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Nick Parkinson
Olympic boxing gives a glimpse into the way forward for who would possibly shine within the skilled ranks, however failure on the Video games does not all the time result in an absence {of professional} success.
Take the 12-member USA boxing group of 2012, which arrived in London with excessive hopes however might solely earn 2 medals — gold by a prodigiously proficient 17-year-old Claressa Shields at middleweight, and a bronze for the equally proficient Marlen Esparza at flyweight.
The boys’s group left with nothing.
As a substitute, boxers from different nations claimed the medals — a few of whom went on to grow to be stars within the skilled sport, together with Ukraine’s Vasiliy Lomachenko and Oleksandr Usyk, and Nice Britain’s Anthony Joshua and Katie Taylor.
USA boxing as soon as had a wealthy historical past of boxing success on the Olympics — assume Floyd Patterson, Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Ray Leonard, Leon and Michael Spinks, Evander Holyfield, Pernell Whitaker. However the group has received simply 5 gold medals since 1996 — Oscar De La Hoya, David Reid, Andre Ward and Shields (twice).
All of it went improper in London, for a group that additionally featured the likes of future world champions Errol Spence Jr., Joseph “JoJo” Diaz, Jose Ramirez, Jamel Herring, Queen Underwood, Terrell Gausha, Marcus Browne, Michael Hunter, Dominic Breazeale and Rau’Shee Warren. But, regardless of the shortage of Olympic medals, many of the group went on to take pleasure in appreciable success as professionals.
So for the present 10-member US boxing group — which incorporates Keyshawn Davis, Rashida Ellis, Virginia Fuchs, Naomi Graham, Troy Isley, Delante Johnson, Oshae Jones, Duke Ragan, Yarisel Ramirez and Richard Torrez Jr. — the main target within the coming weeks can be on profitable gold. However no matter their outcomes, even greater issues could possibly be forward.
Here is how profitable that 2012 USA boxing group turned out to be in skilled boxing.
Errol Spence, competed within the welterweight division
Among the finest prospects for gold in 2012, a then 22-year-old Spence bowed out on the quarterfinals stage to eventual gold medalist Andrey Zamkovoy. The now 34-year-old Russian is competing in Tokyo. Spence went on to grow to be the most effective boxers on the planet, profitable the IBF welterweight world title from Kell Brook on a happier return to England in 2017.
Spence has made 5 world title defenses, with excellent wins over the likes of Shawn Porter, Mikey Garcia and Danny Garcia. Spence (27-0, 21 KOs), from Texas, faces Manny Pacquiao on Aug. 21, in a bout which might solidify his spot as the most effective fighters on the planet, pound-for-pound.
Claressa Shields, competed within the middleweight division
Together with Eire’s Katie Taylor, who received gold at light-weight in 2012, which was the primary Olympics to characteristic girls’s boxing, Shields is the standout star of girls’s boxing in the mean time. Shields is a three-division champion in boxing, and two instances an undisputed champion — the primary in historical past to take action within the four-belt period. She is also getting ready for her second combat in blended martial arts in August.
As an expert boxer, Shields received her first title in her fourth professional bout. Most just lately in a boxing ring, Shields (11-0, 2 KOs), 26, of Flint, Michigan, unified all 4 main junior middleweight belts in opposition to Marie Eve Dicaire in March. Shields is ESPN’s No. 1 pound-for-pound girls’s boxer on the planet.
Marlen Esparza, competed within the flyweight division
After profitable bronze in 2012, Esparza turned skilled in 2017 and received the WBC flyweight world title in June. The Houston boxer recovered from a 2017 loss on a lower, and at 31, Esparza is transferring again in the direction of greater fights.
Jose Ramirez, competed within the light-weight division
The gangly 19-year-old Californian was outpointed by Uzbekistan’s Fazliddin Gaibnazarov within the spherical of 16, however then began a vastly profitable skilled profession. Ramirez held two variations of the junior welterweight world title till dropping a choice to Scotland’s Josh Taylor (who additionally didn’t win a medal in 2012) earlier this 12 months, in one in every of boxing’s largest fights of 2021. Ramirez (26-1, 17 KOs), 28, made 5 world title defenses and is ESPN’s No. 2 ranked fighter at junior welterweight.
