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kenyan_cheena · 11-09-2008, 08:56 PM

BOXING
MONTHLY

VOLUME 28, ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2006

PROGRESS REPORT:
CHECKING IN ON THE
2004 USA OLYMPIC TEAM

Story by Michael Drayton

After the underachievements of Sydney four years earlier the 2004 Athens Olympic Games proved an unexpected return to prominence for American amateur boxing as seven of the USA's ten competitors brought home a medal of one sort or another. The team's final count was two gold, three silver and two bronze, more than doubling Sydney's returns of two gold and one bronze. Even after such a great showing there were a couple of disappointments but they were outnumbered by those who performed beyond expectations, such as New York-born flyweight Frankie Genaro. The 19 year-old overcame some challenging circumstances just to make the team and to pick up a bronze medal was a great outcome for him.

Seventeen months have now passed since Athens and for each of the ten members of that team life has changed in various ways. Some have started on the journey of establishing themselves in the professional ranks and are already well on the way to fortune and even greater fame, while others decided to continue with their amateur careers in the hope of once again representing our country in 2008. We here at Boxing Monthly decided that the time was right to give our readers a progress report, and also do a bit of crystal ball gazing on what might be in store for each of them...

Super-heavyweight: Riddick Bowe, 21 years old
(silver medallist, lost to Canada's Lennox Lewis in tournament final)

This bragadocious Brooklyn native talked a big game leading into the Olympics but when the moment of truth came in Athens he was pounded into submission inside of two rounds by Lewis, making his silver medal something of an underachievement. As a result he's been regarded by the American public as a loudmouth who couldn't back up his own hype, his stock amongst potential promoters also falling. Despite his obvious talent the loss to Lewis has led many to question Bowe's heart and desire as he appeared to give up during the gold medal match. It even had some branding him with the unflattering nickname "Riddickulous".

For a brief period of time Bowe showed a more modest, regretful disposition, acknowledging that he'd failed to live up to his own expectations. But he cast aside the Olympic disappointment pretty quickly and of late has reverted to his egotistical, outlandish ways after accumulating a 9-0(7) professional record against some soft opposition. If he stays on track and dedicates himself to the cause there's no reason why Bowe can't win himself one of the alphabet titles, but many would consider that a very big "If". At 21 Bowe is already a father of two and by all accounts is a fantastic parent, something that seems in contrast with his perceived immaturity.

Heavyweight: Jack Johnson, 22 years old
(gold medallist, defeated Australia's Peter Jackson in tournament final)

Regarded as one of the most exciting talents in the nation, Texas-born Johnson came about as close to perfection as an amateur boxer can in Athens. Everything worked out perfectly for him. After cruising to easy wins in his first two bouts Johnson bamboozled the German Max Schmeling in the semi-finals, stopping him in three rounds. He then dominated Caribbean-born Australian Peter Jackson to win the gold by a score of 31-15. Johnson returned home a hero, his charisma, charm and handsome good looks complimenting his outstanding talent. Before long he had signed a seven-figure endorsement deal with Nike. Johnson fought his first professional bout in October 2004 and as of this writing is 13-0(11), his record including stoppage wins over former contenders Michael Rice and Frankie Goddard.

Johnson has earned himself a reputation as something of a ladies man and a playboy. During the early months of '05 he was spotted at a number of popular nightspots accompanied by a trio of blonde bombshells. Once they were out of the picture an assortment of fine young ladies were often seen at his side. Johnson was then reported to have had a steamy three-week affair with a popular Cuban television personality while in Havana for a fight in August. He is regarded as one of America's most eligible bachelors and while his extra-curricular activities have not bothered his sponsors they have brought down upon him the ire of some of the more God-fearing individuals in his hometown of Galveston, to the point where Johnson recently said that he's seriously considering relocating to California.

During the Olympics Johnson clashed on more than one occasion with Riddick Bowe, their two egos constantly smashing into each other. Johnson talked as tough a fight as Bowe but where the super-heavyweight failed to deliver Johnson excelled and triumphed. Johnson has held an attitude of disdain towards the New Yorker ever since and has said that he would gladly take him on at any time and any place. Obviously each man's promoters would love to see it happen eventually but are steering well clear of such a matchup for now. Rumours surfaced a couple of days before the publication of this article stating that Johnson had signed a contract with James Molk's recently established International Boxing League, rumours that Johnson did not deny or confirm when questioned on them.

