Top amateurs turning pro in 2012 (2010 & 2011 too)

[shaestboxing]

theres a couple of fighters under the radar that were decent good amateurs slowly making their way up the rank...was looking at Brad Solomon- and he took a while start getting recognized as a pro, Walter Sarnoi (Schoolboy)- was a top ranked amateur, slowly making his way up the pro ranks hes looking good.. and i c he fought recently on GOOSSen promotion even @pechanga Casino on ESPN FRI Night fights event. Another fighter is Adrien Broner, who is an exciting fighter with great ability, remembered him only doing this as a Junior but as a professional, a hot prospect to look for.

[hbomb2]

I would like to know what percentage of the guys that turned pro are getting the bouts, notariety and money that they expected at this stage.

[hbomb2]

where is the favoritism coming from?

Are you saying that it doesnt happen? . Well it actually does and is a reality of amateur boxing, and all other amateur sports. Maybe not for the most part, but it certainly does happen. Everyone seems to no it goes on except for the officials.

..most of these young guys dont just turn pro because of money, I speak wtih most of these guys all the time like Jamel James and they mostly HATE the scoring system and feel like they're being cheated in many bouts at tournaments

I agree with you because alot of fighters dislike the scoring. You can hit your opponent with a landing unaffective shot to the head, and then hit him with a body shot that was thrown harder and affected him more and you wont get credit for it. Sherard and Benivedez's father basically sad it themselves to the media that they dislike the scoring. Many other fighters I know choose not to stick around for the olympics because they work so hard and feel like they will end up wasting 4 more years in the amateurs and its a possibility that they wont make the team even though they would actually be better on the team than the guys who actually make it. Top ranked guys like Graziano , Brad Solomon, Benivedez, Gomez, and H. Williams just to name a few off the top dont usually stick around because they feel that waiting will not benifit them. Even the media is starting to point out the scroring and politics that we go through. In the end its all about the FIGHTER and what him and his family feels is best for them.

If that is the excuse, wait till they get a bad decision in the professional ranks LOL...that will really mess their money up. It happens in all sports amateur or professional.

[Dennis]

Ron, you said it well. If these boxers and their families thought that there was favoritism and politics in amateur boxing and that their salvation was the professional boxing world, I think they are in for a rude awakening. Their are politics in all levels of sport and in all sports.

Lets just say that we went back to the old 20 point must scoring system. Do those boxers, their coaches and families think that people didn't complain about the favoritism, politics and bad decisions back then? Do they think that there wouldn't be any if we went back to that scoring system? No matter what scoring system we use, there will be controversy. In close bouts, there are always going to be people who thought the boxer who lost should have gotten the decision. Most of the time, 1 or 2 of the judges even agreed. It is just that the other 3 or 4 didn't.

[Jma05]

Nick Kisner won his 2nd fight in spectacular fashion with a tko-3 victory over kevin johnson 3-3 (2 kos)

[DCAmateurBoxing]

World Champiosnhip silver medallist Frankie Gomez has signed pro forms with Golden Boy and debuts on 3 April on the RJJ-B-Hop card.

Arghhh! We tried to talk him out of this when he came to the SoCal district tournament. Guess he didn't listen. That is such a drag! :(

He reportedly got $250K. Olympics Shalympics. How can you argue. I wish he would have stayed too, but it's like going to college for computer science with the hopes of getting a job at Microsoft and then because of a great thesis in your sophomore year---you get a call from Microsoft offering you the job that you thought you would have to work up to. You tell them that you didn't complete your studies and they tell you "Don't worry, we were going to make you learn everything our way anyhow. Now there is less for us to make you un-learn." Not everyone will get that deal, but why stay around? He's going to spend the next couple years honing his professional style and beating up tomato cans anyway.

I just heard that USA Wrestling offered bigger stipends and $250K for Gold medals to help combat MMA. That was to stop them from leaving the sport. We just want ours to stay in the amateur ranks and we have zero money to do so. It's easy pickings for promoters and managers these days. I guess WSB is an attempt but the jury's still out on that. We'll see what happens in May I guess.

