Which of our amateurs will go pro?

price690

With the olympics on the horizon, which of our amateurs qualified or not do you reckon will turn over to the pro game this year?

I'd imagie Michael Conlan is a certainty. Paddy Barnes would aswell but seemingly has never been made any offers (obviously down to being in a less popular weight class). Would Conlan start out in the pro's at Super Bantam or Featherweight I wonder? Lots of potential to rise through a couple of weight divisions.

Joe Ward is an interesting one, it seems there may be ambitions there. He is always spoken about as being tailor made for the pro game but i'm not so sure, he would need a hell of alot of work he does have a very amateur friendly style, and supposedly is a real homebird aswell so I could never imagine him setting up camp in the States for instance. Gone are the days where he has been cutting corners with his training though i've heard. I wonder would he be able to get down to super middleweight upon turning pro? Light heavy is a tough division in the pros.

I've never heard David Oliver Joyce ever mention the pro game despite being the one who would adapt most easily I reckon. Time may not be on his side however.

Contrast the fortunes of our last 2 high profile amateurs, JJ Nevin and Jason Quigley. Quigley has embraced the life of a fighter in California, using it as a great education and seems to be a student of the game.

Nevin unfortunately seems to have completely gone off the radar and hasn't really swam in the land of sharks that is pro boxing. I know he has had his troubles at home but its sad to see.

walshb

I hold out no real hope that any of the current am stars translate into successful pros. DOJ is getting on, and doesn't hit near hard enough. Barnes is past going pro now, and Conlan doesn't strike me as pro material. Oh, Joe Ward. Never saw him as pro material and never will.

Joe_ Public

Have a feeling Moylette might try his luck if he doesn't get the chance to go to Rio and see no obvious reason why he couldn't make a decent fist of it. And I know Conlan has a tendency to leave himself exposed which doesn't bode well for a top class pro career, but he's intelligent and has an awful lot of class so I'd definitely give him a chance. Wouldn't be short of opportunities either.

Dodge

Of those Rio bound, Barnes is too old. He's 29 now so would be nearly 30 by his first pro fight. Donnelly's game is probably suited to the pros but he's 27 (and not exceptional) so he might just stick to WSB/APB. DOJ is too old now

Ward is 22 and Conlan is 24. if Conlan wins gold he'll be world and olympic champion so he'll probably feel (rightly) he's done everything at amateur level. Ward will almost certainly go pro but I don't know if he has the head for it. Seems to have a bad loss every 10 fights or so. No doubt he' talented enough to make a career in the pro game

Brendan Irvine is very young. He might stay amateur until Tokyo

Oh and the thing about Quigley was that he wasn't really that high profile. He only had that great 2013 at senior level. He was never part of an Olympic cycle so, a bit like Frampton, made the change to pros before he got too set in the amateur game

walshb

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Have a feeling Moylette might try his luck if he doesn't get the chance to go to Rio and see no obvious reason why he couldn't make a decent fist of it. And I know Conlan has a tendency to leave himself exposed which doesn't bode well for a top class pro career, but he's intelligent and has an awful lot of class so I'd definitely give him a chance. Wouldn't be short of opportunities either.

Something about Conlan's style that is very suited to the amateur game. It would need a lot of polishing. Similar to Nevin. They're just not pro type fighters.

Joe_ Public

walshb wrote: »

Something about Conlan's style that is very suited to the amateur game. It would need a lot of polishing. Similar to Nevin. They're just not pro type fighters.

I actually think Conlan could change and adapt if necessary, though, and in fact he can be forceful and aggressive as an amateur when he chooses, as he was in the world final last year. Of course people will ask can he go over 10-12 rounds, can he take a punch etc, all legitimate questions and there's only one way to find out. Even if he's another Amir Khan, he'd still make a decent career out of it.

Donald Trump

Joe_ Public wrote: »

Have a feeling Moylette might try his luck if he doesn't get the chance to go to Rio and see no obvious reason why he couldn't make a decent fist of it. And I know Conlan has a tendency to leave himself exposed which doesn't bode well for a top class pro career, but he's intelligent and has an awful lot of class so I'd definitely give him a chance. Wouldn't be short of opportunities either.

I'd reckon he will go pro after moaning about being beaten in the stadium earlier in the year

Will he do much? I wouldn't be overly confident. For a fella with an underage WC medal and a European gold medal he seems to blow hot and cold.

Donald Trump

walshb wrote: »

Something about Conlan's style that is very suited to the amateur game. It would need a lot of polishing. Similar to Nevin. They're just not pro type fighters.

A lot would have marked down Nevin to do well (including myself...although I was very disappointed to see the amateurs lose him at the time). I think that his lack of progress hasn't been down to his style though....

He has hardly been "tested" yet..... I'd reckon that half people reading this would fancy their chances against some of the fellas he's boxed

Donald Trump

Oh, and technically, aren't Joyce and Ward not already "pro" with AIBA?

Anyone know how that works? Would they have to be bought out to go another route?

Dodge

Donald Trump wrote: »

Oh, and technically, aren't Joyce and Ward not already "pro" with AIBA?

Anyone know how that works? Would they have to be bought out to go another route?

I can't imagine their contracts are for too long. It's definitely a grey area

Dodge

pac_man wrote: »

Why do people think Barnes is too old to go pro? He'd be in a weight division where he could be fast-tracked and opportunities for world titles could be achieved after two years, Ruenroeng is a prime example. I'm not saying he'd make a good pro, I just don't buy into the age argument.

I said too old, but I meant is as too old to change styles sufficiently to have a good career at that level. He'd need a fair bit of time to develop IMO

I kinda think he will go pro, and I wish him luck

price690

Dodge wrote: »

I said too old, but I meant is as too old to change styles sufficiently to have a good career at that level. He'd need a fair bit of time to develop IMO

I kinda think he will go pro, and I wish him luck

Who do you think would be willing to sign these guys?

Surprised McGuigan didn't snap Barnes up and put him on some of Framptons shows, but then again Barry doesn't have the tv deal to entice fighters.

Ward and Conlan likewise, theres no major promoter in Ireland that could give them exposure, I could see maybe Conlan following his brother to MGM maybe unless he goes to the States.

Ward I just could not see leaving for the US so his options would be restricted to maybe MGM or Eddie Hearn.

Would be fantastic if there was a successful irish promoter who have all of these guys under one stable and hold shows on irish soil on a regular basis. I'd say they would draw decent crowds aswell given the amateur pedigree.

Again though lack of a TV deal would put the skids on that, would have been nice if RTE continued their live boxing coverage one saturday night a month.