Olympics-Pro boxers who compete in Rio will lose titles-IBF

[Like a Boss]

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/ibf-says-s ... --box.html

Professional boxers who compete at this year's Olympics will be stripped of their International Boxing Federation titles, the IBF said in a statement on Monday.

Professional boxers were given the green light to compete at the Aug. 5-21 Rio Games earlier this month but the IBF is unhappy with the decision and said there was an inherent safety risk with professionals competing against amateurs.

[Like a Boss]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/ ... 0-15-34-27

Although Olympic qualifying continues next month, the likelihood of any prominent pros fighting in Rio appears to be slim. Most major boxers have already decided not to attempt it, including Manny Pacquiao, Wladimir Klitschko, Sergey Kovalev, Gennady Golovkin, Andre Ward and two-time gold medalists Vasyl Lomachenko and Zou Shiming.

[Baby Face Finster]

I like that rule. Pros should not be competing at the Olympics IMO.

[JMac]

All of the alphabet titles are useless and almost nobody in the world knows who any champions are. Amateur boxers are not really amateur anymore if they make the national team since they get paid.
I've been an amateur coach for over 30 years and the AIBA decision does not bother me and I don't coach "pros".

[Boxing Prospect]

I really don't get the "safety" aspect of their complaints...the IBF have recently given some inept fighters mandatory statuses, they didn't punish Lamont Peterson for his drugs use and numerous other cases of "unsafe" decisions...

I'm not sure where I sit on the pros in the Olympics, but I tend to feel a lot of the arguments against it are very stupid arguments.
"Oh it will stop the young guys"-Yeah well I guess we should use an age limit them...then again look at the ages of some fighters who have already qualified-
Birzhan Zhakypov (31)
Julião Henriques (34/35)
Ronald Serugo (31/32)
Khedafi Djelkhir (32)
Clemente Russo (33)

Oh noes! Those oldies are gonna batter the kids!

In China this year a number of WSB and APB (professionals remember!) faced "normal" professionals in a show, with the WSB/APB fighters winning every bout against "normal" professionals, with Xu Bin dominating former world champion Xiong Chao Chong in a 10 round bout....and that's another point, the WSB and APB guys are paid professionals yet very little complaints are made about them being in the Olympics...

[JMac]

In China this year a number of WSB and APB (professionals remember!) faced "normal" professionals in a show, with the WSB/APB fighters winning every bout against "normal" professionals, with Xu Bin dominating former world champion Xiong Chao Chong in a 10 round bout....and that's another point, the WSB and APB guys are paid professionals yet very little complaints are made about them being in the Olympics...

I think those that are complaining don't really know what WSB / APB is and would just lump them in with the other pros. Hell I've seen many "B" side pros on local pro shows that would have a hard time winning a novice amateur fight. Just being a pro does not mean you are good since anybody who can pass a physical can turn pro even without ever boxing as an amateur. The top amateurs in the world would beat most 4-8 round pros.

[gilgamesh]

Any Pro Boxer that competes in the Olympics I'll root against for the rest of their days.

[Deadendgeneration]

Any Pro Boxer that competes in the Olympics I'll root against for the rest of their days.

This all over.

[Syntax Error]

That would be not great loss.

There are plenty more trinkets in the boxing sea for boxers to fight for.

[jewboypgh]

People ain't right. Putin pros in there sucks. Bad move by the Olympic committee.and while their making changes how bout Putin fights back in free tv for people like me to watch

[crusader]

Recent IBF 112 champ Amnat Ruenrong is competing in an Olympic qualifying event--at 132 pounds.

[man]

the IBF is unhappy with the decision and said there was an inherent safety risk with professionals competing against amateurs.

what?

[Like a Boss]

the IBF is unhappy with the decision and said there was an inherent safety risk with professionals competing against amateurs.

what?

The IBF's wording could perhaps have been clearer. But what mean, or at least intended to mean, was the professionals presented a safety risk to the amateurs, and I think that is fair enough comment.

[Boxing Prospect]

the IBF is unhappy with the decision and said there was an inherent safety risk with professionals competing against amateurs.

what?

