By Gabriel F. Cordero
“The WBC strongly disagrees with supporting a professional boxer competing in the Olympic Games,” says WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman after the Mexican Boxing Federation (FMB) and the National Boxing Commission (Conabox) invited world champions to compete in the boxing qualifying process for the next Olympic Games.
“It’s something unacceptable that should not be accepted by fans and boxing experts in the world. Olympic amateur boxing is completely different. They are two different sports and it is very dangerous. We cannot accept this. If any professional boxer, including champions or former champions, decide to participate in the next Olympics, they will have a sanction of at least two years in the WBC.”
Previously, the WBC had expressed its opposition to the process in Rio 2016 when some professional boxers including former world champions decided to try to participate but this time they have emphasized that for the Tokyo Olympics the professionals who participate will be banned from the WBC at least by two years.
Good for the WBC if they follow through! Pro boxers should not be allowed in The Olympics.
Exactly. That’s why there’s a distinction between the pros and the amateurs. Otherwise, why even bother to make that distinction?
Arturo: see my comment below. I understand where your argument is coming from but it doesn’t hold up in context with the bigger picture of global sports. There is no law that says that the Olympics are for amateurs. The main difference between amateurs and pros in today’s sports world is not necessarily their skill level, but their pay.
The biggest hang up of people who think like the WBC is that they think that amateurs have to participate in the Olympics. They don’t. Representatives of 40 different sports can be either pro or amateurs, in other words, they all allow pros. Boxing should be no exception.
Excellent argument here. And its true, they think nothing when Professional Basketball and Tennis players play in the Olympics. The Olympics is to decide the best athletes in the world. Not just who’s the best amateurs
a well educated amateur boxer with the an average of 100 bouts, can outbox a some of the most high ranked professional boxer, with the proper rules, and weight limits!
Best athletes in the world are decided by professional teams. Olympics should be amateurs in all sports.
The funny thing is, the pro boxers get destroyed by the amateurs. Some as young as 18 years old. Meanwhile, the boxing organizations never punish the Pros. It’s all talk.
Idiotic stand by the WBC. If professional athletes from all other sports (42 different summer and winter sports) are allowed to participate in the Olympics, who is the WBC to stop a professional boxer to fight there? (The only other sport that takes a similar stand is wrestling).
If the various and way too many sanctioning bodies would focus more on ridding boxing from corruption, they would have at least some legitimacy. Reality is that despite or because the sanctioning bodies, boxing is considered to be among the most corrupt sports on the planet. To meddle with global rules of pros being allowed to participate in the Olympics is inappropriate, unfair and plain wrong.
Where’s the danger? Boxing is boxing. The only significant difference between amateur and pro boxing is the ring size requirement. The rest is the same, no difference whatsoever.
The best argument they could possibly give is that it may be dangerous for amateurs to fight pros; however, the purpose of the Olympics is not to find the best amateur but the best athlete in his field of sport. If amateurs are not qualified to participate in the Olympics because there are better pros out there, they can still fight other amateurs. If this decision means that amateurs won’t be able to go to the Olympics anymore, then its nothing but the same situation as for literally all other sports. Aside of that, amateurs can still have their own world championships.
The real question is why does the WBC really want to control pro boxers? Its certainly not because they worry about any boxer getting beaten up. Its really a power game between the WBC and AIBA (Int’l Boxing Association).
there is something else more significant about the boxing body governments that opposes to the participation between profesional and amateur boxers.
and that is , money , money, money.
boxing is suppose to be the sport of gentleman, but the corruption of the people with long pants and the lack of honest government boxing laws , allows for this corruption to live in every corner of the sport of boxing .
It’s clear you don’t know what you’re talking about. I’d be willing to bet you’ve never boxed a competitive bout in your entire life. You’re comparing apples to oranges. Sorry buddy, but you just don’t do that in combat sports. You’re wrong on so many things it’s not even worth breaking down. Not really sure what your lane is in boxing, but you may want to figure it out and stay there.
I dont think any pros even qualified last olympics.. did they?
The Olympics should be the best in the world. The very best of the best, the height of human athletics on display.
There are Junior Olympics for those too young and Amateur championships all around the world that amateurs can compete in.
The Olympics is about putting the BEST on display PERIOD.
Totally agree with the stance by the WBC. Period. All pros in every sport should be banned. Its all become political BS. And the only reason most participated even when it was amateur was to gain endorsements after competition. Nothing anymore about sportsmanship, bringing the world together, and etc. Just like the rest of the world in all aspects. Everything is becoming fcked up. But have no fear one day this entire planet will be nuked………….what then?
Actually, why not allow pros to fight in the Olympics? It would be a lot more entertaining to watch and the referees would be super busy stopping fights faster as the amateurs would be overwhelmed with talent. We live in a culture where blood, sweat, and tears brings crowds to watch and the money flows at the casinos…..
I get it.. WBC doesnt want their champs fighting in Olympics. It’s their right as the organization. Will they uphold, I doubt it.. on the other hand, Olympic boxing has always been an Ammy event.. if everyone says that pro’s shld be allowed in the olympics then why not let an Ammy turn pro under the age of 18 WITHOUT any friction from the commission. Ultimately, that is what ur doing in the olympics now. Pick a side and go with it or drop it..
Don’t be fooled by these self-appointed sanctioning body morons. Their opposition to pros in the Olympics is the loss of money from sanctioning fees. With the sanctioning organization business model as it is, pro boxing remains irrelevant and in the Stone Ages. Can you imagine NFL and MLB players being dictated to by these type of clowns?
Pro boxing and Olympics. No way. What’s the point? Getting rid of amateur boxing completely?
Some fighters don’t care for the WBC anyway. Weren’t they trying a shove a random belt on Canelo’s fights after he publicly criticized them and vacated their precious green belt?
great conversation, so some believe the Olympics is about the worlds’ best Athlete, it is about the World’s Best Amateur Athlete, but with financial interest it is changing, having a 19 year old boy fighting a grown man is not fair. Professionals should fight professionals and Amateur fight Amateur.
I agree that professionals should not be allowed in the Olympics if nothing else for the sake of tradition. It’s hard to make a strong case as to why professionals shouldn’t compete because other sports do. Prior to 1992 or 1996, the big argument for allowing professional was because The Soviet countries and Cuba were using their nations best fighters, who were essentially professionals and had an unfair advantage. With the collapse of the Soviet Union and the fact that most top Cuban fighters are now defecting, that is no longer really an issue. USA boxing has to accept the fact that they will probably never dominate Olympic boxing the way they use to.(I know Cubans would take umbrage to that) I think they’ve only won 3 gold medals since 1992-DeLaHoya, David Reid in 1996 and Andre Ward being the last in 2004!