AMATEUR CAREER ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF FOUR PROFESSIONAL GREATS
Oscar DeLaHoya
De La Hoya's amateur career included 223 wins, 163 by knockout, with only five losses. In 1989, he won the National Golden Gloves title in the bantamweight division. In 1990, at the age of 17, he won the U.S. National Championship at featherweight and was the youngest U.S. boxer at that year's Goodwill Games, winning a gold medal. The joy of victory was tempered by the news that his mother, Cecilia, was terminally ill with breast cancer. She died in October 1990, expressing the hope that her son would one day become an Olympic gold medalist.
The following year, De La Hoya won the U.S. Amateur Boxing National Championship in the lightweight division and he was named "Boxer of the Year" by U.S.A. boxing. With the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, approaching, De La Hoya turned his mother's dream into a strong focus for his training. After an upset victory in the first round over the Cuban boxer Julio Gonzalez, De La Hoya defeated Marco Rudolph of Germany to win gold and become the only U.S. boxer to take home a medal from Barcelona. The U.S. media publicized his quest to fulfill his mother's dying wish and dubbed him with the nickname "The Golden Boy", which has remained with him throughout his career.
Fernando Vargas
Vargas, a Mexican American, was born in Oxnard, California. In his youth, Vargas trained at the popular La Colonia Youth Boxing Club in the Colonia neighborhood of Oxnard. Fernando Vargas compiled an extraordinary amateur record of 100-5. In 1992, he won the 132 lb. championships at the Junior Olympics Box-Offs, and came in second at the Junior Olympics. In 1993, he captured the triple crown of amateur boxing: the Junior Olympics Box-Offs, the Junior Olympics, and the Junior Olympics International tournament. The following year he solidified his position as one of the premier amateur fighters in the world by winning the 132 lb gold medal at the Olympic Festival, seizing the U.S. Junior Championships at 132 lb, and by becoming the youngest fighter ever to win the U.S. Championships. In 1995, he was selected to the 1996 U.S. Olympic Team.
Vargas lost a controversial decision in the second round of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Disappointed, but undaunted, Vargas set his sights on achieving greatness in the professional ranks.
Vargas was scheduled to turn pro on November 1996, however, while training for his debut bout he broke his right hand. Eager to turn pro and begin his march toward a world championship, Vargas "ferociously" followed his physical therapy program, and within five months he was ready for his professional debut.
Amateur achievements
Olympic Results
Shane Mosley
Floyd Mayweather
Mayweather had an amateur record of 84-6[6] and won national Golden Gloves championships in 1993 (at 106 lb), 1994 (at 114 lb), and 1996 (at 125 lb).[7] He was given the nickname "Pretty Boy" by his amateur teammates because he had relatively few scars, a result of the defensive techniques that his father (Floyd Mayweather, Sr.) and uncle (Roger Mayweather) had taught him.[8] In his orthodox defensive stance, Mayweather—much like James Toney—often utilizes the 'shoulder roll'. The shoulder roll is an old-school boxing technique in which the right hand is held normally or slightly higher than normal, the left hand is down around the midsection, and the lead shoulder is raised high on the cheek in order to cover the chin and block punches. The right hand (from orthodox stance) is used as it normally would be to block punches coming from the other side, such as left hooks. From this stance, Mayweather blocks, slips, and deflects most of his opponents' punches, even when cornered, by twisting left and right to the rhythm of their punches.
At the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Mayweather won a bronze medal by reaching the semi-finals of the featherweight (57 kg)[10] division's 31-boxer tournament. In the opening round, Mayweather led 10-1 on points over Bakhtiyar Tileganov of Kazakhstan before he won by round 2 referee stoppage. In the second round, Mayweather outpointed Artur Gevorgyan of Armenia 16-3. In the quarterfinals, Mayweather survived a late rally by Lorenzo Aragon of Cuba to win 12-11.
In his semifinal bout against the eventual silver medalist, Serafim Todorov of Bulgaria, Mayweather lost by a controversial decision that the U.S. team officially protested. Many who saw the bout, including the referee (who mistakenly raised Mayweather's hand when the decision was read), believed that Mayweather had won.