The IBF's wording could perhaps have been clearer. But what mean, or at least intended to mean, was the professionals presented a safety risk to the amateurs, and I think that is fair enough comment.

...what risk?
These amateurs aren't lil kids who have never stepped into the ring and these pro's aren't all killers, and aren't the gloves heavier too? And aren't most, at least at this qualifying event, WSB/APB professionals anyway?...

[Like a Boss]

what?

The IBF's wording could perhaps have been clearer. But what mean, or at least intended to mean, was the professionals presented a safety risk to the amateurs, and I think that is fair enough comment.

...what risk?
These amateurs aren't lil kids who have never stepped into the ring and these pro's aren't all killers, and aren't the gloves heavier too? And aren't most, at least at this qualifying event, WSB/APB professionals anyway?...

There can be huge differences between experienced pros and inexperienced amateurs and we know mismatches can result in injury.

[s21]

tbh I don't really understand about these 'injury risk' concerns.

All the amateurs that are sent in the tournament are top amateurs and far above from the average amateurs. If those guys turn pro, they'll probably be above average pros.

Besides, mismatches often happen in pro as 'tune-ups'. Serious injuries normally happened in close competitive matches that goes long, not matches that finished quick like what normally happened in tune-ups.

[dw01]

There's a lot of variables/factors to this, in my eyes.

Is there a difference in styles between amateur and professional? Yes, I believe there is. Past Olympics have shown an awful lot of tip-tap point-scoring. Putting those fighters in against a heavy-hitting pro could be a disaster, particularly if the amateurs are just not used to that sort of power. Of course, there's counter-arguments to this.


Another viewpoint is that you could potentially have the weakest amateur vs the strongest pro. Again, health risks?


On the other side, all Olympic boxers should be the strongest in their division, in their respective Nations. They should be adapting their training to prepare to take on a seasoned pro, or a fast, snappy, point-scoring ammy.


I think that the top-10 pro's may choose to avoid the Olympics. Maybe the odd one may be an exception, but I can't see Tyson Fury, or Klitschko taking part.

[Boxing Prospect]

There can be huge differences between experienced pros and inexperienced amateurs and we know mismatches can result in injury.

1-This is an Olympic qualification event, not a novices tournament. The amateurs aren't novices or inexperienced kids, but are high level amateurs. If this was a novices competition I'd agree but it's not.

2-We have mismatches in the professional ranks, the IBF causing some of those...JoJo Dan Vs Kell Brook anyone?

3-Injuries occur in boxing in all levels, should we ban boxing in general just to prevent injuries?

[Boxing Prospect]

Another viewpoint is that you could potentially have the weakest amateur vs the strongest pro. Again, health risks?

Why would we believe any national organisation would send such a poor amateur? Some top amateurs can't even make national selection (Satoshi Shimizu I'm looking at you). It's not a free for all qualification event.

[Boxing Prospect]

So far pro's who have competed in the qualifying have been-
Geard Ajetovic (LOST to Raul Sanchez)
Norbert Nemesapati (LOST to Mateusz Tryc)
Petar Maukovic (LOST to Juan Carillo) - This one is interesting as Maukovic was 14-0 (13) in the pro ranks and was stopped inside a round!
Dilbag Singh (LOST to Petru Ciobanu)
Spas Genov (LOST to Jonathan Esquivel)
Evan Nedd (LOST to Ahmed Hefny)
Hermogenes Elizabeth Castillo (LOST to Hamza Touba)
Massimiliano Ballisai (LOST Vs Thulasi Tharumalingam)
Carlos Manuel Portillo (LOST Vs Volodymyr Matviychuk)
Israel Duffus (LOST vs Marko Calic)

Amnat Ruenroeng (WON Vs Arthur Bril)
Carmine Tommasone (WON Vs Oleg Dovgun)
Neeraj Goyat (WON Vs Pulikos Tsagrakos)

Just think about that for a moment...and also realise Maukovic is the ONLY fighter to have been stopped so far in the qualifying competition

