'Pro' boxers for Rio Olympics

[Old bones Ian]

next year see's the launch of the AIBA Professional Boxing format, this will involve boxers fighting without headguards and vests, these will be paid on a regular salaries system , this is the next step from the AIBA's World Series of Boxing . This has been running for a season and no British boxers have taken part.
International Boxing Association (AIBA) president Wu Ching-Kuo, has stated that 66 boxers from the Professional boxing format will take part in the Rio Olympics.

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/03052012/ ... t-rio.html

[damianhucker1]

Ive said for a while now that i can see an eventual split occuring where amateur and pro boxing splits into two codes a bit like rugby union and rugby league , i believe that eventually the aba types will have a pro section and that the pros willl take in the unlicensed stuff as a kind of amateur section to theres .

No doubt people will still have unlicensed boxing i just think that eventually we will have 2 distinct boxing codes and this is one of the steps towards that happening , may not be for 20 or 30 years but i do think its a possibility .

[Old bones Ian]

If I were a youngster and there was the option of boxing on a salary, even if that meant the chance of being one of the very few who makes millions was taken away, I'd snap it up. Providing, of course, the contract had a limit on the number of fights per year and the medical side of things was sensible etc...

I have to agree with you there, very few pro boxers make a good living out of boxing. And alot of good am's have lost their way once they've gone pro, missing the part of working in a team of boxers.

[wrimc]

What the heck are AIBA doing to the amateur side of the game?!

The WSB was an interesting experiment certainly but one that has not and will not work. I dont know where the funding is coming from as well for such a massive event considering the fact there is so little television coverage/gate receipts.

It is making things very confusing I think the BBBC and the ABA have done well to steer clear of these type of events. That said if these boxers are allowed to compete at the Olympics it might give them a significant advantage in terms of training, familiarity with opponents and potentially qualification as they award more places to WSB qualifiers.

[bripez]

If I were a youngster and there was the option of boxing on a salary, even if that meant the chance of being one of the very few who makes millions was taken away, I'd snap it up. Providing, of course, the contract had a limit on the number of fights per year and the medical side of things was sensible etc...

The top England lads are on funding of £27k tax free (so, over £40k a year to you and me).

On top of that, all of their training, physio and medical expenses are paid for (and no manager / trainer / promoter percentages to pay) - how many pro's earn that ?