Famous Boxers Early Accomplishments
Roy Jones Jr. of Pensacola Florida won the Jr. Olympics one time at 119 lbs. (1984) at the age of 15. He never won the USA Boxing National Championship.
Floyd Mayweather of Grand Rapids, Michigan never won the Jr. Olympics, he did win the USA National Championship oone time at 125 lbs. (1995) at the age of 18.
Oscar DeLaHoya of Los Angeles, California won the Jr. Olympics one time at 119 lbs. (1988) at the age of 16. He went on to win the USA National Championships 1990 (125 lbs.) and 1991 (132 lbs.).
Fernando Vargas of Oxnard, California never won the Jr. Olympics in 1993 (125 lbs), he won the USA National Championships in 1994 (132 lbs.)
Shane Mosley never won the Jr. Olympics, he did win the USA National Championships in 1989 (132 lbs.) and 1990 (132 lbs.).
Andre Ward of Hayward, California won the Jr. Olympics one time at 147 lbs. in 1999 at the age of 15. He won the USA National Championships in 2003 (178 lbs.).
Oba Carr of Detroit Michigan, won the Jr. Olympics one time at 139 lbs. in 1988. He never won the USA National Championships.
Mike Tyson of Catskill, New York, won the Jr. Olympics two times in 1981 at 15 years of age and in 1982 at 16 years of age (both at 201 lbs.), but he never won the USA National Championships.
Pernell Whittaker of Norfolk, Virginia, never won the Jr. Olympics, but he won the USA National Championships in 1982 (132 lbs.).
Augie Sanchez of Las Vegas, Nevada never won the Jr. Olympics but he won the USA National Championships in 1996 (125 lbs.).
Vernon Forrest of Augusta, Georgia, never won the Jr. Olympics but he won the USA National Championships in 1991 (139lbs.).
Sharmba Mitchell of Takoma, Washington won the Jr. Olympics one time at 106 lbs. in 1985. He never won the USA National Championships.
Nonito Donaire of Oakland, California won the Jr. Olympics one time at 106 lbs. in 1999. He won the USA National Championships in 2000 (106 lbs.).
Rocky Juarez of Houston Texas, won the Jr. Olympics one time at 119 lbs. in 1996 at 16 years of age. He won the USA National Championships in 1999 and 2000 (125 lbs.).
Abner Mares of Hawaiian Gardens, California won the Jr. Olympics one time at 119 lbs. in 2001, but he never won the USA National Championships.
Robert Guerrero of Gilroy, California won the Jr. Olympics one time at 106 lbs. in 1998. He never won the USA National Championships.
Jose Navarro of Los Angeles, California won the Jr. Olympics twice, at 90 lbs. in 1996 and 100 lbs.in 1997, but he never won the USA National Championships.
* Louie Byrd (currently amateur) of Colorado Springs, Colorado, is one boxer who won the Jr. Olympics twice (2006 and 2007 at 101 and 106 lbs. respectively), and he won the 2008, and 2009 USA National Championships at 106 lbs. He was one of the teammates that participated in the European Challenge with Jose. However, he is in the lighter weight class, which is not considered a big money draw in the professional ranks.
* Rau'shee Warren (Currently amateur) of Cincinnati, Ohio, won the Jr. Olympics once at 100 lbs. in 2002, he won the USA National Championships in 2005, 2006 and 2007. He is a 2004 and 2008 Olympian. He also participated in the European Challenge with Jose. He also is in the lighter weight class.
The older boxers listed below never won the Jr. Olympics because the Jr. Olympics boxing program began in 1972, however this will show you who won the USA National Championships at least once.
Sugar Ray Leonard of Palmer Park, Maryland, won the USA National Championships in 1974 and 1975 (both at 139 lbs.).
Thomas Hearns of Detroit, Michigan, won the USA National Championships one time in 1977 (139 lbs.).
George Foreman of Houston, Texas, won the USA National Championships one time in 1968 (201 lbs.)