[PredatorHayds]

So far pro's who have competed in the qualifying have been-
Geard Ajetovic (LOST to Raul Sanchez)
Norbert Nemesapati (LOST to Mateusz Tryc)
Petar Maukovic (LOST to Juan Carillo) - This one is interesting as Maukovic was 14-0 (13) in the pro ranks and was stopped inside a round!
Dilbag Singh (LOST to Petru Ciobanu)
Spas Genov (LOST to Jonathan Esquivel)
Evan Nedd (LOST to Ahmed Hefny)
Hermogenes Elizabeth Castillo (LOST to Hamza Touba)
Massimiliano Ballisai (LOST Vs Thulasi Tharumalingam)
Carlos Manuel Portillo (LOST Vs Volodymyr Matviychuk)
Israel Duffus (LOST vs Marko Calic)

Amnat Ruenroeng (WON Vs Arthur Bril)
Carmine Tommasone (WON Vs Oleg Dovgun)
Neeraj Goyat (WON Vs Pulikos Tsagrakos)

Just think about that for a moment...and also realise Maukovic is the ONLY fighter to have been stopped so far in the qualifying competition

I saw this coming.

Unless the pro has the style to adapt to a frenetic pace of a 3 round fight he's going to struggle.
Power isn't a equaliser due to the weight of gloves.
I'm really interested to see N'Dam over the next couple of days.
Tommasone has a chance of qualifying I think.

[Boxing Prospect]

So far pro's who have competed in the qualifying have been-
Geard Ajetovic (LOST to Raul Sanchez)
Norbert Nemesapati (LOST to Mateusz Tryc)
Petar Maukovic (LOST to Juan Carillo) - This one is interesting as Maukovic was 14-0 (13) in the pro ranks and was stopped inside a round!
Dilbag Singh (LOST to Petru Ciobanu)
Spas Genov (LOST to Jonathan Esquivel)
Evan Nedd (LOST to Ahmed Hefny)
Hermogenes Elizabeth Castillo (LOST to Hamza Touba)
Massimiliano Ballisai (LOST Vs Thulasi Tharumalingam)
Carlos Manuel Portillo (LOST Vs Volodymyr Matviychuk)
Israel Duffus (LOST vs Marko Calic)

Amnat Ruenroeng (WON Vs Arthur Bril)
Carmine Tommasone (WON Vs Oleg Dovgun)
Neeraj Goyat (WON Vs Pulikos Tsagrakos)

Just think about that for a moment...and also realise Maukovic is the ONLY fighter to have been stopped so far in the qualifying competition

I saw this coming.

Unless the pro has the style to adapt to a frenetic pace of a 3 round fight he's going to struggle.
Power isn't a equaliser due to the weight of gloves.
I'm really interested to see N'Dam over the next couple of days.
Tommasone has a chance of qualifying I think.

Think Tommasone needs to face Amnat to progress, so that could be very interesting

[PredatorHayds]

Amnat surely to heavy to get through.

I don't know if I want the pros to succeed or fail.

The Ajetovic defeat would of sent shockwaves through AIBA.
They were really hoping for Manny to go to boost the profile IMO.
In reality N'Dam and Ruenroeng only world level fighters there.

[gregor]

Professional boxers who compete at this year's Olympics will be stripped of their International Boxing Federation titles, the IBF said in a statement on Monday.

Quite unlikely any titleholder would go for Olympics, with or without IBF threats. For them, it is high risk (competing a couple of times over short period of time... it is easy to lose even by simple injury) and no reward (a possible careeer boost by Olympic medal does not apply as they are already on top).

Any Pro Boxer that competes in the Olympics I'll root against for the rest of their days.

Why so? Do you always root against Cuban ( "professional" amateurs)?

[man]

the IBF is unhappy with the decision and said there was an inherent safety risk with professionals competing against amateurs.

what?

The IBF's wording could perhaps have been clearer. But what mean, or at least intended to mean, was the professionals presented a safety risk to the amateurs, and I think that is fair enough comment.

ok. that indeed does make sense.