BoxRec

Professional boxing is controlled by the BBB of C.
Simon Block has made it clear there with be no amalgamation with the ABA.
Why ?
Who is putting up the obstacles - the Pros or the Ams ?
Surely it is for the good of the sport.
As a Sheffield lad, I can see the benefits of the training programme at the Sheffield Institute for Sport coming to fruition, designed for the elite of our Amateurs.
When quality sparring is needed, who do they go to ? The Wincobank Gym.
So its ok for Pros and Ams to train together when it suits their purpose, but the same crew banned Brendan for allowing pros and ams to train alongside each other.
I agree with Brendan when he says now is the time to amalgamate, run everything from the Institute of Sport, including the drugs testing.
One governing body is right for our sport now.
Surely everyone can see the mutual benefits.
Anyone got a view ?

Spot on post 26!

I personally think the Ams should be given exposure to Pros for sparring, but only in a regulated quanitity due to the obvious differences in the two. I see the Ams as a feeder school for the Pros so allowing the kids to continue learning technique whilst allowing them to learn the tricks of the Pro game can only be a good thing. After all, humans learn quicker/better at a younger age than plonking them in the Pros in their early 20s.

That said, I'm not great on the Ams so someone far more knowledgable may have a more learned view.

I'm not so sure it would be a good idea, look at the leading lights of the amatuer game. Cuba have no pro influence in their training , and have lead the way for years.
Same with the eastern europe countries, they use good coaches teaching the correct amatuer techniques, these are alot different than the pro game which is more of a powerpunch approach.

I think that the results in the lads qualifying for Bejing shows that the right investment in the right places brings results.
Mixing the sports wouldn't improve on the results IMO, it would lead to losing more boxers than what the amatuers would gain.

IMO opinion the ABA is run by a bunch of committee men who are all on a good number.
They are the people who stopped pro's getting involved because they know they will lose their cushy jobs if they get exposed.
In more recent times with all the lottery funding and the need to get Olympic qualifacation the pressure has been on to improve standards.
Fortunately there has been so much money to go around that everyone gets paid. However if you look at someone like Woodhall, they got rid of him sharpish because he wanted to make some real change for the better

One good point with the Amatuers,the money they earn today at elite level is all theirs