Comments Thread For: Pro Boxers Can Compete in Olympics: Rule Change Approved

[New England]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympi...rofessionalism

Hate to break it to you guys, but the Olympics isn't what you think it is. I admit I was even surprised to learn that boxing & wrestling are the only two sports that don't allow pros currently. But its obvious that either pro boxers will be in the Olympics or there will be no boxing at the Olympics. And Amatuers are going to be out of the Olympics in boxing & all sports very soon. That is the reality.

i don't think anybody in the threat needs a refresher on what the olympics are. there's a huge difference between boxing and baseketball, and it's more than an amateur / pro distinction. they are different sports with different athletes competing. traditionally amateur boxing has been for young men, and late teenagers, with some communist countries that outlaw pro boxing keeping their athletes in there as men [cuba, russia, historically.] big difference between those amateur kids and gennady golovkin, manny pacquiao in his prime, miguel cotto. these are grown men with knockout power, who participate in a sport that literally scores head trauma and damage to major organs. when they fight it is not a game


wrestling and boxing are combat sports. and there isn't really a robust pro wrestling system. many of them go to MMA. the highest paid athletes on the planet last year were boxers. you really don't "play" either sport.

hell, in boxing you can die.

it's really not a sport, bro boxing. it's a fight. the tournament format would never work between the best of the best professionals, especially without head gear.

it would either be a: glorified sparring, or b: too intense for a tournament format, and none of the real amateurs would make it.

[Eff Pandas]

none of the real amateurs would make it.

This is going to happen regardless. There will not be amateur boxers in the Olympics soon. Or there won't be boxing in the Olympics. Those are the choices. Like it or not. There is no we really like amateur boxers so lets keep doing that please option when all of the Olympics is pros now. The pinnacle of amateur boxing will soon be the World Championships.

[New England]

This is going to happen regardless. There will not be amateur boxers in the Olympics soon. Or there won't be boxing in the Olympics. Those are the choices. Like it or not. There is no we really like amateur boxers so lets keep doing that please option when all of the Olympics is pros now. The pinnacle of amateur boxing will soon be the World Championships.

aiba has plenty of time to shoot itself in the foot, exchange some money in paper bags, piss off the olympic comittee, have some whistles blown about its "research" into head gear and head trauma in boxing.


i won't believe that world class professional boxers are going to be boxing in the olympics for free until they are literally in the ring. then i'll be disgusted.

[PensionKiller]

First step of the dream having all the best fighters from every country fighting at the Olympics. Olympics is the biggest sports stage, the best fighters should be competing. Amateurs still have the world championships etc.

A lot of Olympians become pro because of the tournament. IMO it may not encourage new blood.

For example a UK star like AJ may not have been created

[Eff Pandas]

not necessarily. Pros are in other sports because the US has this warped definition of amateurism that other countries do not have. so we let US pros in because other countries already had pros in sports like basketball and baseball.

From a boxing standpoint, there seems to be a consistent definition of amateur across the board that hasn't resulted in professional grown men fighting college kids.

What do you mean with the US's warped definition of amateurism?

And maybe, but I tend to think the Olympics will phase out amateurs completely sooner or later. I mean they have already basically with just wrestling & boxing left & both those sports seem to be among the most often mentioned for getting thrown out of the Olympics & I believe wrestling did get thrown out of the Olympics & brought back or was super close to being thrown out already.

[MDPopescu]

There was a time when Soviet boxers couldn't even get paid to box for their countries, now they can. Even today, Cuban boxers can't fight professionally without defecting (that's why you see some of them boxing at this level well into their 30s). If these amateurs are going to box professionals, then where are their fight purses? Those Olympic gold medals lose their worth rather quickly for the boxers that remain living in poverty. Staying as an "amateur" boxer may no longer be worth it in the future if a lot of well-known pro boxers are going to be fighting for gold medals too.

Yes, it seems that, in the future, all the talented kids will turn pro very early and they will look to compete at the Olympics.

[Eff Pandas]

aiba has plenty of time to shoot itself in the foot, exchange some money in paper bags, piss off the olympic comittee, have some whistles blown about its "research" into head gear and head trauma in boxing.

LOL, probably not stretching the truth here much sadly, although I do think headgear is worse for fighters long term. The brain don't give a f#ck if you hit it on a scale of 5 outta 10 or 8 outta 10 its still splashing around your head doing damage so anything getting you hit more is doing more damage ultimately & a headgear makes for a bigger, easier to hit target.

i won't believe that world class professional boxers are going to be boxing in the olympics for free until they are literally in the ring. then i'll be disgusted.

Well I mean lets not forget there are a lot of pros. When people talk about this concept of pros in the Olympics they always are bringing up Manny, Khan or Klitschko or namebrand guys, but the reality is it'd likely be far lesser pros then those guys. I mean think about it Manny, Khan & Klitschko are getting millions to fight. This would be $50,000 (iirc) if they win gold & fight up to 12(?) rounds over 4(?) fights over 2 weeks where they'd have to make weight the whole way. Its not gonna be worth all that for the vast majority of pros. But there are plenty of prospects & journeymen & just unknown, unheralded guys who'd love to fight in the Olympics for more fame & $50k.

[gioberi]

Its plain ****** to say fighters will get hurt if so called pros are to participate. Most of advanced so called amateurs are as good as 99% of pro fighters.

Olympic boxing is not a juniors competition, nor it is a competition of bums. Get this into your thick heads.

[Eff Pandas]

A lot of Olympians become pro because of the tournament. IMO it may not encourage new blood.

For example a UK star like AJ may not have been created

It'd just change the dynamic slightly. Like guys who are pro & who would love a $50k payday for winning gold, which Joshua very likely would've been without the Olympics, would try out for the Olympics just like the amateurs do now. And its sure to still give guys a bump in their career. They'll just be guys getting bumps who already have a pro resume.

[Eff Pandas]

Its plain ****** to say fighters will get hurt if so called pros are to participate. Most of advanced so called amateurs are as good as 99% of pro fighters.

Olympic boxing is not a juniors competition, nor it is a competition of bums. Get this into your thick heads.

Solid point. Floyd was sparring Pernell Whitaker when he was like 15 or something like that. Jose Benavides & Frankie Gomez were sparring Manny as teenagers. This isn't an uncommon practice for amateurs & pros to spar & I'm sure plenty of those sessions aren't exactly childs play & I've not heard of many pros killing amateurs in gym sessions like some guys are suggesting.