What are the ABA rules regarding amateur boxing/unlicensed?

[Jeff Thomas]

I understand that active amateurs cannot box on any of these shows but what if a lad who has boxed on a unlicensed show wants to actually have a proper affiliated match? Are there any official rules because there seems to be an awful lot of grey and no black and white.

If for example a lad has had 12 unlicensed fight regardless of the general lack of quality he still has a sizeable advantage over another lad who is unboxed - yet both would be 0-0 in terms of matchmaking?

Doesn't seem fair at all.

[sweetscience]

Presume it's same as kickboxing, they go on your am record

[Jeff Thomas]

I don't think you can box in unlicensed then amateurs in the same season and I thi k it just up to the club/boxer to be honest about the lads record

Cheers Billy.

That's not going to happen ha ha

[bripez]

I don't think you can box in unlicensed then amateurs in the same season and I thi k it just up to the club/boxer to be honest about the lads record

This may be the "rule" but in reality .......

Boxers - both amatuer and pro - box in unlicensed bouts (either under their own name or another name).

It is a bit like - what about boxers who have previous "fighting sports" experience such as Kick boxing etc. ?

What about amateur boxers who also train in a pro gym ?

What about amateur trainers who also train pro's and/or unlicensed ?

What about ABA officials who also officiate on unlicensed shows ?

What about the ABA making their own rules up as they go along (such as the celebrity boxing - Ricky Gervais and all them) not to mention pro-am that was designed specifically for Amir Khan and dropped as soon as he turned pro ?

What about boxers (often from abroad) saying that they are novices and forgetting the 50 fights they had back home - who checks, and how ?

What about boxers who drive to the gym, have a full beard and say that they are 14 years old - who checks and how ?

In reality, it is a load of bollox - there are so called rules but there are so many people breaking them.

Amateur schoolboys banned from international competitions ?

Splits between England, Wales and Scotland ABA's.

Who actually runs / governs the sport ?

The above are just a few problems (that is before you get to the debacle at international level - Dr Wu, WSB etc. etc.).

You might think that the pro's are bad, but what about the amateur game ? - what is the future for the sport ?

[Jeff Thomas]

It's a right mess isn't it.

[bripez]

Sport England funds amateur sports in this country - yet gives money to the AIBA which supports World Series Boxing (WSB) - i.e. "amateur" boxers box over 5 rounds without vests or headguards, they get paid for their fights yet retain their amateur status !

How can they then complain about another lad who boxes an unlicensed fight ?

It has now come out that WSB fights will appear on a boxers pro record as a proper professional fight !

Yet they are still eligible to box in the Olympics !

Remember when we saw Magic Johnson and his mates winning basketball Olympic gold for the USA ? - this will be the next step for boxing (just like Andy Murray in Tennis).

Both amateur and pro boxing are in complete turmoil - fighting within themselves and also with each other.

[Jeff Thomas]

All about the dollar

[damianhucker1]

In theory your supposed to declare any unlicensed bouts previously done when registering as an amateur , But when amateur lads only get a warning for having got caught boxing unlicensed theres no real deterrant to prevent them doing it .

But Jeff , dont just assume that boxing amateur is better than boxing unlicensed , a lot depends on the style of the boxer too and also whom he is boxing with , ie what level etc , its not as black and white as it once was , i know many lads who going amateur would be pointless and have a negative impact on their development and the same could be said vice versa too .

[Jeff Thomas]

In theory your supposed to declare any unlicensed bouts previously done when registering as an amateur , But when amateur lads only get a warning for having got caught boxing unlicensed theres no real deterrant to prevent them doing it .

But Jeff , dont just assume that boxing amateur is better than boxing unlicensed , a lot depends on the style of the boxer too and also whom he is boxing with , ie what level etc , its not as black and white as it once was , i know many lads who going amateur would be pointless and have a negative impact on their development and the same could be said vice versa too .

Damien I know your very in favour of unlicensed but my experiences with it have left me totally skeptical. Good luck though. Each to their own.

[Jeff Thomas]

In theory your supposed to declare any unlicensed bouts previously done when registering as an amateur , But when amateur lads only get a warning for having got caught boxing unlicensed theres no real deterrant to prevent them doing it .

But Jeff , dont just assume that boxing amateur is better than boxing unlicensed , a lot depends on the style of the boxer too and also whom he is boxing with , ie what level etc , its not as black and white as it once was , i know many lads who going amateur would be pointless and have a negative impact on their development and the same could be said vice versa too .

Damien I know your very in favour of unlicensed but my experiences with it have left me totally skeptical. Good luck though. Each to their own.

There is some real poo on the unlicensed circuit Jeff and also some terrible terrible matchmaking on some shows(way more In London more then anywhere i have been) but its not so different to the vast majority of small hall pro shows as in people being paid to lose or 90/10% matches. The amateurs is the only straight forward boxing you get where more often then not 2 equally matched fighters fight each other but the refs headgaurds and red tape ruin it all. More often then not on my shows aswell as damiens its just 2 lads getting in there and having a pop thats what makes it so appealing to the average punter

I get that and I also appreciate that those kind of shows are definitely enjoyable. They aren't sold that way in Blackpool. These lads genuinely think they are on the fringes of being top pro's. I had someone talking to me the other day about a lad who honestly would not win an amateur round let alone a fight and they were like oh he's almost pro what is it? Semi pro. I hate that.

Maybe it's being snobby but I just think its misleading. That's said obviously we have Luke Blackledge at our place and he came through that route and it served him so well.

[kamicazze]

How many did Luke Blackledge have? I know Lee Purdy and Nick Blackwell also came that route. In all honesty many seniors get disillusioned with the amateurs, especially when it is governed by people who have never fought, living at home with their parents using at as some power trip. Case in question I turned up for a weigh in at championships once - starving I might add to make weight. Went in stripped down and jumped on the scales, the refused to weigh me, told me to put my clothes back on go out to the corridor where the general public were, strip off there and walk in to weigh? What sort of difference does that make? Its a power trip. I have also fought on unlicensed and I am treated with a great deal more respect that these so called Officials of the ABA treat people

[Jeff Thomas]

Yeah fair one Jeff I know exactly what you mean and it gets right on my Moobs when you hear them talking as if they're the next coming. They knock out a few stuffs then people start talking a if they're better then Carl Froch but I've learned to take it all with a pinch of salt either that or I just walk away

Ha ha yes same

[RonnieTheSharkClark]

Excellent topic... I don't wish to comment on this, as i said to my manager i would be a good boy and not cause trouble on public forms... BUT... Ha oh yeah i ain't gonna slate anyone!!! Boxing is the best sport in the world ;) Roll on Tuesday 24th September where i will be back in the ring Raddison Blu, Glasgow... £120 a ticket... Yeah you will get your dinner... Don't miss it!!!

PLUG PLUG PLUG...

[blackbenson]

I don't think you can box in unlicensed then amateurs in the same season and I thi k it just up to the club/boxer to be honest about the lads record

Cheers Billy.

That's not going to happen ha ha

there was a boxer boxed in the national novice championships in wales last year in the 0-5 category who had had over 40 unlicensed and cage fights.he fought a guy that had only had 15 unlicensed and white collar bouts. Makes a joke of the championships and is so unfair and unsafe to TRUE novices