Light-heavyweight: Elmer Ray, 19 years old
(bronze medallist, lost to Canada's Sam Langford in tournament semi-finals)

One of a trio of Athens Olympians from the outstanding Pensacola-based gym of Roy Jones this extroverted, brash young man went beyond what was expected of him in claiming bronze. Ray upset Great Britain's Sydney silver medallist Allan Thomas in the tournament's quarter-finals, the referee stopping the contest in round two after Ray had punished his man in the 1st and then floored him twice in the 2nd. Ray tested the eventual gold medallist Langford in the semis, the Canadian winning 25-21 after four exciting rounds. Ray garnered much admiration for his aggressive, explosive fighting style but gave all credit to his trainer Roy Jones. Elmer said that Jones taught him how to "channel his anger and demons" into an effective offense once he stepped between the ropes and it definitely worked against Thomas.

After the Olympics Jones was undecided for a time over whether his charge was ready to commence a professional career or not, believing that as he was still young he could benefit from another four years in the amateur ranks. But after Ray's continued improvement through the first half of 2005 Jones sat him down and told him that he felt he was ready to make the jump. Elmer made his professional debut this past September and has started his career impressively, reeling off four stoppage victories to date fighting in the cruiserweight division. Ray has said on more than one occasion that he's driven by a desire to avenge his Olympic loss to Langford. It's an ambition that he might very well realise some day.

Middleweight: Holman Williams, 23 years old
(silver medallist, lost to Panama's Joe Gans in tournament final)

The second of the trio of Roy Jones-trained Olympians, Williams is a fantastic talent and it was only the brilliance of defending Olympic Champion Joe Gans that kept him from a gold medal. Jones is Holman's uncle and started training him when he was fourteen. Athens was Holman's second trip to the Olympics after he lost in the quarter-finals in Sydney. Williams is a much more laid-back and mellow individual than Elmer Ray, one who presents himself with the type of class and style that is rarely seen these days. He had already decided before Athens that he would turn professional after it and since making his debut in September 2004 Williams has been very active, fighting sixteen times and boasting a record of 14-1-1(10). That one defeat came in controversial circumstances back in November as he was stopped due to a cut that had come from a headbutt but was incorrectly ruled to have been from a legitimate punch. Despite that setback Williams appears to be right on course to eventually be ranked amongst the best middleweights in the world.

Welterweight: Billy Graham, 18 years old
(lost to Australia's Ali Mahmoud in tournament quarter-finals)

Graham was the youngest member of Team USA and while he would have benefitted from the Olympic experience he appeared quite overwhelmed by the occasion against Mahmoud. The New Yorker is committed and determined to retain his spot on the team for Beijing 2008 so there's little chance we'll see him in the professional game before then.

Light-welterweight: James Ray, 21 years old
(silver medallist, lost to South Africa's Benedict Khumalo in tournament final)

The older cousin of Elmer Ray was, in the opinion of most, robbed of a gold medal in Athens by incompetent judging. Either that or his hands were simply too quick for the judges to see. Despite outlanding Benedict Khumalo by a ratio close to 2:1 James lost on points, 19-17. The verdict was disputed and Team USA officially protested it but the result was not overturned. James grew up with his cousin Elmer in the small Florida town of Hastings. The pair came to Roy Jones' attention back in 2002 when he happened to be at a Jacksonville boxing clinic they were also attending. Roy spotted their talent immediately and six months later was training them full time. James Ray is currently regarded as the finest Welterweight in the United States, blessed with lightning-fast hands and an outstanding defense. He's accumulated a 12-0(9) professional record and it would not surprise this writer in the least if in the not-too-distant future he joins fellow stablemate Terone Haynes (the WBO's Heavyweight Champion) as the second world champion trained by Jones.

Lightweight: Pernell Whitaker, 22 years old
(gold medallist, defeated Cuba's Orlando Zulueta in tournament final)

The sky's the limit as far as Pernell Whitaker is concerned. The egotistical Virginian swept all before him in Athens and is considered to be on par with fellow gold medallist Jack Johnson in terms of talent and potential. He dominated Zulueta in their Olympic matchup in a performance that solidified his claim to being the best young lightweight in world boxing. Whitaker bumped chests with James Ray during Athens, creating a rivalry that could produce a fantastic clash in years to come. The Norfolk native has already said that his sights are set on being "at least" a three-division champion in the pro ranks (lightweight, junior-welterweight, welterweight) so it's certainly a possibility. Whitaker has made a steady start in the professional arena, his record currently 9-0(6). He has not been as active as he would have liked due to some family-related issues that saw him out of action for five months through the middle of 2005. Even so, it seems only a matter of time until Whitaker secures a shot at a world title. Just thinking about what this young man will achieve during his career excites me.

