Our Olympians Are Not Panning Out and Reducing Optimism
Does Top Rank wants to milk Jose Castillo's new agreement with Showtime?
by
Andres Antonio Carriedo
1/28 - I have developed a routine of categorizing young up and coming boxers into specific cycles. These cycles are dictated by the four years between each Olympic games. I am sure that I am not alone in deducing that the logical way to evaluate former amateur standouts is to compare them with their professional peers.
In the early part of their careers those peers must be the fighters who entered the professional ranks at or about the same time as they did. However, a troubling trend of Olympic prospects (particularly those from the US) not panning out in the professional ranks seems to be reducing the optimism with which promoters and fans alike look upon Olympic team members imminent professional careers.
At one time USA Boxing had a reputation of excellence. Those days, for the time being at least, are past. One need only look at our disappointing performance in Athens to know that. Perhaps that is the only explanation necessary for the lukewarm response on the part of promoters to the members of the 2004 class. However, the less than stellar performances of our past two Olympic teams figure heavily into the equation as well.
The 1996 US Olympic team does not have any current world champions. Only one member of the 2000 US Olympic team, which failed to produce a Gold medallist, currently holds a world title belt. Each of the 17 weight divisions has four recognized title belts, yet only one of them belongs to a member of either the ’96 or ’00 US Olympic teams. With the exception of ’96 Bronze medallist Floyd Mayweather Jr., our ’96 and ’00 Olympic boxing teams have thus far failed to produce dominant champions. With those mediocre returns from the ’96 and ’00 classes, any observer can see why promoters have yet to jump at the opportunity to sign the likes of Rock Allen, Ron Siler, Jason Estrada, etc.
Before any of you question my decision to criticize the 2000 team at such an early stage in its collective career keep in mind that the prize prospect of that class, Ricardo Williams Jr. already has two losses on his resume. He does not figure to ever live up to his potential, hold a world title belt or even fight any time in the near future. Bronze medallist Clarence Vinson has lost two fights as well. Though he may win a title down the road his name does not elicit interest so his chances will be few and far between. Those two account for half of the US’s medal count in the 2000 Olympic boxing tournament. The fact that their professional careers have not panned out up to the traditional expectations of US Olympic medallists does not speak well for the professional prospects coming out of the class of 2004.
Even the most successful of the 2000 US Olympic boxing team members have a long uphill road to climb before they can be put in the class with dominant fighters of past US Olympic teams. IBF Super Middleweight champion Jeff Lacy fights in one of boxing’s weakest divisions, featherweight contender and 2000 Olympic silver medallist Rocky Juarez has been the beneficiary of some questionable decisions, while Jose Navarro lost in his first title bid (albeit via disputed decision). Flyweight Brian Viloria benefited from some favorable treatment at the scorers table in a difficult fight against Alberto Rossel, while middleweight Bronze medallist Jermain Taylor has yet to step into the deep end of the pool. They are a far cry from the likes of Ray Leonard, Pernell Whitaker, Muhammad Ali and even more recently Oscar De la Hoya.
As Andre Ward, Andre Dirrell, Devin Vargas and the rest of team USA 2004 enter the world of smaller gloves and real paychecks their Olympic pedigree lacks the luster that it once carried. How that will affect their ascent to title hunt time can only tell. Will they toil in relative obscurity despite their talent like Zahir Raheem? Will they shine briefly, but lack staying power like David Reid and Fernando Vargas? Or will they bring back the glory days of old? Unlike in the past, today’s Olympians are enigmas.
Jose Luis Castillo, Arturo Gatti and Deceptively Careful Matchmaking
Let me preface by saying that I am truly glad that Julio Diaz is being mentioned in big fight talk. I feel that opportunities like his prospective fight with Jose Luis Castillo are long overdue for him. However, I find it hard to believe that Showtime low-balled Castillo in the financial department twice in the span of three months for fights with Diego Corrales yet still managed to save their main event slot for Castillo to fight other opponents. If Showtime never planned to match Castillo with Corrales then the discussion should never have reached the public. If Top Rank wants to milk Castillo’s new agreement with Showtime then they should make it clear that they have no intentions of fighting Corrales until a few fights down the road.
I do not like the fact that quality opponents like Joel Casamayor and Julio Diaz have had to take fights with Castillo on relatively short notice and that Diego Corrales has lost out on lucrative paydays because Jose Luis Castillo is supposedly dissatisfied with the money that HIS new network is offering for the fight.
I do not like the relative immunity Arturo Gatti has gotten for his behavior either. Not only has his recent competition been somewhat weak he also had the nerve to skip out on the Mayweather fight even though his appearance was part of a promotional agreement for their prospective PPV match in June. I find it even more absurd that Gatti’s absence stemmed from a personal problem that Gatti has with Mayweather’s recent legal trouble. Am I the only one that remembers the trouble Gatti got into when he was in his mid to late 20’s? It’s easy for Gatti to criticize Mayweather now; especially when by taking the moral high road he could conceivably weasel his way out of a fight with his exceedingly talented mandatory challenger, but a real warrior and would leave another man’s personal problems out of the ring WHERE THEY BELONG!
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