Exclusive news: Men boxing with 10 divisions, 48 kg dropped

[Dennis]

They have a cap. They add a sport with additional athletes. Men's boxing loses athletes. Hmmm, I think I see a correlation. It sort of sounds like political BS, like these great ones:

I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky.
Read my lips, no new taxes.

[bodwyer]

ALSO HEARD THAT AIBA WILL SELECT R/Js FOR MAJOR TOURNAMENTS FROM A LIST OF WHAT THEY TERM AS THE BEST BASED ON THEIR GRADING

[rmz]

I asked Sandy about the dropping a weight class and including women's wrestling - she was Chair of the AIBA Women's Committee at the time. Here is her response:

"no its not true (that men's weight class was dropped to allow for women in wrestling. the ioc has a maximum number of athletes in any olympic games. i believe the total participation is 10,000 which includes officials, athletes, coaches, team leaders, etc. they made class d sports, i.e. boxing, to reduce their numbers by 10%. had nothing to do with women's wrestling."

"Class D" means that sport is at the bottom of the barrel and could be considered for being dropped from the Olympic Games.

What do you think the chances are that Boxing could be dropped from the Olympics? I really hope AIBA cleans things up because if 2012 turns out to be as bad at 2008, I think the sport is in big trouble.

[boxmel]

What do you think the chances are that Boxing could be dropped from the Olympics?

The sport has been under this threat since 1988 - big reason why computer scoring was introduced at the 1992 Olympics. I honestly don't know what the final outcome will be; just that boxing is on the bottom of the list.

[JMac]

ALSO HEARD THAT AIBA WILL SELECT R/Js FOR MAJOR TOURNAMENTS FROM A LIST OF WHAT THEY TERM AS THE BEST BASED ON THEIR GRADING

That is true.

[JMac]

I asked Sandy about the dropping a weight class and including women's wrestling - she was Chair of the AIBA Women's Committee at the time. Here is her response:

"no its not true (that men's weight class was dropped to allow for women in wrestling. the ioc has a maximum number of athletes in any olympic games. i believe the total participation is 10,000 which includes officials, athletes, coaches, team leaders, etc. they made class d sports, i.e. boxing, to reduce their numbers by 10%. had nothing to do with women's wrestling."

"Class D" means that sport is at the bottom of the barrel and could be considered for being dropped from the Olympic Games.

What do you think the chances are that Boxing could be dropped from the Olympics? I really hope AIBA cleans things up because if 2012 turns out to be as bad at 2008, I think the sport is in big trouble.

If AIBA truly wants to see boxing stay in the Olympics, they need to get rid of open scoring and that awful scoring system currently in use or the sport is doomed.

[rmz]

I don't get why AIBA is concerned about getting womens' boxing into the olympics when the sport is a class D sport. They should be more concerned with getting the scoring system fixed. Once they start getting some positive reception, they can focus on womens' boxing.

[Blackeye 84]

I agree with rmz, lets get the scoring system fixed so that Boxing is appealing again. The last Olympics was nasty!!!

[boxmel]

The last I heard was that the "fix" is to drop the accepted scoring method and go with the raw, dropping the high and the low score on each boxer. Sounds good to me. We aren't going to get rid of computerized scoring - so the new "fix" seems much more fair. Maybe they will even do something with the people who push the buttons..........

[Dennis]

Mel if they get rid of the people who push the buttons, then won't they get rid of the techs too? I think the new scoring is basically a computerized clicker system. The only difference is you can actually see when they are scoring points. You could have a video tied into the system and be able to play back both and show what punches were scored by the judges. That might be useful with training both the judges and the coaches/boxers.

[boxmel]

Mel if they get rid of the people who push the buttons, then won't they get rid of the techs too?

Not clear again. They are not getting rid of the people who push buttons. It's as you say - a computerized clicking system except the computer will toss out the high and the low on each score. I have no idea how they are going to show the scoring. I'm no longer a tech so will have to get my information from those in the know.

[ogii3]

Ok, everyone says that curent system sucks. But noone put their ideas how amateur boxing may be more attractive and fair. COME ON. Let everyone says how it will be better. STOP to say its fucked off. We all know that right now amateur boxing is not attractive and fair!

Maybe i must start another thread, but here i will say my ideas.

1. Get back to manual scoring
2. 3x3 rounds is better
3. Get off the dresses and helmets (if it's not ok it may keep the helmets, but not to be red and blue! Let every one select their own helmet!)
4. Put some real prize funds to big continental and world championships, making some sort of World cup series
5. Let advertising to helmets, ring end etc..... in order to make amateur boxing commercial.....


So this is main ideas. Not so difficults to be put on and the results supose to be great....

[boxmel]

Get back to manual scoring

Ogii, after 1988 I really don't believe that the IOC will allow manual scoring in boxing. At least with the computer you can SEE what the judges are doing. Seems to me the problem is the people pushing the buttons - NOT the scoring system. Sounds like you want amateur boxing to become more like the pros.....

[rmz]

Get back to manual scoring

Ogii, after 1988 I really don't believe that the IOC will allow manual scoring in boxing. At least with the computer you can SEE what the judges are doing. Seems to me the problem is the people pushing the buttons - NOT the scoring system. Sounds like you want amateur boxing to become more like the pros.....

I think a lot of people forget that pro scoring has just as many problems as amateur scoring. How many times have we heard "robbery" or "bad decision" in the pros? The pro system is subjective while the amateur system is supposed to objective in theory.

[JMac]

Ok, everyone says that curent system sucks. But noone put their ideas how amateur boxing may be more attractive and fair. COME ON. Let everyone says how it will be better. STOP to say its fucked off. We all know that right now amateur boxing is not attractive and fair!

Maybe i must start another thread, but here i will say my ideas.

1. Get back to manual scoring
2. 3x3 rounds is better
3. Get off the dresses and helmets (if it's not ok it may keep the helmets, but not to be red and blue! Let every one select their own helmet!)
4. Put some real prize funds to big continental and world championships, making some sort of World cup series
5. Let advertising to helmets, ring end etc..... in order to make amateur boxing commercial.....
So this is main ideas. Not so difficults to be put on and the results supose to be great....

I wouldn't mind seeing boxing go back to manual scoring but Mel is probably right about the IOC not wanting it. There may be other ways to score like 2 judges score red boxer, 2 score blue, and one neutral or throw out the high and low and go with total score.
Open scoring has to go. It is bad for boxing.
Get rid of corupt judges. It is easy to know who they are.
I agree to get rid of red and blue uniforms. Every bout looks the same. Bring back the colors of the countries in their uniforms. Boxers can still wear red and blue gloves.
If medical studies prove it is safe, get rid of headgear though that probably will not happen.

[boxmel]

If medical studies prove it is safe, get rid of headgear though that probably will not happen.

I heard, last year, that the IOC also said no to no headgear. 8)