Featherweight: Johnny Kilbane, 20 years old
(lost to Japan's Takeo Hitashi in tournament first round)

While not expected to come home with a gold medal around his neck Cleveland's Johnny Kilbane was thought to have a good chance of making the semi-finals in Athens. Instead he crashed out in his opening bout to the unheralded Japanese fighter Takeo Hitashi. After that disappointment Kilbane took a complete break from the sport and for a time it looked like he would not return. But he re-emerged last August, claiming he was going to continue fighting in the amateur ranks with the intention of redeeming himself in Beijing. It will be interesting to see if he can achieve that goal.

Bantamweight: Paulie Ayala, 21 years old
(lost to Mexico's Vicente Saldivar in tournament quarter-finals)

Ayala was always going to struggle against the brilliant young Mexican Saldivar and as it turned out he didn't make it out of the fight's 2nd round, Saldivar unloading a succession of scoring shots on him before the referee stepped in to end the carnage. America's bantamweight stocks are very light as far as the professional ranks are concerned but Ayala is out to change that as he joined those ranks soon after the Olympics. The Texan has been brought along cautiously, being fed a steady diet of stiffs through the first fifteen months of his career. He's currently 11-0(8) but until he makes the step up in regards to the quality of his opposition Ayala cannot be taken seriously as a real contender.

Flyweight: Frankie Genaro, 19 years old
(bronze medallist, lost to Argentina's Santos Laciar in tournament semi-finals)

One of the feel-good stories of the Athens Olympics, Genaro overcame a serious respiratory illness in the weeks leading up to the selection trials before defeating the team's Sydney flyweight representative Brian Jackson. Once in Athens Genaro then accounted for two of the gold medal favourites in successive bouts (Canada's George Carmont and the Japanese fighter Hideki Suzuki) but ran out of steam when he came up against Argentina's Santos Laciar in the semi-finals. Nonetheless, it was a fantastic run. Genaro hopes to go all the way in 2008 and has put any plans for a professional career on hold. The New Yorker's passion for representing his country is what drives him and his ultimate goal is to claim Olympic gold. He even said recently that if by chance it doesn't happen in Beijing he would be prepared to chase his dream all the way to London 2012.