[Dennis]

If Frankie was given a $250K signing bonus, that is more than USA Olympic medalists have been getting recently. DC is correct, why wouldn't Frankie turn pro? He could stay amateur just to try to win a gold and get way less money. Some boxers really want to win an Olympic gold and would pass up the promoters' offers, but even most of them have a price. Golden Boy found Frankie's price.

[DCAmateurBoxing]

If Frankie was given a $250K signing bonus, that is more than USA Olympic medalists have been getting recently. DC is correct, why wouldn't Frankie turn pro? He could stay amateur just to try to win a gold and get way less money. Some boxers really want to win an Olympic gold and would pass up the promoters' offers, but even most of them have a price. Golden Boy found Frankie's price.

If anyone is "listening", you can have any of our boxers (JOs or Open) for $250K. I'll take the guess work out for you. That's our price too!!

[Dennis]

Coaches for sale - price is even lower!!!

[DCAmateurBoxing]

Coaches for sale - price is even lower!!!

for sale?? For $250K, I'll throw in a couple coaches.

[boxmel]

If Frankie was given a $250K signing bonus, that is more than USA Olympic medalists have been getting recently.

Andre Ward got a $500,000 signing bonus when he turned pro. There hasn't been any big money since 2000.

[DCAmateurBoxing]

If Frankie was given a $250K signing bonus, that is more than USA Olympic medalists have been getting recently.

Andre Ward got a $500,000 signing bonus when he turned pro. There hasn't been any big money since 2000.

I think that Frankie's resume was the basis. He's had a really great run of late and watching him in person points to the transition not being a big one.

[boxmel]

I think that Frankie's resume was the basis. He's had a really great run of late and watching him in person points to the transition not being a big one.

And Andre won a gold medal. Frankie comes from a family where the money would be an enormous help. I wish him the best and hope he can have a lucrative pro career.

[grantboxing]

Randy Caballero leaves amateurs and sign with TKO Promotions..


http://www.mydesert.com/article/2010032 ... 002/sports

[boxmel]

Unfortunately, Randy's hand injury and over a year off would have made it almost impossible for him to get a spot on the Olympic team. He would have had to start all over again this year and work his way back up. I wish him the best of luck and hope that the hand doesn't give him problems as a pro.

[slickvik69]

Rocky Juarez got a $1.4 million signing bonus.

[Dennis]

Rocky Juarez got a $1.4 million signing bonus.

If that is true, that is part of the reason why promoters aren't paying the big high six figure and seven figure signing bonuses anymore. Too many of the past Olympians were busts in the pros or only modestly successful where the promoters never recouped their money.

[DCAmateurBoxing]

Rocky Juarez got a $1.4 million signing bonus.

If that is true, that is part of the reason why promoters aren't paying the big high six figure and seven figure signing bonuses anymore. Too many of the past Olympians were busts in the pros or only modestly successful where the promoters never recouped their money.

Whatever happened to judging an amateur's ability by, hold on to your hats, his actual ability?? Who cares about the titles, etc. but why is it in boxing that it seems like the $$$ a boxer gets is not based on skills, but on politics, popularity, etc. I guess it adds to the marketability of an athlete, but they still have to get in the ring and produce. In other sports, you see professional organizations find talent wherever it is (Jr. college, high school, major colleges, semi pro leagues, on the street) and if that athlete SHOWS that they have skills in that sport--that justifies signing them. Do pro managers scout amateur boxers by talent or just by buzz? It would seem that over time one would acquire a skill to assess the potential of an amateur as a pro prospect based on talent -- what you see when they perform. It seems like a lot of times announcements of signings are accompanied by the resume of the boxers. I'm not saying that there isn't a correlation between an impressive resume with a solid professional boxer, but it just seems odd that in other sports a significant number of the superstars and top talent were sleepers that were found by those that had an eye for talent. Does anyone understand what I'm saying? What are your thoughts?

[DCAmateurBoxing]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfslCTLh ... ure=digest

[Jamel]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfslCTLh ... ure=digest

Nice video, that first knockdown was right on the button and the left hook was crushing him afterwards

[grantboxing]

Rocky Juarez got a $1.4 million signing bonus.

