Olympics to allow pro fighters

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Canelo

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AIBA President Dr Ching-Kuo Wu speaking in Manchester this afternoon has given to go ahead for Pros. To compete in the Olympic Games in future and has not ruled out the possibility of some taking part in Rio 2016.

At the AIBA commission meeting at Old Trafford, Wu said :

“We want the best boxers to come to the Olympic Games. It is AIBA’s 70th birthday, and we want something to change – not after four years, but now.

“It is an IOC policy to have the best athletes in the Games, and of the international federations, AIBA is probably the only one without professional athletes in the Olympics.

“We already have our own professionals, APB and WSB boxers, in the Games and we will go further.”
Could such rule changes be made in time for Rio? Wu replied: “According to our statutes it is absolutely possible.”

It is highly unlikely that countries like Ireland or Great Britain would ‘benefit’ from any such change especially so close to Rio as we already have four male boxers, Paddy Barnes, Mick Conlan, Steven Donnelly and Joe Ward through via routes such as AIBA Pro, WSB, APB and the World championships but if the top boxers from other countries are allowed to compete it would certainly hit many of the smaller nations without whom the AIBA would not be the organisation it is today.

Many in boxing circles see this as just another step in the AIBA’s quest to take dominate the world of boxing so one cannot see such as the WBC,WBA etc. taking this ‘lying down’, so it is possible indeed probable that other bodies would pursue this through the courts in Switzerland and in the United States with all that that entails including possible delays.

The general boxing public will of course on the whole be happy with that but where does it leave countries like the United States and their own Olympic Federation?
The off country who has a top ranked Pro will benefit that’s for sure but by and large as the “rules” between “amateur” and Pro are so different not to mention the scoring system, it is possible that the best of the amateurs would defeat the best of the Pros except perhaps in the “heavier weights”.

There is also the question of age limits – who for example would want an 18 years old ‘amateur’ representing his country to come up against say Klitschko or Fury in the preliminaries of the Olympic Games. There is the possibility of at very least serious injury and long term brain damage so unless this is managed carefully it could simply open a huge ‘can of worms’

Those who talk about Golf and Tennis being open to Pros are being naïve. Which tennis player or golfer has suffered serious brain damage? This is perfectly possible if the top Pros are pitted against 18 or 19 years old ‘amateurs’ in their first season.

Certainly made a good story for the media but this is a longer term ambition with possibilities for Tokyo 2020 though clearly there could be a few Pros in Rio. It could also mean the setting up of a rival ‘amateur’ organisation with WBC likely to lead the way and the AIBA may well lose ‘thousands’ of amateurs who have no interest at all in the Pro. Sport.
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In summary, the AIBA will be allowing professional fighters to fight in the Olympics in what will become a more professional event, in terms of rules and format.

The global exposure that this could bring would be brilliant for a lot of fighters.
 
Are there any other Olympic sports which bar professionals?

Not for 2016, though. I imagine some of these guys are still adjusting to the rule change, and putting them against seasoned pros is putting them at a disadvantage. Change it for 2020.
 
I don't like it, imagine training as an am simply to reach the pinnacle of the olympics and then getting Evander Holyfield in the first round.
 
Athenry04 said:
I don't like it, imagine training as an am simply to reach the pinnacle of the olympics and then getting Evander Holyfield in the first round.
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That's like drawing Russia at ice hockey in the 80's....but if you win..

I don't like it for one reason.. fighters won't compete.. why would fighters risk their records and, in this era, their earning potential for a free fight? they wouldnt.. so we are going to get a bunch of scrub pros competing against a bunch of amateurs.
 
Wow, this is something I expected would never happen.

I guess it makes a lot of sense from the Olympics POV - huge revenue from guys that usually get paid millions fighting for free.

If all of the pros really want that medal, we could have the boxing version of the Pride GP days.

Feel bad for the real amateurs though.
 
Cracky said:
That's like drawing Russia at ice hockey in the 80's....but if you win..

I don't like it for one reason.. fighters won't compete.. why would fighters risk their records and, in this era, their earning potential for a free fight? they wouldnt.. so we are going to get a bunch of scrub pros competing against a bunch of amateurs.
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I'm sure there will still be qualifiers. It's not like they're saying if a pro shows up, he can fight for medal just for being there.

And if that scrub pro beats his amateur competition to get in, meh I guess that makes sense.
 
Another horrible idea from the Olympics committee or whoever made this call. I hope zero pros compete.
 
Well think about it like this

Young fighters have a natural disadvantage.. so the deck will be stacked against them.. even the best of them, like DLH, is not immune... and there's also the question of whether it's really fair.. There's a video of Felix Savon fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucking David Tua uuuuuuuuuuuup!!!! I probably understated the u's there....but its a man vs. a boy...
 
Athenry04 said:
I don't like it, imagine training as an am simply to reach the pinnacle of the olympics and then getting Evander Holyfield in the first round.
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You've got a point there. Some fighters have the olympics as a living, it's unfair to them if you get a pro that already makes millions kicking their asses.
 
Canelo said:
In summary, the AIBA will be allowing professional fighters to fight in the Olympics in what will become a more professional event, in terms of rules and format.

The global exposure that this could bring would be brilliant for a lot of fighters.
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May well. The NBA has been doing it for nearly 20 years.
 
Doesn't matter to someone like Andy Cruz. He's still going to box the shit out of any bantamweight that qualifies and decides to show up.
 
I don't like it, if only for the fact all the young guys scouts go to handpick will get bashed up by a seasoned guy whose already been there and done it. Besides, amateur boxing is the purest form of the sport, you chuck in all these prize fighters and it makes a farce of it in my opinion...
 
Akimbo Slice said:
I don't like it, if only for the fact all the young guys scouts go to handpick will get bashed up by a seasoned guy whose already been there and done it. Besides, amateur boxing is the purest form of the sport, you chuck in all these prize fighters and it makes a farce of it in my opinion...
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But if those prize-fighters are better at the "pure-version" (I don't agree) of the sport than the guys who still compete as amateurs, why shouldn't they qualify?

Is it somehow less pure because normally they take money for fighting, even though they aren't this time?

It's not like there's two different qualifying lanes or anything. Pro's will have to qualify the same. May the best man win, imo. But not until 2020.
 
not a fan in theory but it would be kind of cool to see Loma go down there and get himself a third gold then hop right back into the pros.
 
This is fucked up.

It's going to be like letting the Harlem Globetrotters play against pro teams in the NBA. Exposing established champs like Curry, Lebron, Westbrook for a bunch of chumps.
 
Even worse....
This is like letting actual athletes compete in the UFC. You're going to scare out the current roster pulling shit like this.
 
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