Off Topic Olympic Boxing

it has been decided that professionals can box in Rio, and 26 places are up for grabs a at tournament in Venezuala.

I'm not a big boxing fan (not since the Hearns/Robinson/Hagler/Duran years) and not very knowledgeable about it, but this just seems plain wrong. Most of the professionals commenting seem to think that too. I know the lines between amateur and professional have been blurred in many sports, but boxing seems pretty clear cut - the rules are different, one is a graduation to the other. I don't like tennis at the Olympics either and I notice a few of the golfers have cried off because of the zika virus (actually they should be just as scared of dengue fever). These sports have amateurs, why not restrict the Olympics to them?

 

I went to watch the boxing during the Commonwealth Games two years ago, and it was a great sporting occasion watching amateurs give their all, all hoping to make the breakthrough to professional status with a successful tournament. The addition of Pro boxers into this arena will surely dilute the intensity of the competition, as I wouldn't expect too many amateurs will beat their professsional counterparts. As you say, the Olympics always used to be for amateurs, an it is only in recent times that the greed of the IOC and the relevent sporting bodies have revoked this - didn't it all start with the USA basketball team at an Olympics in America because they were so frightened that their team wouldn't win gold?

 

I can't see many top professional boxers going for it - a backwards step to suddenly do lots of short bouts in few days.

I'm sure the Don King types would be trying to make the Olympics pay per view though.

 

Amateur boxing is totally different to the professional game. It is much higher intensity being two minute rounds. When I briefly boxed as a teenager it was 3 x 2 minute rounds, in those days there were no headguards, which I believe are now no longer in use. The ferocity of the top amateurs was awesome to watch, none of the holding and spoiling of the pro game and the punches just flowed till the end or exhaustion took hold. You'd actually have to see it in the flesh to appreciate the power of the punches, you don't get that in televised bouts.

To put top pros in against even the best amateurs would be really dangerous as the gap between the top in terms of ringcraft and physique is wide. I always thought the 'Olympian' spirit was the best of amateurs but it is now becoming so sullied with immensely wealthy pros taking glory away from amateurs far more deserving...

 

It was only a matter of time, we've had professional footballers in the "soccer" and the likes of Andy Murray in the tennis so it was inevitable.

 

I've always loved watching the Olympic boxing with countries like Cuba producing outstanding fighters, I hope this doesn't spell the end for these nations.

 

It's interesting. All of the professionals quoted are against it, and most say it could be dangerous (i.e they would damage the amateurs). Except Karl Froch, also against the idea, but reckoning on his experience of sparring with amateurs they would more than hold their own.

 

Just been on local news that Charlie Flynn, gold medalist at Commonwealth Games, who has now turned pro, wants to go to represent GB, but will have to go up a weight category and qualify - after saying when he turned pro that the Olympics wasn't an option for him!