According to World Boxing Council President Mauricio Sulaimán, several of the top names in the sport are now in his corner - as he rallies against the IOC's decision to allow professional boxers to compete in the 2020 Olympic Games.
Sulaiman believes the rule would create a very unfair advantage, with seasoned pros taking on amateurs.
"I spoke with Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao and I got the same answer: no to the professionals in the Olympic Games. There is a big difference, the amateur seeks to connect or make points in order to win the fight, while the professional acquires experience and maturity to put together his punches for maximum damage in order to win the fight by knockout," Sulaiman said.
"I have talked with many boxers, Canelo told me: 'How would I feel to look at my gold medal knowing that I destroyed the dreams of a young man who was trying to succeed in this sport.'"
One of the proposals that Sulaiman has put on the table is to ban any professional for a term of two years, at least from the WBC, if that pro decides to take part in the Olympics.
"The two-year veto is what matters least, we are interested in conveying the concern that if something bad happens it could be the end of boxing, so it is an issue that has no step back, we can not expose or be a part of exposing lives inside the ring for business reasons. With such a difference in levels between amateurs and professionals, the permanence of this sport in the Olympic Games is put at risk and it is very serious because if there is an accident during the Games it could be the end of boxing," Sulaiman stated.