11-09-2008, 08:56 PM	#4
kenyan_cheena Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia Posts: 9,038	BOXING MONTHLY VOLUME 28, ISSUE 1 - JANUARY 2006 PROGRESS REPORT: CHECKING IN ON THE 2004 USA OLYMPIC TEAM Story by Michael Drayton After the underachievements of Sydney four years earlier the 2004 Athens Olympic Games proved an unexpected return to prominence for American amateur boxing as seven of the USA's ten competitors brought home a medal of one sort or another. The team's final count was two gold, three silver and two bronze, more than doubling Sydney's returns of two gold and one bronze. Even after such a great showing there were a couple of disappointments but they were outnumbered by those who performed beyond expectations, such as New York-born flyweight Frankie Genaro. The 19 year-old overcame some challenging circumstances just to make the team and to pick up a bronze medal was a great outcome for him. Seventeen months have now passed since Athens and for each of the ten members of that team life has changed in various ways. Some have started on the journey of establishing themselves in the professional ranks and are already well on the way to fortune and even greater fame, while others decided to continue with their amateur careers in the hope of once again representing our country in 2008. We here at Boxing Monthly decided that the time was right to give our readers a progress report, and also do a bit of crystal ball gazing on what might be in store for each of them... Super-heavyweight: Riddick Bowe, 21 years old (silver medallist, lost to Canada's Lennox Lewis in tournament final) This bragadocious Brooklyn native talked a big game leading into the Olympics but when the moment of truth came in Athens he was pounded into submission inside of two rounds by Lewis, making his silver medal something of an underachievement. As a result he's been regarded by the American public as a loudmouth who couldn't back up his own hype, his stock amongst potential promoters also falling. Despite his obvious talent the loss to Lewis has led many to question Bowe's heart and desire as he appeared to give up during the gold medal match. It even had some branding him with the unflattering nickname "Riddickulous". For a brief period of time Bowe showed a more modest, regretful disposition, acknowledging that he'd failed to live up to his own expectations. But he cast aside the Olympic disappointment pretty quickly and of late has reverted to his egotistical, outlandish ways after accumulating a 9-0(7) professional record against some soft opposition. If he stays on track and dedicates himself to the cause there's no reason why Bowe can't win himself one of the alphabet titles, but many would consider that a very big "If". At 21 Bowe is already a father of two and by all accounts is a fantastic parent, something that seems in contrast with his perceived immaturity. Heavyweight: Jack Johnson, 22 years old (gold medallist, defeated Australia's Peter Jackson in tournament final) Regarded as one of the most exciting talents in the nation, Texas-born Johnson came about as close to perfection as an amateur boxer can in Athens. Everything worked out perfectly for him. After cruising to easy wins in his first two bouts Johnson bamboozled the German Max Schmeling in the semi-finals, stopping him in three rounds. He then dominated Caribbean-born Australian Peter Jackson to win the gold by a score of 31-15. Johnson returned home a hero, his charisma, charm and handsome good looks complimenting his outstanding talent. Before long he had signed a seven-figure endorsement deal with Nike. Johnson fought his first professional bout in October 2004 and as of this writing is 13-0(11), his record including stoppage wins over former contenders Michael Rice and Frankie Goddard. Johnson has earned himself a reputation as something of a ladies man and a playboy. During the early months of '05 he was spotted at a number of popular nightspots accompanied by a trio of blonde bombshells. Once they were out of the picture an assortment of fine young ladies were often seen at his side. Johnson was then reported to have had a steamy three-week affair with a popular Cuban television personality while in Havana for a fight in August. He is regarded as one of America's most eligible bachelors and while his extra-curricular activities have not bothered his sponsors they have brought down upon him the ire of some of the more God-fearing individuals in his hometown of Galveston, to the point where Johnson recently said that he's seriously considering relocating to California. During the Olympics Johnson clashed on more than one occasion with Riddick Bowe, their two egos constantly smashing into each other. Johnson talked as tough a fight as Bowe but where the super-heavyweight failed to deliver Johnson excelled and triumphed. Johnson has held an attitude of disdain towards the New Yorker ever since and has said that he would gladly take him on at any time and any place. Obviously each man's promoters would love to see it happen eventually but are steering well clear of such a matchup for now. Rumours surfaced a couple of days before the publication of this article stating that Johnson had signed a contract with James Molk's recently established International Boxing League, rumours that Johnson did not deny or confirm when questioned on them. Light-heavyweight: Elmer Ray, 19 years old (bronze medallist, lost to Canada's Sam Langford in tournament semi-finals) One of a trio of Athens Olympians from the outstanding Pensacola-based gym of Roy Jones this extroverted, brash young man went beyond what was expected of him in claiming bronze. Ray upset Great Britain's Sydney silver medallist Allan Thomas in the tournament's quarter-finals, the referee stopping the contest in round two after Ray had punished his man in the 1st and then floored him twice in the 2nd. Ray tested the eventual gold medallist Langford in the semis, the Canadian winning 25-21 after four exciting rounds. Ray garnered much admiration for his aggressive, explosive fighting style but gave all credit to his trainer Roy Jones. Elmer said that Jones taught him how to "channel his anger and demons" into an effective offense once he stepped between the ropes and it definitely worked against Thomas. After the Olympics Jones was undecided for a time over whether his charge was ready to commence a professional career or not, believing that as he was still young he could benefit from another four years in the amateur ranks. But after Ray's continued improvement through the first half of 2005 Jones sat him down and told him that he felt he was ready to make the jump. Elmer made his professional debut this past September and has started his career impressively, reeling