I think he'd have had an excellent chance of becoming world champion if he'd gone pro and would have loved to see him go toe-to-toe with Ali. He would have made millions. Still, he was a man of principles, which in itself has to be admired.
A wonderfull sportsman. However do we really know that he didn't wish to turn pro......Cuba/Castro certainly gave that impression but many bring those claims into question. He would have been on a death sentence had he have up'd sticks and defected to 'the west' in order to acheive those goals.......Castro wouldn't have allowed that in a month of Sunday's.
Would probably have won a fourth gold but for the communist boycott of the '84 games. He'd have been 36 at the '88 games so perhaps too old but Cuba boycotted them anyway so another chance was lost.
A great boxer and, had he turned pro when at his peak, would have been second only to Ali at his best in my view with all due respect to Frazier and Foreman. He was past his best when Tyson burst onto the scene. Larry Holmes would have been interesting as he (Larry) always delivered more than I thought he was capable of and became a great in his own right.
Remember him winning when I was a kid, but surely just speculation about how he would have fared in the pros ? Fraudley anyone ?
Fraudley shouldn't be mentioned in the same breath as TS.
TS beat the best fighters from behind the iron curtain as, back then, fighters from communist states, with few exceptions, remained "amateur."
The Klitchkos would have been amateurs and eligible for the Olympics to put it another way had they been around in TS' time.
Whilst Fraudley won a gold medal and deserves some credit for that the "pool" of top quality opponents was far smaller than in TS' day for the reason given above.
I'd echo tango & Len's comments. Remember his fights and reading about him as I was growing up & would love to have seen him v Clay. A devastating right hand and the greatest amateur boxer. RIP Mr Stevenson.
Comments
He would have made millions.
Still, he was a man of principles, which in itself has to be admired.
R.I.P
However do we really know that he didn't wish to turn pro......Cuba/Castro certainly gave that impression but many bring those claims into question.
He would have been on a death sentence had he have up'd sticks and defected to 'the west' in order to acheive those goals.......Castro wouldn't have allowed that in a month of Sunday's.
RIP
Just goes to show regardless of fitness etc heart disease can hit anyone.
TS beat the best fighters from behind the iron curtain as, back then, fighters from communist states, with few exceptions, remained "amateur."
The Klitchkos would have been amateurs and eligible for the Olympics to put it another way had they been around in TS' time.
Whilst Fraudley won a gold medal and deserves some credit for that the "pool" of top quality opponents was far smaller than in TS' day for the reason given above.
Prettier than Muhammed too!