Ramirez instructed ESPN earlier this 12 months: “At the moment in 2012, all of us lacked worldwide expertise — I used to be solely 19 and had solely began boxing internationally in 2011 — and we additionally lacked expertise of the scoring system.”
Jamel Herring, competed within the junior welterweight division
The Crew USA boxing captain and US Marine misplaced his opening bout in London. After 2012, Herring completed his service with the US Marine Corps and turned skilled, combating his means up the ranks till he earned a choice win over Masayuki Ito to win the WBO junior light-weight world title in 2019. Herring (23-2, 11 KOs), 35, from New York, remains to be bettering and earlier this 12 months produced his greatest efficiency, a stoppage win over Carl Frampton in his third title protection. Herring is the No. 4 junior light-weight on the planet, in accordance with ESPN.
Joseph Diaz Jr., competed within the bantamweight division
At age 19, JoJo Diaz misplaced within the spherical of 16 to Lazaro Alvarez, who’s competing in Tokyo for Cuba. Diaz turned skilled later in 2012, and in January 2020 received his first world title, the IBF featherweight belt, with a choice win over Tevin Farmer. After dropping to Gary Russell Jr. in 2018, Diaz (32-1-1, 15 KOs) stepped up a division and, in his final combat in July, he captured the vacant WBC interim light-weight title with a unanimous resolution victory over Javier Fortuna. Diaz is ranked No. 7 at light-weight within the newest ESPN rankings.
Rau’Shee Warren, competed within the flyweight division
Warren was a favourite for gold — a three-time Olympian who was in wonderful kind going into 2012 after he reached the semifinals of the 2011 World Championships. However the Cincinnati boxer misplaced within the spherical of 16 and turned skilled later in 2012. 4 years later he was the WBA bantamweight world champion after a majority resolution win over Juan Carlos Payano. Warren (18-3, 4 KOs), 34, misplaced the belt in a primary protection and was overwhelmed in a 2017 title shot. He is because of field once more on Aug. 14.
Terrell Gausha, competed within the middleweight division
Gausha, who additionally misplaced within the spherical of 16 in 2012, is 22-2-1, 11 KOs as an expert, after profitable his final combat to get better from a factors loss to Erickson Lubin at junior middleweight in 2020. Gausha is a world title contender at 154 kilos and challenged Erislandy Lara for the WBA world title, dropping unanimously on factors in 2017.
Marcus Browne, competed within the mild heavyweight division
The New Jersey resident, who misplaced his opening bout in London 2012, is No. 10 within the newest ESPN mild heavyweight rankings and is attempting to revive his world title hopes after dropping to Jean Pascal in 2020. Browne (24-1, 16 KOs) received the WBA interim title with a factors win over Badou Jack in 2019, earlier than dropping it to Pascal.
Michael Hunter, competed within the heavyweight division
Hunter (19-1-1, 13 KOs), son of former skilled heavyweight contender Mike Hunter, was 21 when he misplaced his opening bout on a countback in 2012. 5 years later, Hunter, of Las Vegas, challenged Usyk for the WBO cruiserweight world title, and misplaced on factors. Since then, Hunter — ranked No. 9 at heavyweight by ESPN — has made regular progress and fights once more on Aug. 3.
Dominic Breazeale, competed within the tremendous heavyweight division
Breazeale, a 26-year-old former quarterback on the College of Northern Colorado, carried the nation’s hopes within the heaviest classification in 2012, however was overwhelmed in his first bout. The Californian went on to problem the gold medal winner from 2012, Anthony Joshua, for the IBF heavyweight world title in 2016, however was stopped within the seventh spherical.
Deontay Wilder, bronze medalist for the US in 2008, then defended the WBC model of the heavyweight title by knocking out Breazeale in a single spherical in 2019. After two world title makes an attempt, Breazeale (20-3, 18 KOs), now 35, might want to construct a sequence of wins to get one other shot, however misplaced his most up-to-date combat in February, to Otto Wallin.
Quanitta Underwood, competed within the light-weight division
After dropping her opening bout in London 2012, Underwood by no means turned skilled. She continued competing as an beginner and retired after dropping a unanimous resolution to Katie Taylor in 2016.
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