What could Errol Christie have achieved if he'd stayed amateur until 1986 ?

[THEBUTCH]

Just wondering what success Errol might have had if he stayed amateur until the 84 Olympics and 86 Commonwealths ?

[bennie]

The middleweight division in Los Angeles in 1984 was not brilliant due to a mass boycott. Southpaw Korean Joon-Sup Shin eventually won the gold medal with a close but deserved decision over American Virgil Hill, who later came to the rostrum wearing a ridiculous cowboy hat as if trying to take the play away from the winner. Hill made himself look a plonker but we all know what he went on to achieve and he eliminated our own Brian Schumacher, the British boxing team captain, in a lively encounter early in the Games. Schumacher traded on even terms for two rounds but Hill pulled it with an impressive third, although Schumacher was never off his feet.
Schumacher fought a good fight and was a good fighter but Christie was better and stood a great chance against the 1984 version of Hill in my opinion because Hill never really pushed on in the Games. He looked lucky to get a 4:1 vote over Yugoslav southpaw Damir Skaro in the quarter-finals, a vote booed by the American crowd, and then outscored an unknown Algerian in the semi's, prior to the defeat at the hands of the Korean Shin on a 3:2 vote. Hill struggled to stamp his dominance on Shin, who did nothing brilliantly but everything solidly. Christie surely stood a great chance against Shin, too.
As for the Commonwealth Games two years later (again depleted by a boycott), Rod Douglas represented England at middleweight and boxed brilliantly to win the gold medal. Douglas saw off Canada's Egerton Marcus (cuts) on his way to the final, where he boxed the ears off Australia's aggressive and incredibly durable Jeff Harding, later to win a world title in the pro ranks. For every one punch that Harding landed, Douglas landed five, but the Aussie stormed from the ring in a disgusting display of sportsmanship at the unanimous verdict against him. Christie was every bit as good as Douglas as an amateur, if not better, so one can assume that he strikes gold again but it's all conjecture. Christie chased the money when he turned pro after winning middleweight gold at the European junior championships in 1982 as a 19-year-old, signing with microchip millionaire Burt McCarthy. Money talks.

[Noxy]

His autobiography is a great read.

[Flump]

The middleweight division in Los Angeles in 1984 was not brilliant due to a mass boycott. Southpaw Korean Joon-Sup Shin eventually won the gold medal with a close but deserved decision over American Virgil Hill, who later came to the rostrum wearing a ridiculous cowboy hat as if trying to take the play away from the winner. Hill made himself look a plonker but we all know what he went on to achieve and he eliminated our own Brian Schumacher, the British boxing team captain, in a lively encounter early in the Games. Schumacher traded on even terms for two rounds but Hill pulled it with an impressive third, although Schumacher was never off his feet.
Schumacher fought a good fight and was a good fighter but Christie was better and stood a great chance against the 1984 version of Hill in my opinion because Hill never really pushed on in the Games. He looked lucky to get a 4:1 vote over Yugoslav southpaw Damir Skaro in the quarter-finals, a vote booed by the American crowd, and then outscored an unknown Algerian in the semi's, prior to the defeat at the hands of the Korean Shin on a 3:2 vote. Hill struggled to stamp his dominance on Shin, who did nothing brilliantly but everything solidly. Christie surely stood a great chance against Shin, too.
As for the Commonwealth Games two years later (again depleted by a boycott), Rod Douglas represented England at middleweight and boxed brilliantly to win the gold medal. Douglas saw off Canada's Egerton Marcus (cuts) on his way to the final, where he boxed the ears off Australia's aggressive and incredibly durable Jeff Harding, later to win a world title in the pro ranks. For every one punch that Harding landed, Douglas landed five, but the Aussie stormed from the ring in a disgusting display of sportsmanship at the unanimous verdict against him. Christie was every bit as good as Douglas as an amateur, if not better, so one can assume that he strikes gold again but it's all conjecture. Christie chased the money when he turned pro after winning middleweight gold at the European junior championships in 1982 as a 19-year-old, signing with microchip millionaire Burt McCarthy. Money talks.

