Printable View
It is a mistake. Let pros be pros and ams be ams. things are turning upside down in the sports world and while I am not a hard and fast traditionalist, I don't like ams competing against pros. If there are professional sports leagues, let them be professional. Let the amatuer kids fight amatuers.
Another thing, I DESPISE this bareknuckle bullshit. Would never watch shit like that. What the fuck next? Real street fights with weapons?
Quote:
Originally Posted by ykdadamaja
Agree on both points. I know some team sports have transitioned from "amateurs only" to pros (such as basketball). But I don't like it. It blurs the line that was drawn in the beginning of the Olympics between amateurs and professional (paid) athletes. If the Olympics are going to be invaded by pro athletes, what's the point?
I abhor bareknuckle fighting even more than I dislike MMA. I'm a traditional boxing fan, meaning I like traditional boxing (pardon the redundancy). Gloves, rules, go to a neutral corner after a knockdown, etc, etc, etc.
Seasoned elite pros aren't going to go to the Olympics and fight for free, but boxing is back in the Olympics for 2028. So the sport is safe for now but, beyond that ? Well, the IOC will have to find another federation that it can be recognized to run the amateur game worldwide. AIBA (the world governing body) for amateur boxing, will be officially thrown out of the Olympic movement.
If the day came when boxing (regarded by the Greeks as the most important event at the games between 775 BCE and AD 393) was eliminated from the games; to make more room for things like breakdancing, Synchronized Swimming, Beach Volleyball we could have expected Zues to rise up and curse the IOC to hell.
That would be disgraceful if they allow that to happen. The Olympics are desperately trying to make even more money with professionals in other sports being allowed which goes against everything that the Games stood for.
I would not mind retired boxers having a go.