Ireland boxing captain Darren O'Neill says the memory of tragic former middleweight rival Darren Sutherland will inspire the six-strong team to emulate Sutherland's Olympic heroics at the London Games. Sutherland was found dead in his London flat just one year after returning from Beijing with a bronze medal, and the death of such a popular character continues to have a profound impact on the close-knit Irish boxing community.
Headguards are set to be scrapped and some professional boxers allowed to compete in the next Olympic Games under new rules announced by amateur boxing's world governing body AIBA. But the launch of AIBA Professional Boxing (APB) - set for early next year - is unlikely to mean established British stars such as Amir Khan or Carl Froch will be battling to line up in Rio in 2014.
Liverpool lightweight Natasha Jonas is determined to follow in the footsteps of her childhood sporting heroes as she prepares to lace on the gloves for women's boxing's historic Olympic bow. Jonas was part of the 10-strong British boxing team kitted out at Loughborough University today and admitted she could hardly believe that her lifetime ambition was about to be realised.
Josh Taylor is drawing inspiration from the exploits of legendary Scottish lightweight Dick McTaggart as he puts the finishing touches to preparations for his Olympic debut in London . Taylor has been poring over old fight videos of McTaggart, who became the first British boxer to appear in three Olympic Games and claimed gold and bronze medals in 1956 and 1960 respectively.
After a weekend of high-profile fights at home and abroad, attention will now turn to the ring at the Olympic Games. With the beginning of the London boxing competition fast approaching, we provide a guide to the likely contenders in each of the 13 weight categories at the Games:
Three months ago Anthony Ogogo was laid up in a hospital bed convinced his Olympic dream was over but the Great Britain middleweight is convinced he has emerged stronger than ever to strike gold at London 2012. Ogogo flew home from the World Championships in Baku in April having agonisingly missed out on booking his place on the Games and headed straight into hospital for an urgent operation on his injured shoulder.
Five amateur boxers from Smithy’s gym will this weekend travel interstate to Ballina NSW to fight on a pre matched amateur tournament. Josh Webb, Les Madden, Ben Whitaker, James Spark and current Australian 57kg champion Steven Spark will all be stepping in to the ring with extra motivation, wanting to do Queensland boxing proud in the interstate card.
London super-heavyweight contender Anthony Joshua insists even an Olympic gold medal will not necessarily hasten his departure into the professional ranks after the Games. The Finchley 22-year-old has shrugged off a series of offers from top promoters since rising to prominence when he came within one point of being crowned world amateur champion in Baku last year.
United States boxer Rau'shee Warren hopes it will be a case of third time lucky for him at London 2012, with his sights firmly set on rounding off his amateur career with an Olympic medal before entering the professional ranks. The 25-year-old flyweight from Ohio is set to make history this summer by becoming the first American fighter to compete at three Games. He has contemplated going pro in the past, but says the sense of unfinished business he has been left with after the early exits he suffered at both Beijing 2008 and Athens 2004 have convinced him to carry on for another cycle.
BOLTON, ENGLAND - Former champion Amir Khan held a joint press conference with the United States Olympic team at the Gloves Community Gym in Bolton, England. Khan openly discussed his future after last Saturday's shocking technical knockout loss to Danny Garcia in Las Vegas. The Olympic team discussed the upcoming games.