And we are lucky to get all this for free, thanks bennie.

[TheGoods]

My cousin boxed for England in Germany with him around 1980, mistakenly drinking his p*ss in the middle of the night thinking it was water. Alan Minter went over there with them apparently. My cousin won the ABA National Junior Championships at Under 57 in 1979 and Errol won Under 67. Said he was a proper talent.

[My Name Is Earl]

The middleweight division in Los Angeles in 1984 was not brilliant due to a mass boycott. Southpaw Korean Joon-Sup Shin eventually won the gold medal with a close but deserved decision over American Virgil Hill, who later came to the rostrum wearing a ridiculous cowboy hat as if trying to take the play away from the winner. Hill made himself look a plonker but we all know what he went on to achieve and he eliminated our own Brian Schumacher, the British boxing team captain, in a lively encounter early in the Games. Schumacher traded on even terms for two rounds but Hill pulled it with an impressive third, although Schumacher was never off his feet.
Schumacher fought a good fight and was a good fighter but Christie was better and stood a great chance against the 1984 version of Hill in my opinion because Hill never really pushed on in the Games. He looked lucky to get a 4:1 vote over Yugoslav southpaw Damir Skaro in the quarter-finals, a vote booed by the American crowd, and then outscored an unknown Algerian in the semi's, prior to the defeat at the hands of the Korean Shin on a 3:2 vote. Hill struggled to stamp his dominance on Shin, who did nothing brilliantly but everything solidly. Christie surely stood a great chance against Shin, too.
As for the Commonwealth Games two years later (again depleted by a boycott), Rod Douglas represented England at middleweight and boxed brilliantly to win the gold medal. Douglas saw off Canada's Egerton Marcus (cuts) on his way to the final, where he boxed the ears off Australia's aggressive and incredibly durable Jeff Harding, later to win a world title in the pro ranks. For every one punch that Harding landed, Douglas landed five, but the Aussie stormed from the ring in a disgusting display of sportsmanship at the unanimous verdict against him. Christie was every bit as good as Douglas as an amateur, if not better, so one can assume that he strikes gold again but it's all conjecture. Christie chased the money when he turned pro after winning middleweight gold at the European junior championships in 1982 as a 19-year-old, signing with microchip millionaire Burt McCarthy. Money talks.

And we are lucky to get all this for free, thanks bennie.

Didn't Errol do a lot of grass roots stuff with youngsters when he hung the mitts up?

[THEBUTCH]

Yep, fascinating recap of both tournaments

It does sound like Christie stood a real chance of a medal in Los Angeles, had he been picked.

I vaguely remember the 86 final between Douglas and Harding. Whilst there could be no disputing Douglas won, I do remember there being a sigh of relief when the contest ended because of how tough Harding was.

I can't remember Harding storming out of the ring but what a poor sport !

[THEBUTCH]

Errol was helping out at Eltham ABC around 1994/95. Bumped into him a couple of times, always cheerful and joking.

[johnty1888]

My cousin boxed for England in Germany with him around 1980, mistakenly drinking his p*ss in the middle of the night thinking it was water. Alan Minter went over there with them apparently. My cousin won the ABA National Junior Championships at Under 57 in 1979 and Errol won Under 67. Said he was a proper talent.

[My Name Is Earl]

Errol was helping out at Eltham ABC around 1994/95. Bumped into him a couple of times, always cheerful and joking.

Just read he did a bit of stand up comedy.

[bennie]

My cousin boxed for England in Germany with him around 1980, mistakenly drinking his p*ss in the middle of the night thinking it was water. Alan Minter went over there with them apparently. My cousin won the ABA National Junior Championships at Under 57 in 1979 and Errol won Under 67. Said he was a proper talent.

Edika Ward?

[margaret thatcher]

Think Errol was of the most delicate china unfortunately, not sure he could've gone much further as a pro

Wouldn't really assume gold at the Olympics at all, Commonwealths obviously woulda been much more douable