Comments Thread For: AIBA's Plan For Pro Boxers in Olympics is Under Fire

[BIGPOPPAPUMP]

The plan of the International Amateur Boxing Association to allow professional boxers to compete in the 2016 Olympic Games under specific rules drawn up by AIBA has come under fire from various boxing organizations as well as promotional outfits.

The North American Boxing Federation (NABF), through the office of President Joseph Dwyer, said it is "expressing its full support of the protests against AIBA and the IOC, as put forward by the WBC and other boxing organizations."

A statement by the NABF which has an infrastructure of professional boxing national commissions in the United States, Mexico and Canada said it “believes that amateur boxing needs support from all the countries of the world and should not be put aside, like AIBA is allegedly doing at the Olympic Games. Boxing in general would not exist without amateur boxing.” [Click Here To Read More]

[maenyfresh]

Agree with this.

[calamaro]

Yeah, WBC, WBO and all this alphabetical **** is doing great things for boxing, and should not allow an international organism to regulate boxing and take his piece of the pie.

Poor Sulaiman and Gilbertico, haha.

Only good things will come from AIBA, WSB have the potential to become the NBA of boxing, and all this **** who manage this sport are watching scared.

[Clegg]

Don't like the WBC but I don't think pro boxers should be in the Olympics. I'd prefer for the top pros to devote themselves to real boxing instead of taking time out of their careers to compete in a less entertaining version of the sport.

I always think it's a shame when guys like Lomachenko stay amateur for more than one Olympics, would much rather see them step up to the next level.

[RawDawgHasSpokn]

Either way its still going to be corrupt. So many robberies over the years and its still not regulated the way it should be.

[MDPopescu]

AIBA is a joke -- the most corrupt body in boxing... You have no idea about the high level of poor judging and robberies in amateur championships' fights -- Olympics included...
You don't want to know what AIBA refs are capable to with pros vs. amateurs fights...

[SaldanaCC]

Pros in the olympics is the dumbest idea in boxing history!!!!!
To think the guys who come up with this s**t are getting paid very well to do so is beyond me olympic gold medalists dont fight real good pros till at least ten fights into there pro career or more the olympics is a stepping stone for ametures and up an comers dont take that from em!!!!!

[Rockin']

I say Good. Hell no, they shouldn't be pros.......... Rockin'

[MC Hammer]

Don't see too many major problems if its pro vs pro. I don't want to see a developed nation's pro go head up with someone else's amateur though.

The one thing I don't like about it is that i wouldn't be able to see the next generation of up and comers, because they would get out shinned by the pros

[emhoffk]

Huge Conflict of Interest

I'm not sure if Joe Dwyer or the Euro Organization touched on this, but the biggest problem I see with this new arrangement by the AIBA is the huge conflict of interest. The AIBA has formed a professional boxing promotional company and have signed as many top amateurs as they could to that company. The AIBA will then promote these fighters and put on for-profit shows through their World Series of Boxing (WSB) shows.

Now, when the Olympics come around (or the Amateur World Championships, for that matter), you will have the AIBA assigning officials and referees to the fights and overseeing the process. You will have fighters from all around the world competing. You will inevitably have fighters who the AIBA has under promotional contract fighting other fighters who are not under contract to the AIBA in these events. If the fight is close, and the AIBA contracted fighter wins - how can you not believe that the decision was influenced by the AIBA's pecuniary interest in seeing the fighter who they have under contract in win?

They have a financial incentive to favor the fighters they have under contract. If their fighters win medals and world championships, they are more marketable for the WSB series. It's a huge conflict of interest.

I also agree with Joe that they are giving an unfair advantage in training and exposure to the fighters they have under contract by providing them with compensation. There is absolutely no good that can come out of the AIBA having the exclusive rights to promote professional contests for fighters still eligible to compete as "amateurs".

To the person who decried the WBC or any sanctioning body criticizing this as being hypocritical - I get that. There are no angels when it comes to sanctioning bodies. But at least the WBC, WBA, etc. do not have their own promotional companies and only allow those fighters signed by them to compete for their titles. Only the UFC does that - lol.

It seems like no one within the industry ever looks out for the greater good of the sport of boxing. It's all about the almighty dollar. What the AIBA is doing is just a disgusting money grab, fueled by the money of some rich Ukrainians (I believe). It's wrong and it's a damn shame.