt. 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqGxIkHc3Cs
1984 Olympic Trials Mike Tyson vs. Henry Tillman Pt. 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgnD9oX9xXk

1984 Olympic Trials Mike Tyson vs. Henry Tillman II: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHhBl-omxE8

1986 Golden Gloves Gerlad McClellan vs. Terry Christianson : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzQgctB7eIo

1986 National Golden Gloves Roy Jones vs. Victor Levine :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkByf6Sdw-Q

1988 Olympic Trials Ray Mercer vs. Tommy Morrison: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njPRCzeeLEE

1988 Olympic Final Riddick Bowe vs. Lennox Lewis: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-z7wFR8dJYg

1989 Golden Gloves Ivan Robinson vs. Oscar De La Hoya
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVKY4IBJuAI
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5gqHPpTTQE

2001 DC Platinum Gloves Deshawn Richardson vs. Anthony Peterson: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BOnXBNC38c

2001 DC Platinum Gloves Hajro Sujak vs. Curtis Stevens :http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JS8KuFv_BOc

2002 DC Platinum Gloves Tiger Allen vs. Kevin Cagle: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jC1xL1fJotE

2002 DC Platinum Gloves Rock Allen vs. Maxell Taylor: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hK-AezZrrWs

[JMac]

Iceman,
Thanks for the memories again. I enjoyed the ones you posted a while back on the current scene board. You consider you win over Roberto Perez bigger then when you beat world champ Daren Allen? I would think that had to be a really big one for you.

[Gray-Fox]

Brilliant ICEMAN, I had shivers down my spine reading some of that.

I'm loving the nicknames that some of the allstar American amateurs had...How I long for the flashy American heydays of boxing again.

[ICEMAN JOHN SCULLY]

J-Mac, no, for me beating Darin was a much bigger accomplishment, Darin was a world champion who had at one trime or another defeated THREE Olympic gold medalists (Steve McCrory, Frank Tate and Henry Maske). But the Perez win was big in its own way too.....great fight it was if I do say so myself :)

[ICEMAN JOHN SCULLY]

1986 Golden Gloves Gerlad McClellan vs. Terry Christianson : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzQgctB7eIo

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Hey, I was there for this fight. Terry was a very good boxer with a TON of amateur experience, over 300 fights. I beat him two years after he beat Gerald (we fought at 165) so I know first hand how good he was. I had a tough draw that year but did OK...I beat Terry then two days later I beat Lamar Parks. In the finals I lost 3-2 to Keith Providence. Do u have that one on youtube? It was televised by ESPN

[ICEMAN JOHN SCULLY]

Scully-Providence, 165 National Golden Gloves final, 1988...you have film on that one (ESPN)?

[415BOXING]

ICEMAN,YOUR HISTORY OF AMATEUR BOXING IS AMAZING,I READ YOUR ARTICLES ON MAX BOXING OF"WHO FOUGHT WHO",UNFORTUNETLY I DIDNT GET TO READ ALL OF THEM,CAN I STILL GET THEM ON MAXBOXING?

[ICEMAN JOHN SCULLY]

415...IF YOU WANT TO YOU CAN EMAIL ME AT [email protected] AND I WILL HOOK U UP WITH VERY ONJE OF THEM

[darrickrobinson65]

Hey, Just want to thank icemanscully for recognizing me as one of st. louis' boxers. I would like to talk to you about the boxing industry. Once again thanks for the acknowledgment I really appreciate that.

[jmc617]

Here are a few amateur fights that were mentioned in the article as well that I posted on youtube recently. John (jmc617) [email protected]

-Marvis Frazier vs. Tony Tubbs

Jorge Luis Gonzalez vs. Lennox Lewis I
part 1 - part 2

Lennox Lewis vs. Jorge Luis Gonzalez II
part 1 - part 2

-Michael Moorer vs. Thomas Tate
1986 Light Middleweight U.S. National Championship
Orestos Solano (CUB) vs. Michael Moorer

Evander Holyfield vs. Ricky Womack V
part 1 - part 2

Odlanier Solis vs. David Haye

Alex Stewart
Lou Saverese
Michael Bentt
part 1 - part 2

Baik Hyun-Man vs. Andrew Golota
Ray Mercer vs. Baik Hyun-Man

Ray Mercer
Michael Bentt I
part 1 - part 2
Michael Bentt II

Jeremy Williams
Jeremy Williams vs. Darius Michelchewski
part 1 - part 2
-Jeremy Williams vs. Dale Brown
Jeremy Williams vs. John Ruiz III
Andrei Kurnyavka vs. Jeremy Williams
part 1 - part 2
Sergei Klokov vs. Jeremy Williams
-Jeremy Williams vs. Montell Griffen III
part 1 - part 2
-Jeremy Williams vs. Montell Griffen IV

Henry Akinwande vs. Herbie Hide

Samson Po'uha vs. Bobby Harris jr.

