Why Is Amateur Boxing in the United States So Awful Today?
OK, so maybe “sucks” is a harsh way to put it. There are still good U.S. amateurs who will eventually become good pros. A lot of good people work hard–from the boxers to the coaches. However, something is obviously amiss. As of this writing, only one male American boxer remains in the 2012 games and he needed a overturned verdict to get there.
For boxing fans who remember past Olympic glory, this is almost painful to watch. After seeing one American after the next falling by the wayside, it’s hard to not wonder how it came to this. How did a superpower in amateur boxing fall so precipitously from the top?
The Death of Inner-City Gyms
Not long ago, you could drive through most inner-cities and see slews of gyms. In Detroit, Philly, NYC, Los Angeles, and virtually every urban area there would be gyms all over the place. Now, you’re more likely to see a Bed, Bath, and Beyond than a boxing gym. There was a time not long ago when any underprivileged kid could walk down the block and take up the sport. And do it for free.
Now some gyms want kids to pay. The gyms have been shut down. The old dungeons that used to forge tough fighters are gone. Old trainers who used to do if for the love of the game have passed on or were squeezed out financially. Now, you’re much more likely to see one of these candy-ass “boxing” gyms where soccer moms come to get in shape than a true-blue gym. There are no more Mickeys from the Rocky series.
There are certainly good trainers who remain in this country. It just seems like in the past, every gym had a sage old boxing guru in there, a guy who knew the sport up and down. Now you have trainers posting on Facebook while they’re in the gym, guys who will tell you Jose Napoles was a salsa singer. No one really lives, breathes, and sleeps boxing anymore. There’s too much competition for their mental energy out there.
It’s not the same.
No Olympic Heroes
How many times in the past did you hear a fighter say they picked up the sport after seeing Sugar Ray Leonard win the gold medal in the 1976 Olympics? What has happened in the last 20 years to get anyone’s juices flowing? The only thing that comes to mind is Oscar De La Hoya winning Olympic gold. That was 20 years ago. It’s hard to imagine any kids are getting pumped up about that at this point.
Watching amateur boxing in the 70’s and 80’s, you would be inspired and entertained. Now, you’re more likely to feel irritated. All the U.S. boxers are losing. Teddy Atlas is screaming about how the whole thing is a farce. It’s fair to say this sport has lost its appeal. Actually, it’s a humongous understatement. It’s almost unfathomable that a young athletic talent would say “Sign me up for this.”
Fall of Communism
It can’t be a coincidence that the fall of communism just so happened to accompany the United States’ fall from the top of the sport. This phenomenon can even be seen in the pro ranks, where fighters from former communist nations are now thriving. The fall of communism and the Steel Curtain led to a renaissance in boxing in that part of the world.
Until recently, American boxers only needed to worry about one Soviet representative. And that’s if they were even in the Olympics, with all the boycotts and whatnot. Politics worked in the USA’s favor. Now, you have fighters from Russia, Ukraine, Azerbaijan, Armenia, and about a dozen other countries that used to all fight under one banner. The competition got deeper.
With less of a political axe to grind, all teams have been competing. The Cubans are there at every Olympics. The age of the boycott, which helped some American teams in the past, is a thing of the past. With the sport declining in the States, the fact that other nations are seeing a surge has made it awfully hard on USA boxing. It also doesn’t help that these countries teach their fighters to thrive in the fencing-like world of Olympic boxing, whereas American gyms are looking to polish pro prospects.
No Justice in the Sport
If you’re a 12-year old sitting on the couch watching the Olympics, what would make you want to subject yourself to the absurdity that is amateur boxing? In most sports, you get credit for doing things right. You hit a baseball, you run around the bases. You catch a football and run down the field. If you shoot the basketball well, it will go into the hoop.
Watch Olympic boxing for a few hours and you will see it is a completely different dynamic of what we know to be “sports.” The results are consistently arbitrary in nature. The verdicts often times bear no resemblance to what happened in the ring.
At this point in history, the names of fighters who got robbed just as their amateur dreams were about to be realized is too long for anyone to ignore–Holyfield, Jones Jr., Mayweather Jr. No one is safe from the shenanigans. Over the years it has resonated and a lot of potential gold medal winners have been turned off by the sport.
Olympics No Longer a Top Priority
Amateur boxing in the past decade or two has been steadily dwindling, in terms of both credibility and popularity. Big non-Olympic tournaments used to be on network television. Top amateur boxers had some star-power. Watching Olympic boxing on CNBC only serves to drive home the point that the glory days are over. In 1976 or 1984, a casual sports fan could name at least several Olympic boxers. Today, they can’t name one.
The best young boxers in the world used to see the Olympics as the main goal. While that is still true to a much lesser extent, the really top guys are more inclined to focus on a pro career nowadays. The real young stars who would be kicking butt in this Olympics are already professionals. They didn’t want to delay making money in order to participate in what has turned into a mockery of a sport. Who can blame them?
The Fall of the Sport
There was always a seedy element to boxing. It’s just that the sketchy reputation of boxing is more cemented now. It used to be a major sport and is now more of a niche attraction. It doesn’t help that the general public has been conditioned to look at the sport with a fair amount of distaste.
Therefore, the sport doesn’t consistently draw the same caliber of athletes as it once did. Parents are less apt to steer their kids in the direction of boxing. Youth centers would rather offer different forms of recreation.
And the athletes themselves are no longer offered the same allure that attracted past generations to the sport. The crossover stars of the past had many pinnacle moments that got people into the sport. There were signature fighters in hallmark fights and everyone saw it. Boxing heroes regularly emerged from the amateur ranks. As we know, it’s not exactly the same anymore.
Add it all up and it it equals a really bleak situation for USA boxing.
