It is so difficult to watch what is happening to the United States boxing team at the Olympic games.  After devoting so many years to amateur boxing and being involved with great, successful teams who were able to win we have continued to show a decline in our program's present boxing styles and techniques necessary to produce medals.  As of this writing it is even difficult to just get wins.  There is just one boxer entering the semifinals. 

The commentary of Atlas and Papa has really done nothing to help our cause.  It would have been to their advantage and the audience's understanding if they were knowledgeable of the history, explaining how the present computer scoring came to be.  At least it would have given some insight to condemn the system and the resulting scores.  They could have told how computer scoring was developed by the Germans after the poor officiating results of the 1984 and 1988 games.  It would have been appropriate to tell that so many of the officials from various countries were removed from the AIBA (Association International Boxing Amateur) because of their incompetence.  AIBA was trying to appease the many countries that were frustrated with poor officiating. There is no doubt that their (AIBA) agenda was also fostered with a political regard to hinder or impede the dominance of United States boxers.  I honest believe that! 

Well, they have made a mess of amateur boxing with the present scoring.  Anyone who has watched the telecast of Olympic boxing is aware of the contempt for computer and its results.  Naturally, in respect to our coaches, they are totally frustrated and if they can inject both incompetence and perhaps some bias of the officials in the pressing of a red and blue button they have done so.  However, whether it was a change from subjective scoring on paper ballots to computer to cover up the incompetence, bias or (more strongly) cheating of judges it really doesn't matter.  There is another situation that has evolved. 

The situation is that we have never made an adjustment to the style of boxing that has been winning since the computer introduction in the 1992 games.  Our boxers' styles are very good in preparation for professional boxing but it is proving detrimental for them to win in the amateurs.  For the most part, many of the European boxers appear to be boxing in what we would consider a conventional style but closer scrutiny will show they are inclined to limit their attack to delivering straight punches (mainly countering off the missing combinations of our kids).  When watching our United States boxers we can see they are well trained and for the most part show excellent styles which have been developed in a gym that emphasizes a professional attack.   

Our Olympic qualifiers and also boxers scheduled for other international competitions have been brought into training camps in Colorado Springs for intense training and conditioning in the past.  Coach Dan Campbell has done all he can in his attempt to develop a defense for the style that is winning internationally.  But the ingrained styles from the young boxers' development in their gyms back home is difficult to overcome.  There is no doubt in my evaluation of our talent that our boxers are much better technically in boxing skills than their international opponents.  There will be a number of our boxers who will finish their amateur boxing careers after these games and go on to much success in the pros.  Just look at a few of the names of past times who did not win .... From the1992 team (when computer scoring was introduced) there was Tim Austin, Sergio Reyes, Vernon Forest, Raul Marquez and Larry Donald; in 1996 we had Floyd Mayweather, Terrance Cauthen, Fernando Vargas, Rhoshii Wells and Antonio Tarver; in 2000 we had Ricardo Juarez, Jermain Taylor and Jeff Lacy..... 2004 was the same and now we have some pretty good talent who will be looking to start a pro career. 

There is a new AIBA president (Dr. Wu) who gives all the impression of wanting to resurrect the sport to respectable dignity.  After these games, he is going to have to go back to the drawing board and see what he can do with hopefully faithful subordinates to bring the sport back to prominence.  His educated efforts and world support are certainly necessary to change opinions and credibility, and to overcome the distasteful remnants and disenchantment being left in the arena.   

It is not just the confidence of the United States program that needs to be restored but surely the same thing is needed by many of the other countries participating.  There were reportedly meetings and press conferences being held during the tournament, questioning the growing questionable results being produced with the system of scoring  and I would imagine the competence of judges.  There is concern and there should be!  But also be aware that there are a number of countries that have developed the style to score and win using those techniques effectively.  They will certainly not want to change as readily as the United States. 

Let me just provoke a thought about the computer.  Realize that all of the amateur judges have been trained on the computer for scoring and it has been 14 years now since it was introduced at the games.  These judges have not been trained to judge bouts using subjective reasoning to judge a bout such as better style, defense, effective aggressiveness, ringmanship and credit for body punching.  That is a much different impression in the elements of judging than just watching for a scoring blow, pressing a "Red" or "Blue" button  and hoping that there are two other judges at ringside who agree with you within the window of a second on the computer.