Why allowing pro boxers at the Olympics could be worst in Games history

It’s official: the AIBA have decided that Olympic boxing will not only feature amateur pugilists but also established pros, effective immediately - essentially, starting from this summer’s Rio Games.

I’ve read almost all of the aftermath of this decision online. 99% of it, unsurprisingly, is aghast at the prospect of allowing the usual up-and-comers to mix it up with competitors far more hardened and experienced than they. They’re appalled that such a milestone moment for many boxers who may never achieve fame in the dog-eat-world of the professional game will be taken away forever by a more advanced athlete who, quite frankly, doesn’t need it.

One per cent of the reaction to this vote has instead moved to warn of its inevitability. Famed boxing broadcaster and writer Steve Bunce, for instance, had been forecasting this for years as the rumblings intensified in the boardrooms of the powers that be.

It’s worth noting, however, that 0% think it’s a good idea. Because it isn’t.

Several sports at the Olympics feature the very best in the field. Others are limited to a certain level of entry, or in some forms an age group. In boxing’s case, the Games are the top of the mountain at amateur level before a fighter would then, more than likely but not certainly, move into the professional ranks.

There are several reasons for this. Two in particular stand out to me.

Firstly, the Olympics are a strictly-organised and well-regimented collection of events which (at the very least attempt to) promote legitimate athletes. That fits into the nature of the unheralded amateurs moreso than the disjointed circus of financial lust the pros often resemble.

Secondly - and I cannot stress this enough - boxing is not like most other sports. Several Olympic events feature physical contact. Boxing is about physical combat. You play tennis, golf, handball. You don’t play boxing.

The potential for lop-sided contests brings a certain fear factor that the USA’s basketball team full of ringers cannot when they wipe the court with some poor nation just happy to participate. Boxer’s depend upon protection from matchmakers and officials, and that includes ensuring fights are as fair as possible. Professionals may agree to suffer serious injury in a certain defeat for a paycheck, but the Olympics aren’t about that.

It’s also worth noting that some pros will also actually run the risk of being the ones meeting an unfortunate fate due to this decision. Maintaining fighting weight without rehydrating straight after a bout isn’t so easy when you’re set for several bouts over a fortnight, as opposed to one every 4-6 months. Health risks will go through the roof.

The aforementioned inevitability of the decision comes in part from the unavoidable fact that amateur boxing simply doesn’t generate the interest (re: funds) that the pros do. Even with pro boxing allegedly ‘on its deathbed’ (which has been reported/claimed by some for at least two decades now), the money is at the box office, next to professional promoters.

Attempts have already been made to bridge the gap and convince the public that pro and amateur boxing are interchangeable. It had already been decided to drop headgear from Olympic boxing beginning this year, for starters. Another method is about to reach an annual climax in the coming days.

For several years, a season-long tournament called World Series of Boxing has featured nations comprising amateur boxers competing in bouts which use rules positioned somewhere between amateur and pro. In fact, I sat ringside at York Hall last week as the British Lionhearts reached their first final, which will take place in Uzbekistan against Cuba.

Unlike the ‘pros at the Olympics’ situation, the WSB (and counterpart the National Series of Boxing) is a spirited idea from the AIBA. Of course, it’s not exactly mainstream. As a result, it’s not good enough for those in charge.

Unfortunately, their latest attempt to draw attention away from the shark tank of professional promoters could be the costliest yet. Many of us will now be watching the boxing at the Rio Olympics and expecting a car wreck. I just hope everyone survives the wreckage.