Larry Donald vs. Samson Po'uha

Paea Wolfgramm vs. Duncan Dokiwari

-Davarryl Williamson
Calvin Brock II
-Calvin Brock IV
part 1 - part 2
Stanley McClain
Lamont Brewster II
part 1 - part 2

Calvin Brock
TJ Wilson II
TJ Wilson III
part 1 - part 2

Joe Mesi
TJ Wilson I
part 1 - part 2 - part 3
Mesi outpoints Wilson in their 2nd meeting to move on to face Clay-Bey in the box-offs

Lawerence Clay-Bey
-Joe Mesi I
part 1 - part 2
-Joe Mesi II
part 1 - part 2
-Joe Mesi III
-Lance Whitaker
part 1 - part 2
Tommy Martin

Lance Whitaker
Tommy Martin

Paolo Vidoz
Calvin Brock
Samuel Peter
part 1 - part 2
Alexis Rubalcaba
part 1 - part 2

Michael Bennett
Malik Scott

Wladimir Klitschko
Lawerence Clay-Bey
Attilla Levin I
part 1 - part 2
Attilla Levin II

Attilla Levin
Jean Francois Bergeroen
-Vitali Klitschko

Alexei Lezin
Lance Whitaker II
Nicolyi Valuev II

David Izon
Kirk Johnson
part 1 - part 2
-David Tua
part 1 - part 2

Felix Savon
Ruslan Chagaev (UKR) vs. Felix Savon
Infamous match where Savon loses a decision.
Felix Savon vs. Dannell Nicholson (USA)
Dannell fought hard and won the first two and a half rounds with track shoes on literally, only for Savon to overcome the lead and sneak one out in the 1992 olympics.
Felix Savon vs. Michael Bentt (USA) I
part 1 - part 2
Felix Savon vs. Sultan Ibragimov
part 1 - part 2
Felix Savon vs. David Izon (Izonreti) (NGR)
part 1 - part 2
Felix Savon vs. Davarryl Williamson (USA)Felix Savon vs. Shannon Briggs (USA)
Felix Savon vs. Luan Krasniqi (GER)
Felix Savon vs. Kirk Johnson (CAN)
Felix Savon vs. Andrei Kurnyavka (RUS)
part 1 - part 2
Felix Savon vs. Lamont Brewster (USA)
Felix Savon vs. Nate Jones (USA)
Felix Savon vs. David Tua (NZ)
Felix Savon vs. Michael Bennett (USA)
part 1 - part 2
Felix Savon vs. David Defiagabon (CAN)
Felix Savon vs. Malcolm Tann (USA)
part 1 - part 2
Felix Savon vs. Tom Glesby (CAN)
Felix Savon vs. Christhoper Mendy
part 1 - part 2
Felix Savon vs. Bae-Chae Sung
part 1 - part 2
Felix Savon vs. Kestetus Betkevecus (LITH)
Felix Savon vs. Sebastian Koeber
part 1 - part 2
Felix Savon vs. Kevin Evins
part 1 - part 2
Felix Savon vs. Santiago Palavecino (ARG)
Felix Savon vs. Rasmus Ojemaye (NGR)

Frank Tate vs. Shawn O'Sullivan III
What a great matchup I thought Frank was on the brink of a RSC. I wish the other matches between them materialized!

Luis Collazo vs. Yuri Foreman
part 1 - part 2

Vivian Harris vs. Rudy Rodriguez
[url-http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgsj2G6jcj8]part 1[/url] - part 2

Henry Crawford vs. Danny McDermott

Raymond Biggs vs. Dmitryi Salita
part 1 - part 2
I always read that Salita only lost two open matches as an amateur and I figured it was against Biggs and Kendall Holt but then you brought the two Chad Johnson matches and it makes me think about the validity of amateur records altogether.

