Pro boxers in the Olympics?

[Redhawk05]

I've asked a few boxing fans about this and haven't heard a straight answer, so I'll take it to the group:

Is there a rule that prevents pro boxers from entering the Olympics?

I understand the reasons why a pro boxers wouldn't want to fight in the Olympics. The styles/mindsets are too different, it's too risky from a money/health/reputation standpoint, etc. So I'm not saying it should or would ever happen.

But if somebody like, say, Bernard Hopkins or Sergio Martinez thought, "You know what? I've done everything I've set out to do in my career, but I don't have an Olympic gold medal" -- is there a rule saying they can't go out for the Olympic team? Is there an age limit or anything? I figure if pro athletes in sports like basketball, tennis, track, etc., can compete in the Olympics, wouldn't boxers have the same option?

[AdamGB]

No pros allowed.

[TigerFan]

They're gonna let pros fight in the Rio games in 2016.

Olympics-Professional boxers will fight in Rio, says AIBA chief | Reuters

[ryanman]

I've asked a few boxing fans about this and haven't heard a straight answer, so I'll take it to the group:

Is there a rule that prevents pro boxers from entering the Olympics?

I understand the reasons why a pro boxers wouldn't want to fight in the Olympics. The styles/mindsets are too different, it's too risky from a money/health/reputation standpoint, etc. So I'm not saying it should or would ever happen.

But if somebody like, say, Bernard Hopkins or Sergio Martinez thought, "You know what? I've done everything I've set out to do in my career, but I don't have an Olympic gold medal" -- is there a rule saying they can't go out for the Olympic team? Is there an age limit or anything? I figure if pro athletes in sports like basketball, tennis, track, etc., can compete in the Olympics, wouldn't boxers have the same option?

If you have fought for money you are a pro. The sport at the Olympics is amateur boxing. Two different sports.
I'm surprised you boxing fan friends didn't tell you that it's no pros allowed!

[ryanman]

They're gonna let pros fight in the Rio games in 2016.

Olympics-Professional boxers will fight in Rio, says AIBA chief | Reuters

Not proper pros really. That world series of boxing was a halfway house sort of thing. There is at least one fighter from the WSB at these games now.

[erics44]

i think the pros should be given the chance at the olymipcs

there is so little money in boxing for the pro's they shuld be given every opportunity

[rjj tszyu]

I'm not sure that all amateur boxers can really be called that anymore. After Audley won gold in 2000 he secured Lottery funding for the British amateur game and I'm led to believe that the top amateurs in Britain now are paid around £60k a year to remain amateur. Maybe @AdamGB maybe able to confirm whether this is true or not?

If this is true then they are not amateurs in the true sense of the word but then again look at the Olympics overall. People like Andy Murray and Roger Federer are pro tennis players, of that there is no argument. Usain Bolt is certainly not an amateur athlete either really. He has made a fortune from being the worlds fastest man.

The top and bottom of it is if you have had a pro fight or hold a pro licence of any form you are not even allowed in the corner let alone the ring in the olympics so yes OFFICIALLY speaking you have to be an amateur.

[erics44]

I'm not sure that all amateur boxers can really be called that anymore. After Audley won gold in 2000 he secured Lottery funding for the British amateur game and I'm led to believe that the top amateurs in Britain now are paid around £60k a year to remain amateur. Maybe Adam GB maybe able to confirm whether this is true or not?

If this is true then they are not amateurs in the true sense of the word but then again look at the Olympics overall. People like Andy Murray and Roger Federer are pro tennis players, of that there is no argument. Usain Bolt is certainly not an amateur athlete either really. He has made a fortune from being the worlds fastest man.

