Today the fighting men from the former Soviet Republics and the Communist states that made up the glorious sporting empire of the Eastern Bloc can openly fight as professional boxers.The fighters have left Tashkent for LA, swapped Vladivostok for Miami and traded forever an ancient Medal of the People, the typical appreciation symbol for success at the Olympics, for a few million dollars tucked away in a bank.The flight from the faded regimes and the limited horizons of old-fashioned amateur boxing started over 25 years ago with a mixed trickle of defectors and defective bruisers. They fought in Chicago and New York, often close to other Polish, Uzbek or Russian émigrés and before about 1999 most seemed to fall short.There is a patron saint of frustrated Communist boxers, the slick Hungarian Laszlo Papp, three times an Olympic champion, and throughout his belated professional career he was the leading contender and overlooked. Papp turned professional in 1957 when he was 31 and went unbeaten in 29 fights in Europe before giving up in 1964 on his lost cause to fight for the world title. The Hungarian government and reluctant American champions ruined Papps mission.In 1978 Yugoslavias Mate Parlov was the first boxer from behind the Iron Curtain to win a world title when he became the WBC light-heavyweight champion. Parlov famously defended his title at the Red Star stadium in Belgrade against John Conteh in 1978. Conteh lost, Parlovs corner saved their boxer from potential cuts by fixing a crazy and now fully illegal coating of something toxic and synthetic across his eyebrows before the first bell. There was another long break, a long wait after Parlov lost his title later the same year.Men like Kazak Oleg Maskaev, who turned professional in 1992, won the WBC heavyweight title in 2006 but in 1995 fought for a Pacific title at York Hall in Londons east end against Nikolai Kulpin, another Kazak. Kulpin once fought Johnny Nelson in Thailand for a version of the world heavyweight title. In 1992 world amateur champion Kostya Tszyu left the collapsed Soviet Union to settle in Australia, where a year earlier he had won the amateur title, to begin a decade long reign of terror.The towering East German Henry Maske won his world title in 1993 and launched the German boxing business. By the end of the 1990s the Eastern Bloc fighters were everywhere. The Beast from the East, Nikolai Valuev -- all seven foot and 20 stone of him -- fought in south London in 1996 and briefly had Frank Maloney as a manager.The modern fighters from behind the Iron Curtain or the Eastern Bloc, take your pick, need to nod their heads to the pioneers, the known boxers that made an impression when they left their distant homes to follow a wild dream of getting paid to fight. There are others that simply appeared in the record books and then disappeared, a forever lost tribe of Alexanders, Vassilys and Timors now working anonymously in America. In the 1990s in Las Vegas there was always a new wonder kid from Russia, who was often from Uzbekistan, and he was at the fights with a slippery manager, a man in pointed shoes often with a gold tip. The generic pair shook hands, smiled, made promises and often told fibs. Then they vanished.Gennady Golovkin is arguably the most entertaining and exciting boxer yet from the Eastern Bloc, a man with a traditional background, an Olympic veteran and top international amateur fighter. He is part of that rich history and he has embraced the American idea of entertainment, which is something other great fighters from his culture have failed to do. He is everything that most of the other Eastern Bloc fighters are not; Golovkin is mean, he can fight and he is great to watch. There is no safety-first with GGG.At any point in the 1950s when Papp, a brilliant southpaw, was winning world and European amateur titles, he would have probably been too slick for Golovkin over three rounds. However, I have no doubt that over 12 rounds Golovkin would win and win well. It has taken a long, long time but Golovkin is right now the best of the fighters that jumped over walls, jumped on planes and stood in America wide-eyed at the endless ambition they believed they possessed in their fists.This Saturday the mighty Kazak fights at the O2 in London in defence of his middleweight titles and it will be a pleasure to be ringside. Stitched NCAA Jerseys . Andrew Luck lost his favourite target and the Indianapolis locker room lost one of its most revered leaders when Reggie Wayne was diagnosed Monday with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee that will cost him the rest of the season. Authentic College Football Jerseys . 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TAMPA, Fla. -- Canyon Barry had 17 points and KeVaughn Allen added 14 as Florida beat Belmont 78-61 on Monday night.After the Gators saw a 20-point first-half lead cut to nine early in the second, Barry had three baskets and hit a pair of free throws during a 16-0 run that put Florida ahead 59-34 with 12 minutes to play.I really just tried to be aggressive, said Barry, who came off the bench to play 21 minutes. My confidence kind of increased when I was able to knockdown some shots.Barry had 16 points in Thursdays 73-66 victory over St. Bonaventure.Hes a quick thinker, Florida coach Mike White said. Hes in a good rhythm right now.Florida (4-0) also got 12 points from John Egbunu, while Devin Robinson chipped in with 11.Evan Bradds scored 17 points for Belmont (1-2), which went 3 for 11 in the first half and 7 for 27 overall from 3-point range. The Bruins had made 25 of 75 from beyond the arc in their first two games.Florida scored the first 15 points and took a 38-26 halftime lead. The Gators held Belmont without a 3 for the initial 12 minutes but the Bruins hit three from long range to close out the half and cut into a 24-4 deficit.We got into a really good defensive rhythm against a tremendous offensive team early on, White said. Not that it maintained at that level for 40 minutes but we had enough of it that was at that level during the next 35 or so minutes.BIG PICTUREBelmont: The Bruins shot 22 percent (9 for 41) in their 80-66 loss to Vanderbilt, while shooting 47.dddddddddddd percent (16 for 34) in a 90-69 win over Western Kentucky.Florida: Whites squad continued its successful swing around Florida with the OConnell Center in Gainesville nearing completion of a $64.5 million renovation. The Gators previously won a pair of games in Jacksonville and another in Lakeland.LIMITING DAMAGEBradds took nine shots after averaging 16 in the Bruins first two games. He was the focal point of the scouting report, White said. We threw a bunch of different bodies at him and gave much different looks, and he goes 7 of 9. Evan Bradds is one of the best offensive players in the country regardless of level.NUMBERS GAMEFlorida: The Gators made 5 of 21 from 3-point range.Belmont: After going 11 for 17 from the free-throw line in their first two games combined, the Bruins made 14 of 22 Monday night.UP NEXTBelmont: The Bruins will see how they matchup against a Top-25 team Friday night at No. 23 Rhode Island.Florida: The Gators have a chance to further impress the AP Top-25 voters this week at the AdvoCare Invitational in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. In matchup of teams receiving votes in this week poll, Florida opens play Thursday night against Seton Hall. With a victory, the Gators could meet No. 11 Gonzaga in the semifinals Friday night. ' ' '