Question:
Boxing forum, who is the greatest amateur boxer in history and why?
1970-01-01 00:00:00 UTC
Boxing forum, who is the greatest amateur boxer in history and why?
Thirteen answers:
hairydude
2011-03-04 16:27:29 UTC
Laszlo Papp. He compiled an amateur record of 288-12 with 55 first round KO's. Papp was a three time Olympic Gold medalist: 1948 London at middleweight, 1952 Helsinki at light middleweight and 1956 Melbourne also at light middleweight.

He also won Gold at middleweight in the 1949 Oslo European Amateur Championships and the light middleweight Gold at the 1951 Milan European Amateur Championships.

He beat other great amateur Zbigniew Petrozowski who gave a young Cassius Clay (Ali) a very tough fight and beat future pro world light heavyweight champion Jose Torres.

He could have gone on the great things as a pro, he was European middleweight champion and had signed for a world title fight when the Hungarian government banned him from professional boxing in 1964 due to communist laws. However his pro career ended, he was without a doubt one of the greatest amateurs.
2011-03-04 17:48:55 UTC
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galactus177
2011-03-04 15:58:24 UTC
Teofelio Stevenson

Mark Breland

Donald Curry

Howard Davis Jr

Ray Robinson

Lazslo Papp

Felix Savon



These men have some very impressive records. However, while I like to grade champions by merit of their accomplishments and abilities IN THE RING, I think "Historical Impact" holds a bit more importance, in the amateurs, than in the pros.



That said, I pick Teofilo Stevenson as the greatest amateur boxer of all.

Laszlo Papp and Mark Breland both sport very impressive records. The thing that tips it in Stevenson's favor for me is the fact that he beat the best WORLD competition for many years.



Breland's record is impressive, 110-1, but he didn't have much international experience and there are those countries who produced the best talent in the world. Stevenson beat all of the best competition in the world. With a record of 302 wins, against just 22 losses, it's hard to argue against him, especially given that he faced the toughest competition.



Even as a kid, I often wondered what would happen had Stevenson ever been allowed to turn pro. Actually, he had many chances to defect, come to the US and turn pro. He chose not to leave his native Cuba. Whether or not one might agree with his decisions or reasons, I think he deserves a great deal of respect for standing up to something that meant so much to him. He could have earned millions and he was often compared to both Larry Holmes and Muhammad ALI.
maurice
2011-03-04 14:59:49 UTC
mark breland comes to mind, as he won gold medals at the olympics and world amateur games, and only had one defeat in 111 fights.

he also won 5 new york golden gloves championships.



had he not turned professional, he could have surpassed stevenson's and savon's achievements.
2016-11-14 02:42:56 UTC
Laszlo Papp
scott
2016-05-15 21:09:17 UTC
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2016-05-02 10:54:37 UTC
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2016-04-14 06:17:07 UTC
In America the greatest Amateur Boxer is probably Mark Breland he had a record of 110-1 and his 1 loss was avenged. He won Gold in the 1982 World Championships and that was followed by Gold in the 1984 Olympic games as Well. Breland is wilded considered the Greatest American Amateur Boxer ever. He has a decent pro Career too but not what some might have expected giving his Amateur Background. The Greatest Non-American Amateur Boxer of All-Time would probably Félix Savón of Cuba. A guy named Knight Dela Barra who used too come too the forum last year told me a lot about Félix Savón. He is one of only Three people too ever win 3 Gold Medals in the Olympics(In Boxing). The guy was a Great Amateur boxer after watching some of his fights he was the total package. However Professional Boxing in Cuba where Félix Savón is from is illegal so after the 2000 Olympics he never fought again.



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2014-10-23 07:58:14 UTC
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2011-03-04 19:50:52 UTC
Based on personal opinion, it's Laszlo Papp, based on facts, IT'S LASZLO PAPP!

Why? Fact is that Papp competed in the era that amateur boxers fought exactly like professionals, no headgear, small gloves, the only difference was that they fought less rounds, but Papp was that good that floored or KO'd them inside 3 rounds, he did not need 15 like Sugar Ray Robinson for example, that good Papp was :) Now the other 5 legends who make my top 6 of all time in amateurs, Teofilo, Felix Savon, Boris Lagutin, Sergei Kulej and Oleg Saitov, even though technically, specially in the cases of Saitov and Lagutin might were superior to Mr. Papp, they simly did not achieve the "undefeated" status of Papp in the big international competitions. Mr Papp, won in all 3 Olympic games he took part in, he won in both European championships he took part in and he won in all 17 tournaments which were officially ranked by World Amateur Boxing Organization (before AIBA) . If there were AIBA world championships back then , there is no doubt Mr Papp would have won 5-6 of them too, i mean the man was the best, it's undeniable. Also Mr. Papp has the best record of all the rest gentlemen, he has the most wins (over 300 officially, almost 500 unofficially), the less losses (only 3 officially and 2 unofficially) , the most KO's by any amateur , the most first round KO's by any boxer in history and the only from that group of 6 legends, who won medals in 2 different weight divisions. By any way you look at it Papp is superior P4P to all of them.

He also became the first man ever to win 3 gold medals in 3 different Olympics and he said he made a big mistake turning pro, since he would have won a 4th medal if he stayed as an amateur, a record that could hardly ever break in Olympic boxing.

Also Papp even though way past his prime, he turned a professional, the only of this elite 6 group and he won the European title and he was one breathe away to become a world champion too, before the communist government of Hungary would not allow him to compete for the title. He stayed undefeated as a professional as well.



Papp also if i am not mistaken is the only of the 6 who was inducted into the International Boxing Hall Of Fame in 2001. In 1989 WBC President Jose Sulaiman gave Papp an award for 'Best amateur and professional boxer of all time' and granted him honorary champion status of the World Boxing Council.



As a youngster Papp had to grow in the middle of the Second World War. When the war was over, Papp started to get interested in sports. At first he played soccer like so many other Hungarian boys, but after seeing a boxing movie called “The Final Round” all that changed and the young Laszlo picked up a sport that would make him a legend. Few could have guessed at the time what this young boy who had been enchanted by the movie would yet achieve. He started boxing at the age of 17, pretty old and in a country that knew nothing about boxing at the time and still managed to become the greatest boxer of all time period. Imagine if he was born in America which was obsessed with boxing at the moment and the man could enjoy all the facilities USA would offer him.



Most of all, Papp was known as a quiet, honest man who never bragged about himself but did his talking inside the ring. And in there, his fists told a story that will never be forgotten from the minds of the boxing fans.

Rest in peace legend!



PS

Funny how some people name Teofilo Stevenson the best over Papp, when Teofilo himself said that he would need 2 lifetimes to achieve all Papp achieved with the poor facilities Hungary had to offer to Mr. papp at the time. Teofilo was born in the country that you either make cigars or become a boxer and still achieved less than Papp.
benvolio90
2011-03-05 00:27:27 UTC
Muhammad Ali. Surprised? Of course Teofilo Stevenson and Laszlo Papp have more gold medals. But in the years Cassius Clay was amateur by age of 18 he had already won everything possible.Ali's greatness comprises his amateur time as well.
?
2011-03-05 05:15:33 UTC
Teofilo Stevenson 3 Olympic gold medals...nuff said !
Bret
2011-03-06 10:17:10 UTC
howard davis jr


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