The top and bottom of it is if you have had a pro fight or hold a pro licence of any form you are not even allowed in the corner let alone the ring in the olympics so yes OFFICIALLY speaking you have to be an amateur.

if this is true this is very good money, a better living that the vast majority of pros

[TitoFan]

I'm not sure that all amateur boxers can really be called that anymore. After Audley won gold in 2000 he secured Lottery funding for the British amateur game and I'm led to believe that the top amateurs in Britain now are paid around £60k a year to remain amateur. Maybe Adam GB maybe able to confirm whether this is true or not?

If this is true then they are not amateurs in the true sense of the word but then again look at the Olympics overall. People like Andy Murray and Roger Federer are pro tennis players, of that there is no argument. Usain Bolt is certainly not an amateur athlete either really. He has made a fortune from being the worlds fastest man.

The top and bottom of it is if you have had a pro fight or hold a pro licence of any form you are not even allowed in the corner let alone the ring in the olympics so yes OFFICIALLY speaking you have to be an amateur.

That's the bottom line. And yes... it would be incredibly naive to think none of the boxers competing in the Olympics are getting paid anything to fight in their home countries. But you gotta draw the line somewhere, and the rule as it stands now is doing a pretty good job.

The idea of having an old, established fighter... who's made millions from the sport... like a Hopkins (as someone mentioned), or a Klitschko fight in the Olympics..... would just ruin the whole concept, IMO.

And yes... you have the Federers and the Nadals competing in tennis. But they're different sports. Somewhere along the line the decision was made to allow this type of player to compete in the Olympics, just as the decision was made at some point to replace the U.S. college basketball kids in the Olympics with NBA All-Stars. Does it make things better? Maybe it does for tennis and basketball... but I'd hate to see it happen for boxing.

[chris6878]

They always say no pros at the Olympics yet you have pro bball. Also track and field? They are all pros. They get at at the Olympics and at non Olympic meets. Drop the amateur shit and just let the best of the best go to work.

[Master]

The Olympic ideal has been tainted with the millionaire basket ball players and footballers all in the games. It should be for amateurs only.

Saying that I would love to see how B Hop, Klit brothers etc handled 3 rounds and the amateur system.

[Redhawk05]

If you have fought for money you are a pro. The sport at the Olympics is amateur boxing. Two different sports.

I'd say pro boxing and amateur boxing are two different styles, not two different sports.

I wonder how much discussion has actually gone on among Olympic boxing organizers about letting the "real" pros in. You can't deny it would give the sport a boost -- mainstream/casual fans would be way more likely to watch Olympic boxing if they knew who the fighters were. (Hell, it might be the only way we'll ever get Mayweather/Pacquiao!) And boxing might actually make it to primetime coverage.

Also, I don't think that as soon as you allow pros it'll ruin the Olympic boxing ideal. Like I said before, a lot of pros wouldn't even be interested. They'd have to give up a chunk of their year or more to commit to the Olympics, time they could be committing to preparing for paid fights. There's also the health risk for a tournament that wouldn't pay them millions, and the reputation risk that comes with the possibility of losing to an amateur. (Same reason many think LeBron James won't compete in the NBA dunk contest.)

So I don't think you'd have every weight class flooded with pros -- it'd be more like a handful of pros deciding to take a crack at it each Olympiad. But even that would give the sport more visibility and good press.

[Master]

De Gale and Khan would jump at the chance to have fought in this Olympics.

[Howlin Mad Missy]

it does take the piss when multi millionare football/basketball players get to play, however I can't see many pro's wanting to take part as the two styles it usually generates are quite different, lots of pitter-patter in and out in the am's only need to look at something like prizefighter in how it changed styles.

Let em fight but can't see too many being interested

[Master]

it does take the piss when multi millionare football/basketball players get to play, however I can't see many pro's wanting to take part as the two styles it usually generates are quite different, lots of pitter-patter in and out in the am's only need to look at something like prizefighter in how it changed styles.

Let em fight but can't see too many being interested

These are boxers with big egos like the footballers they would not resist it, especially the old ones that have done it all. To fight for only 3 rounds would be easier for them too.