If that is true, that is part of the reason why promoters aren't paying the big high six figure and seven figure signing bonuses anymore. Too many of the past Olympians were busts in the pros or only modestly successful where the promoters never recouped their money.

Whatever happened to judging an amateur's ability by, hold on to your hats, his actual ability?? Who cares about the titles, etc. but why is it in boxing that it seems like the $$$ a boxer gets is not based on skills, but on politics, popularity, etc. I guess it adds to the marketability of an athlete, but they still have to get in the ring and produce. In other sports, you see professional organizations find talent wherever it is (Jr. college, high school, major colleges, semi pro leagues, on the street) and if that athlete SHOWS that they have skills in that sport--that justifies signing them. Do pro managers scout amateur boxers by talent or just by buzz? It would seem that over time one would acquire a skill to assess the potential of an amateur as a pro prospect based on talent -- what you see when they perform. It seems like a lot of times announcements of signings are accompanied by the resume of the boxers. I'm not saying that there isn't a correlation between an impressive resume with a solid professional boxer, but it just seems odd that in other sports a significant number of the superstars and top talent were sleepers that were found by those that had an eye for talent. Does anyone understand what I'm saying? What are your thoughts?

Yeah happens so much now days. I mean just take a look at the some of the fighters from the 04 class alot of good fighters such as Devon Alexander, Peterson Bros, Tim Bradley,Alan Green, and more. They were all really great amateurs that didnt make the olympic team but were good in the amateurs but they didnt make the olympic team so promoters were not really offering big contracts to them compared to the Olympians from 04(not taking anything away from the Olympians) and look at them now compard to the Olympic guys that went pro.

[Dennis]

Lets look at the 2004 Olympic team - Andre Ward and Andre Dirrell are both doing very well in the Showtime Super Six Boxing Classic. Vanes Martirosyan is doing fairly well. Some of the others have only done so-so, but so have many of the other top USA amateurs from that era who have turned pro.

[grantboxing]

Lets look at the 2004 Olympic team - Andre Ward and Andre Dirrell are both doing very well in the Showtime Super Six Boxing Classic. Vanes Martirosyan is doing fairly well. Some of the others have only done so-so, but so have many of the other top USA amateurs from that era who have turned pro.

It's clear that I'm not saying that ALL the 04' US Olympians are doing bad and all of the guys that didn't make the team are doing good. It's fact that Ward and Dirrel are doing great, they're world champions. and Vanes is also doing well also and has been moved along great. What I'm saying is that traditionally we have higher expectations in the pros for the fighters that make the Olympic squad than we do for those that don't, and it's turning out that those that dont actually make the team are having more sucess in the pros for the most part. Off the top of my head just think about Chris Arreola(turned pro year before the olympics), Alexander, Bradely, Petersons, Allan Green, Victor Ortiz... now compare them to the 04' Olympians that did turn pro.. Estrada, Escobedo, Rock, Devin Vargas, Siler, Dirrel, and Ward. I It wouldnt be fair of me to throw Berto in that mix but he didnt make they US team either. He lost on a DQ and fought for the Hatian team and lost in the first round..Look at him now. Thats all I'm saying.

[Dennis]

Top amateurs can make great pros whether they were Olympians, National Champions or top 5 ranked boxers.

[grantboxing]

Top amateurs can make great pros whether they were Olympians, National Champions or top 5 ranked boxers.

Thanks for stating the obvious.

I was just backing what DCamateurBoxing said. It is true how many of the promoters now days tend to look more on a boxers amateur titles compared to they're actual abilities. Perfect example that I used were the US Olympians. The promoters invest in them because of that title, and it backfires on them at times.. and as I mentioned some of the best current pro fighters from the class of 04' were not on the US Olympic Team. IMO most of our top amateurs who had a great chance to make the team have turned pro( Benivedez, Gomez, Graziano, Dawejko, Robert Rodriguez, ext.)are turning pro making the US olympic spots less competitive.