Reviewing the Progress of Great Britain's Boxers from 2012 Olympics

Reviewing the Progress of Great Britain's Boxers from 2012 Olympics
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1Luke Campbell
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2Anthony Joshua
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3Anthony Ogogo
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4Tom Stalker
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5The Rest of the Team
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Reviewing the Progress of Great Britain's Boxers from 2012 Olympics

Mar 9, 2015

Reviewing the Progress of Great Britain's Boxers from 2012 Olympics

Great Britain claimed a total of 65 medals at the 2012 Olympics, making it their most successful Games since 1908.

The boxing ring proved a happy hunting ground for Great Britain in their quest for success—they picked up three golds, a silver and a bronze from the team.

Luke Campbell and Anthony Joshua triumphed at bantamweight and super-heavyweight, respectively, while Nicola Adams was crowned women's flyweight champion.

Fred Evans notched a silver medal during his defeat in the final at welterweight, while Anthony Ogogo picked up a bronze medal at middleweight.

After success in the amateur game, several members of the team took the opportunity to turn pro after the Olympics.

So, how has their progress in the paid ranks gone so far? Here, we take a look at their careers to date.

Can any of them go on to become a world champion? Have your say by using the comments section.

Luke Campbell

Professional record: 10-0 (8 KOs)

Luke Campbell fought at bantamweight at the 2012 Olympics but has settled in as a lightweight since turning pro.

The 27-year-old from Hull has so far impressed with his speed while also demonstrating that he has power with eight stoppages in his 10 outings.

His best result so far was a fifth-round TKO of Daniel Brizuela, an experienced fighter from Argentina who had pushed Tommy Coyle to the brink eight months earlier.

Campbell initially pulled out of the "Divide and Conquer" card in his home city in March due to his father being ill.

However, he had a change of heart after consulting his family, per ITV.com, and duly dismantled Nicaraguan Levis Morales inside three rounds.

"Cool Hand Luke" is now expected to take on good friend and fellow Hull fighter Coyle next, per Sky Sports

Anthony Joshua

Professional record: 10-0 (10 KOs)

It is hard not to get a little carried away by the prospect of what Anthony Joshua could achieve in the heavyweight division.

He is a promoter's dream—a fighter with heavy hands and a mean streak, yet a character who is full of smiles when he is not between the ropes trying to finish off opponents.

So far in his career, he has only been beyond the second round once.

Matt Skelton and Michael Sprott both failed to push the Londoner, and the list of victims could have been longer had it not been for injuries.

Joshua was forced to pull out of a January fight with American Kevin Johnson due to a back problem, per Sky Sports.

The 25-year-old is now set to make his return to action in Newcastle on April 4.

Anthony Ogogo

Professional record: 7-0 (4 KOs)

Anthony Ogogo picked up a bronze medal at the 2012 Olympics, which was enough to dazzle Golden Boy Promotions.

Having signed a promotion deal with the company started by Oscar De La Hoya, the 26-year-old has since been active on both sides of the Atlantic.

The middleweight has so far had the chance to fight on undercards in both Atlantic City and Las Vegas.

Ogogo boasts a perfect seven-fight record and has already managed to get 33 rounds under his belt, with a second-round stoppage of Kieron Gray on debut being his quickest outing to date. 

His progress was temporarily halted at the end of last year after he had to undergo surgery on both Achilles tendons, per BBC Sport.

Tom Stalker

Professional record: 10-1 (2 KOs)

Tom Stalker was captain of the Great Britain boxing team at the London Olympics.

He did not, however, manage to pick up a medal, losing to Munkh-Erdene Uranchimeg in a close quarter-final that saw Great Britain lodge an appeal over the final outcome.

The Liverpudlian, who had won gold at the Commonwealth Games in 2010, turned pro at the start of 2013, signing with Matchroom Sport.

He won his first five fights before announcing that he was changing promoters, joining Frank Warren's stable after being offered a deal he "couldn't refuse," per the Liverpool Echo.

Stalker was given the chance to challenge for the vacant WBO European super-lightweight title last October but was stopped by Jack Catterall in the 10th round.

The 30-year-old has since gotten back to winning ways, beating Michael Mooney on points. 

The Rest of the Team

So, what of the other three male fighters who were part of the Olympic squad?

Andrew Selby was beaten in the quarter-finals in the flyweight category, losing to eventual gold medalist Robeisy Ramirez Carrazana.

The Welshman won gold for a second time at the European Amateur Championships the following year but suffered an early exit at the Commonwealth Games in 2014.

He does have an interest in the pro game right now—his brother, Lee Selby, will bid to win the IBF featherweight title when he takes on Evgeny Gradovich on April 25.

Josh Taylor lost in the last 16 in London when competing at lightweight. 

But, with Tom Stalker no longer in the amateur ranks, the Scotsman is focused on going for glory at light-welterweight at the Rio Olympics in 2016, per the Edinburgh Evening News.

Taylor, 24, thrilled the home crowd by taking gold at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow last year.

Fred Evans picked up a silver medal in 2012, losing to Serik Sapiyev of Kazakhstan in the welterweight final.

The 24-year-old from Cardiff—who was ordered to pay fines after admitting his role in a nightclub assault in Birmingham, per The Guardian—was denied accreditation to compete at the Commonwealth Games.

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