Professionals in the Olympics: Yay or Nay?

I don't like it...a pro could seriously hurt an inexperienced amateur. The only way it would be cool is if literally almost all of the fighters were pros...but even then it would suck because they would be robbing the opportunity from young guys who no longer have the olympics as a platform to prove themselves and get noticed on a world stage. Agreed. Boxing isn't like athletics for example, which is entirely based on the Olympics and World Championships. In boxing, there are two distinct routes, with the ams normally feeding into the pros.

I don't like it...a pro could seriously hurt an inexperienced amateur. The only way it would be cool is if literally almost all of the fighters were pros...but even then it would suck because they would be robbing the opportunity from young guys who no longer have the olympics as a platform to prove themselves and get noticed on a world stage.

Yes.....but not for these ones....next cycle sure.....if people are concerned about kids going against grown men, then don't have your kid fighting in the olympics after Rio.

what worries me most is the physical well being of the amateurs, many of whom are in their late teens and early 20s. and out of a sudden they have to fight a Kovalev or Beterbiev kind of guy, and without headgear some pro boxing careers might end before they even get started :guilty:

Well, what side are you on? Leave some justification for the vote too. Nay because the olimpics are for amateurs...

I'm against it. What if you get a 15 year veteran who is a professional champion or former champion going up against a 19 year old kid who has never fought more than 4 rounds and has always fought with headgear up until the Olympic trials? On the other hand, I could see some b to c level pros getting beat by an amateur, which would be embarrassing for them lol. But I have always liked the Olympics to be a good way for a star amateur to progress into the professional ranks. I understand the pros wanting to win a medal for their country, especially if they never fought in the Olympics as amateurs, but being a pro and going back to amateur ranks just doesn't seem right to me.

I am completely against it but it's the rules now. So far most pro boxers seem to be against it too. Only Amir Khan says he wants to compete in the Olympics to date unless I missed some other pro saying they wanted to fight in the Olympics. Manny has said he'd think about it. I remember reading something about Wlad a while ago but of course he is busy now. Other than that, there aren't really any other high profile boxers the media would mention picking up on. I like the idea of a pro fighter representing his country. Recognizable names facing eachother while wearing their countries colours. That would be kind of cool if they were all pro. But as for the olympics? Nah, not for me. Leave to the amateur lads who have dreamed of it for years, had to qualify, and who have put off the temptation of turning pro to have a stab at their dream. I think there probably needs to be more national representation in pro boxing but then again, it's a version of the sport all about money, the biggest bidder and the best contract.

The Olympics are ALL PROS except for Boxing & Wrestling now. Either those sports will bring in pros or they won't be in the Olympics at some point. So you are basically voting yes or no if you want boxing in the Olympics with your vote on this topic. Personally I'm intrigued by the idea of all pros being in the Olympics. I'm not sure how guys like Manny, Khan or Klitschko would do in 3 rounds fights, but I don't think those are the types of guys who'll be doing this more often then not. The guys going for the $50k prize for winning a gold medal are going to be 9-0 guys or 17-2 journeymen & people more along those lines trying to qualify & fight in the Olympics. I actually suspect many notable pros wouldn't even make it to the actual Olympics & would get knocked off by guys more comfortable fighting 4 & 6 rounds who haven't gotten accustomed to warming up a few rounds before they really begin. There are a lot more sports than just boxing or wrestling that have become professional to a certain degree. In fact Olympic boxing, especially in the UK, is a very professional enterprise. The fighters get a place to stay for free, a place to train, for free and an annual fee while they are part of the GB squad, which makes them earn more than the average Brit. It's a very lucrative business. Not sure about the States which is now decades behind amateur programmes in Europe. The problem with true professional boxers, guys like Manny, Wlad, Khan etc, is that they are taking part in a form of the sport where physically hurting the opponent is more relevant than tap dancing your way to a points victory. Most modern ams are only just starting to get used to not having head gear and using more body shots. Imagine a pro ripping shots to the body. That would destroy these am guys who have never experienced that.

It is going to be like the basketball games

I like the idea of a pro fighter representing his country. Recognizable names facing eachother while wearing their countries colours. That would be kind of cool if they were all pro. But as for the olympics? Nah, not for me. Leave to the amateur lads who have dreamed of it for years, had to qualify, and who have put off the temptation of turning pro to have a stab at their dream.

I am completely against it but it's the rules now. So far most pro boxers seem to be against it too. Only Amir Khan says he wants to compete in the Olympics to date unless I missed some other pro saying they wanted to fight in the Olympics.

NO! It would be HILARIOUS though if some pros get embarrassed by some some of the younger fighters but this Props in the Olympics especially for a Physical sport like that is a JOKE and Dangerous

Voted no. But I'm intrigued by this, I can't help it.

no. the mere thought of it is disgraceful.

**** nay :lol1: you're going to have grown men with world championship experience against a sport designed to be for young men / kids. amir khan is going to cherry pick his way to a gold medal. dude won a silver medal in amateur boxing when he was a 17 year old kid. and it's somehow fair for him to come back now as a grown man?

what worries me most is the physical well being of the amateurs, many of whom are in their late teens and early 20s. This right here. That clip of Eubank Jr. sparking that kid out in sparring with be what you can expect in the early matches of a Pro-Am boxing tourney.

what worries me most is the physical well being of the amateurs, many of whom are in their late teens and early 20s.

fuk noooooooo

Depends If it's just 1 or 2 Pros like Amir & Manny feasting on Amateurs then I don't like it and think it'd be a joke But if it's like Basketball,hockey, tennis or any other sport where the athletes competing are almost all professional and the top of their sport then I think it'd be a good

If these amateur boxers are going to be fighting world class pro boxers, then they should be getting paid as such. But AIBA doesn't have enough money in its coffers to pay these men and women. If so, then AIBA would not have taken that dirty Azeri money when the WSB was about to go bankrupt. It will change the boxing game for sure, but it feels as if amateur boxers are being sold out to the highest bidder when the majority of them just want that gold medal across their chests to prove to their respective countries that they repped them well that year on the highest level. Corruption in amateur boxing has been going on for a while, but this puts the nail in the coffin. The "come up" story in boxing is disappearing, and now it's looking like a pep-rally session.