BoxRec

Should AMS be allowed to train in the same gym as the pros?

This is accepted in the US (is it by invitation??), surely someone like khan would learn more sparring with pros than he would sparring ams he is far better than.

any views?

To this one I answer with a resounding YES, YES, YES.

It is obviously done to some degree, behind the closed doors, in this country. Remember Hamed saying when he was a kid watching Herol Graham spar and train was inspring.

However, not only should it be legalised but it should be encouraged. Remember on Friday McGuigan stressing that most amateurs step into the gym harbouring proffesional ambitions (some obviously aren't good enough, but still share the dream). What better role models for them is too look up to.

It will also bring out better amateur boxing for the country. We won't have the problem (or it will be lessend) that "Joe Bloggs stayed in the amateurs too long" because Joe would have adopted a more proffesional style. This will also result in better success in the competitions because the Cubans fight with a pro style, that will nearly always beat the current amateur techniques.

I knew an Amateur boxer who had reached the WABA final a few years back, he retired from the Amateur ring because his father (who was his trainer) told him he foget about turning pro because he didn't have the attitude or the talent. I certainly believe that the later issue (talent) was not true however as he never seen a pro spar or in training he couldn't argue his case. Maybe if he was allowed to get a taste of proffesional life, without signing a deal, he could have seen if he was able to hack it.

Having seen Scott Gammar in training, a certainly think P4P he was a couple of notches above him in terms of talent and Gammar is doing okay as a pro and coping well.

Yes i think it is a good idea, to try and join the two sports if nothing else, at the moment they are like two different games.