Why cant pro fighters fight in the Olympics?

That's like asking "Why can't a College graduate take pre-school classes. End of thread

Based on US amateur rules once you fight pro you can never fight amateur again. Even if you enter a toughman contest you give up your amateur status. I'm not sure exactly how the US and international rules are tied in together exactly but I'd imagine the same thing applies to other countries as well.

Amatuer boxing and pro boxing are totally different sports. End of thread.

I disagree because I like seeing fighters to look foward too. I don't follow the amateurs at all, but it's nice to see the top ones when watching the olympics. Even with a good scoring system I sitll don't think I'd want to see Pro's in the olympics because they are only 4 2 minute rounds. If they were 10 rounds....well then.

funny........i was thinking the same thing today boxing is one of the only sports that a professional cant compete in the Olympics in........in basketball, swimming, gymnastics, track & field, etc. all allow pro athletes to compete but boxings only for amateurs......wonder why Pro Baseball players don't play in Olympics...but literally because MLB & Summer Olympics are going on at the same time. Only up until The Dream Team, there weren't any pro players in Basketball with the other sports like Track & Field & Gymnastics who mainly rely on Olympics as the big stage.

Olympic medals dont put food on the table however. I think David Reid would beg to differ. He got a 1 million $ signing bonus when he turned pro, because he was an Olympic champion. He would have gotten a box of tomatoes as a signing bonus if he'd lost in the quarter finals. :)

Hatton had 73 wins as an amateur including a wold championship bronze medal. That american in this year's olympics...deandre latimore i think it was was reigning world champ but couldnt get past the 1st fight.

Its just not possible because of the fact that its a different world in the olympics. If pro boxing was like the olympics then malignaggi would be undisputed juniorwelter champ and Hatton's plodding ass wouldn't get passed the 1st rd Hatton had 73 wins as an amateur including a wold championship bronze medal.

It's a different sport. Amateur boxing is a different sport to professional boxing. Besides which, the Olympics is a good way for people to showcase their ability in order to launch a pro career later. Would you prefer it if every entrant to the Olympics was like the US basketball team? Its just not possible because of the fact that its a different world in the olympics. If pro boxing was like the olympics then malignaggi would be undisputed juniorwelter champ and Hatton's plodding ass wouldn't get passed the 1st rd

It's a different sport. Amateur boxing is a different sport to professional boxing. Besides which, the Olympics is a good way for people to showcase their ability in order to launch a pro career later. Would you prefer it if every entrant to the Olympics was like the US basketball team?

:lol1: I don't think the sport would be hurt by this.....but that is a funny ass headline:lol1: I think it would hurt the sport. The headgear and scoring system make it a completely different world. If pros were to compete with protective headgear and the punch scoring system then paulie malignaggi, and ivan calderon would be the epitome of boxing excellence with emphasis on landing massive amounts of clean blows without any real intent behind them.

Then it would hurt boxing as a whole sport in general. Imagine the confusion and ridicule. I can see the headlines already if this happened. "World heavyweight champion drops ball in olympic opener" "Olympic gold medalist "insert name here" cant win professional bout to save his life" :lol1: I don't think the sport would be hurt by this.....but that is a funny ass headline:lol1:

there would have to be a rule made to protect such fighters.....the olympic results should have no bearings on rankings....plus with all the protective gear there's no way to say that the olympic outcome of fight between 2 fighters would be the same in a professional fight..... Then it would hurt boxing as a whole sport in general. Imagine the confusion and ridicule. I can see the headlines already if this happened. "World heavyweight champion drops ball in olympic opener" "Olympic gold medalist "insert name here" cant win professional bout to save his life"

Olympic medals dont put food on the table however. Olympic performance would surely affect professional rankings and hurt sanctioning bodies with paper champs who get eliminated in preliminaries. It would also be unfair for contenders and prospects alike if let's say the consensus #3ranked fighter in the world in a given weightclass loses standing for dropping out due to injury and is relegated back to fighting overmatched journeymen to climb back up the rankings post olympics there would have to be a rule made to protect such fighters.....the olympic results should have no bearings on rankings....plus with all the protective gear there's no way to say that the olympic outcome of fight between 2 fighters would be the same in a professional fight.....

It's probably because Olympic boxing is based on amatuer boxing rules. When a fighter goes pro, he is unable to fight in the amatuers anymore.

I agree....but this is the OLYMPICS we talkin about:lol1:....I think the olympics should allow the BEST to represent their respected countries! professional boxers would do the Olympics a big justice....the arenas would be more packed and the TV ratings would soar! the NBA players have proven it can be done(juggling the schedule) so I feel as though fighters should do the same! You're not rich till ya got what money can't buy.......Olympic medals aren't for sale! Olympic medals dont put food on the table however. Olympic performance would surely affect professional rankings and hurt sanctioning bodies with paper champs who get eliminated in preliminaries. It would also be unfair for contenders and prospects alike if let's say the consensus #3ranked fighter in the world in a given weightclass loses standing for dropping out due to injury and is relegated back to fighting overmatched journeymen to climb back up the rankings post olympics

To take a quote from the latest Batman movie... "IF YOU'RE REALLY GOOD AT SOMETHING NEVER DO IT FOR FREE" I agree....but this is the OLYMPICS we talkin about:lol1:....I think the olympics should allow the BEST to represent their respected countries! professional boxers would do the Olympics a big justice....the arenas would be more packed and the TV ratings would soar! the NBA players have proven it can be done(juggling the schedule) so I feel as though fighters should do the same! You're not rich till ya got what money can't buy.......Olympic medals aren't for sale!

To take a quote from the latest Batman movie... "IF YOU'RE REALLY GOOD AT SOMETHING NEVER DO IT FOR FREE"

I wouldnt really care because the scoring sucks................by the way back i saw some old footage of amateur boxing in the olympics, and they had no headgear, i never knew that

funny........i was thinking the same thing today boxing is one of the only sports that a professional cant compete in the Olympics in........in basketball, swimming, gymnastics, track & field, etc. all allow pro athletes to compete but boxings only for amateurs......wonder why It must be related to money Im thinking..no money in it for promoters or fighters. Proving who the best fighter is without PPV is boxing blasphemy.