off four stoppage victories to date fighting in the cruiserweight division. Ray has said on more than one occasion that he's driven by a desire to avenge his Olympic loss to Langford. It's an ambition that he might very well realise some day. Middleweight: Holman Williams, 23 years old (silver medallist, lost to Panama's Joe Gans in tournament final) The second of the trio of Roy Jones-trained Olympians, Williams is a fantastic talent and it was only the brilliance of defending Olympic Champion Joe Gans that kept him from a gold medal. Jones is Holman's uncle and started training him when he was fourteen. Athens was Holman's second trip to the Olympics after he lost in the quarter-finals in Sydney. Williams is a much more laid-back and mellow individual than Elmer Ray, one who presents himself with the type of class and style that is rarely seen these days. He had already decided before Athens that he would turn professional after it and since making his debut in September 2004 Williams has been very active, fighting sixteen times and boasting a record of 14-1-1(10). That one defeat came in controversial circumstances back in November as he was stopped due to a cut that had come from a headbutt but was incorrectly ruled to have been from a legitimate punch. Despite that setback Williams appears to be right on course to eventually be ranked amongst the best middleweights in the world. Welterweight: Billy Graham, 18 years old (lost to Australia's Ali Mahmoud in tournament quarter-finals) Graham was the youngest member of Team USA and while he would have benefitted from the Olympic experience he appeared quite overwhelmed by the occasion against Mahmoud. The New Yorker is committed and determined to retain his spot on the team for Beijing 2008 so there's little chance we'll see him in the professional game before then. Light-welterweight: James Ray, 21 years old (silver medallist, lost to South Africa's Benedict Khumalo in tournament final) The older cousin of Elmer Ray was, in the opinion of most, robbed of a gold medal in Athens by incompetent judging. Either that or his hands were simply too quick for the judges to see. Despite outlanding Benedict Khumalo by a ratio close to 2:1 James lost on points, 19-17. The verdict was disputed and Team USA officially protested it but the result was not overturned. James grew up with his cousin Elmer in the small Florida town of Hastings. The pair came to Roy Jones' attention back in 2002 when he happened to be at a Jacksonville boxing clinic they were also attending. Roy spotted their talent immediately and six months later was training them full time. James Ray is currently regarded as the finest Welterweight in the United States, blessed with lightning-fast hands and an outstanding defense. He's accumulated a 12-0(9) professional record and it would not surprise this writer in the least if in the not-too-distant future he joins fellow stablemate Terone Haynes (the WBO's Heavyweight Champion) as the second world champion trained by Jones. Lightweight: Pernell Whitaker, 22 years old (gold medallist, defeated Cuba's Orlando Zulueta in tournament final) The sky's the limit as far as Pernell Whitaker is concerned. The egotistical Virginian swept all before him in Athens and is considered to be on par with fellow gold medallist Jack Johnson in terms of talent and potential. He dominated Zulueta in their Olympic matchup in a performance that solidified his claim to being the best young lightweight in world boxing. Whitaker bumped chests with James Ray during Athens, creating a rivalry that could produce a fantastic clash in years to come. The Norfolk native has already said that his sights are set on being "at least" a three-division champion in the pro ranks (lightweight, junior-welterweight, welterweight) so it's certainly a possibility. Whitaker has made a steady start in the professional arena, his record currently 9-0(6). He has not been as active as he would have liked due to some family-related issues that saw him out of action for five months through the middle of 2005. Even so, it seems only a matter of time until Whitaker secures a shot at a world title. Just thinking about what this young man will achieve during his career excites me. Featherweight: Johnny Kilbane, 20 years old (lost to Japan's Takeo Hitashi in tournament first round) While not expected to come home with a gold medal around his neck Cleveland's Johnny Kilbane was thought to have a good chance of making the semi-finals in Athens. Instead he crashed out in his opening bout to the unheralded Japanese fighter Takeo Hitashi. After that disappointment Kilbane took a complete break from the sport and for a time it looked like he would not return. But he re-emerged last August, claiming he was going to continue fighting in the amateur ranks with the intention of redeeming himself in Beijing. It will be interesting to see if he can achieve that goal. Bantamweight: Paulie Ayala, 21 years old (lost to Mexico's Vicente Saldivar in tournament quarter-finals) Ayala was always going to struggle against the brilliant young Mexican Saldivar and as it turned out he didn't make it out of the fight's 2nd round, Saldivar unloading a succession of scoring shots on him before the referee stepped in to end the carnage. America's bantamweight stocks are very light as far as the professional ranks are concerned but Ayala is out to change that as he joined those ranks soon after the Olympics. The Texan has been brought along cautiously, being fed a steady diet of stiffs through the first fifteen months of his career. He's currently 11-0(8) but until he makes the step up in regards to the quality of his opposition Ayala cannot be taken seriously as a real contender. Flyweight: Frankie Genaro, 19 years old (bronze medallist, lost to Argentina's Santos Laciar in tournament semi-finals) One of the feel-good stories of the Athens Olympics, Genaro overcame a serious respiratory illness in the weeks leading up to the selection trials before defeating the team's Sydney flyweight representative Brian Jackson. Once in Athens Genaro then accounted for two of the gold medal favourites in successive bouts (Canada's George Carmont and the Japanese fighter Hideki Suzuki) but ran out of steam when he came up against Argentina's Santos Laciar in the semi-finals. Nonetheless, it was a fantastic run. Genaro hopes to go all the way in 2008 and has put any plans for a professional career on hold. The New Yorker's passion for representing his country is what drives him and his ultimate goal is to claim Olympic gold. He even said recently that if by chance it doesn't happen in Beijing he would be prepared to chase his dream all the way to London 2012. Last edited by kenyan_cheena; 03-05-2012 at 10:57 PM.