Henry Wharton vs. Ray Close
Daniel Judah vs. Tokunbo Olajide II
part 1 - part 2

Terronn Millet vs. Vernon Forrest II

Terron Millet vs. Stevie Johnston
part 1 - part 2 - part 3

Terron Millet vs. Kostya Tszyu I
This bout was in Moscow and the 2nd match with Millet was in Seattle, Kos won 5-0.

Shane Mosley vs. Stevie Johnston III
part 1 - part 2

Vernon Forrest vs. Stevie Johnston II

Stevie Johnston vs. Skipper Kelp
part 1 - part 2

Kostya Tszyu vs. Vernon Forrest II

Candelario Duvergal vs. Vernon Forrest
part 1 - part 2
Candelario Duvergal vs. Mark Breland
part 1 - part 2

Rafael Marquez vs. Antwon Echols
Rafael Marquez vs. David Defiagabon

Todd Foster vs. Khalid Rahilou
Todd Foster vs. Chun Jin-Chul
Grahame Cheney vs. Todd Foster
Grahame Cheney vs. Ike Quartey

Hector Camacho jr. vs. Ishe Smith II

Auggie Sanchez vs. Floyd Mayweather jr. II
part 1 - part 2
Floyd Mayweather jr. vs. Auggie Sanchez III
part 1 - part 2
Floyd Mayweather jr. vs. Martin O'Malley

Pernell Whitaker vs. Ramon Goire (CUBA)
part 1 - part 2

Diego Corrales vs. Marco Rudolph
part 1 - part 2

[JMac]

Wow, that is quite a list of bouts. Some of them don't have links like the Frank Tate vs Shawn O'Sullivan. I would love to see that again. I remember watching that during the '84 Olympics. It was a war.

[jmc617]

Gotta upload those still

[Kolya]

Man, it's great seeing some old Todd Foster fights. 20 years passed from him until now, when we have another top notch amateur on the scene.

[ICEMAN JOHN SCULLY]

Actually...sorry so late to reply...but Salita lost twice to Chad Dawson but it wasnt in the OPEN division, they both came in the JO division...

[boxmel]

And, for what it is worth, I have often read people say that "Mike Tyson didn't excel as an amateur because he had too much of a pro style"

From what I've heard, Mike could "hit" but couldn't "box."

[ICEMAN JOHN SCULLY]

U can watch Mike's amateur fights on youtube..he moved his upper body very well...etc..he was FAR from an unskilled brawler

[boxmel]

he was FAR from an unskilled brawler

Hey John - your words, not mine. D

[ICEMAN JOHN SCULLY]

I stand by those words 100000 pct...no one can watch Tyson and say he didnt have skills... there are many other skills than the ones that Jones Jr, Mayweather, Ali etc have...Mike didnt just throw punches...he was very sharp with his feet position, angles, setting guys up for punches etc etc

[boxmel]

I don't think Mike was ever thought of as an "unskilled brawler." It just appears that he lost when he was outboxed....at least that's what I've been told. 8)

[ICEMAN JOHN SCULLY]

The only guy who really notably beat him was Tillman at the box-off...but Mike scored DECISION victories over numerous top ranked amateurs, national champs etc etc...the skills were there...Mike also won several BIG national titles...some say he was not a good amateur...but they are mistaken

[jmc617]

(I'll embed the fight as a hyperlink in the Name of the person if you'd like to view highlights of the fights.)
As noted by John Scully most people don't realize how good the guys actually were that Tyson beat in the amateurs. The one fight with Henry Milligan was a milestone so was his win with Winston Bentt, brother of Michael, who was a real banger that was one as well. I was fortunate enough to get a few fights from Henry recently who was coming off an 83 ABF championship win before he fought Tyson with wins over Michael Bentt, Ernie Singleton, Henry Tillman, Orlin Norris, #2 ranked Al Evans and Olian Alexander in the finals.

Also, I am posting all the amateur fights under the youtube channel nyamateurboxing.


John

[ICEMAN JOHN SCULLY]

Actually, Henry didnt beat Mike Bent at the 1983 nationals..it was on a regular show...

[ICEMAN JOHN SCULLY]

Anyone catch the documentary on Tyson? Havent seen it but heard from a good source it is VERY interesting...