Is Olympic Boxing Gold Losing it's Luster and Allure?

The Olympic boxing team has been another disappointment but I'll admit, I haven't been watching. Boxing?, that's not what's going on! That's also why I don't watch.

The scoring system has changed the face of international boxing into a game of tag, clinch, run, hold. Hey if you like watching that shit more power to you. Just don't call it boxing cause I sure the hell don't train my young fighters to fight that way nor do I have the desire to ever teach them such a twisted style of quasi fighting.

Young men should play grab ass with chics not young dudes... hey I'm a boxing coach... I'm not a boy scout leader fucking with funny shit like that.

So since I teach boxing, how will my young fighters ever make a run for Olympic gold? They won't and that's good because as you read in my blog archive the bullshit is too thick to succeed. I'll be damned to leave my fighters to a coach and system that teaches grab ass and run! All the work I instilled would be down the drain.

This leaves me to my point. Pro boxing is where the money is and yes it's still polluted with politics. However you have to fight to make money and draw. Money isn't handed to fighters wearing track shoes who slap. People don't pay their hard earned money to watch that garbage. So what happens to the amateur fighter who medals winning a gold or silver and expects... or his naive management expects will be the next great champ while drawing crazy crowds all the way?

Well, I have to tell you that shit ended with De La Hoya back in 92. Yeah Oscars story line of winning a gold for his deceased mother along with his looks and charisma more so paved the way for the attraction he was and still is. Really it was the way he fought along with that. Matched soft or not, he knocked his cannon fodder out as he fought with a PRO style.

Andre Ward who won the Gold in the last Olympics is just NOW starting to develop into a pro! He's been looking really good now and he may be a super star yet, but the transition has been painfully slooooow with that international style he develop in the amateurs.

With slow progress comes doubt in the investment that the management laid down. With that comes hesitation of future medal signings.

I have to ask, do you actually think that many of these managers and promoters are salivating at the current Olympic class? That's what I thought. The last class that showed much promise was the 96 class of Mayweather, Vargas, Tarver, Reid, Diaz,. All former world champs. All fought with a pro style. Although Mayrunner turned into a slap and track star before retiring.

The 76 and 84 class kicked ass, the 88 class was great too( but that's when the scoring changed), the 92 and 96 class gave us some pretty damn good fighters also despite the new scoring system.

So what happened to the 2004 and this years class? The proof is in the team trying to master the system and the promise of big money signing bonuses that come with winning a medal are gone due to that system of quasi fighting. What a shame and what a bunch of shit to call that boxing. At least the pro managers and promoters are boycotting that shit in their own way by closing their pocket books.

The best amateur prospects are starting to be the ones that leave early. Hell, pro managers are starting to look at the national and US champions only as a solid investment overlooking the Olympic and I don't blame them one bit.

Just don't fault the fighters, fault the system and don't call Olympic boxing boxing.