Manny
Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather
The New York Times quoted Wu Ching-kuo of
the amateur boxing federation as having stated,
“Professional boxers will be at Rio: I don’t know how many,
but they will be.” The amateur boxing board has been
broaching the subject of
potentially allowing professional boxers to compete at the
Olympics. The issue is scheduled for a vote at the end of
May 2016. Some are in favor of it, while others are against
the idea. Amateur boxers fight with headgear and are not
used to the hardcore level of fighting that goes on in the
ring at the professional level. It is something they have to
be somewhat eased into in order to become accustomed to in the ring.
Amateur boxers fighting professionals at the
Olympics likely would not be a level playing field (though
it would give some professional boxers the chance to finally
represent their country, such as the Philippines Manny
Pacquiao, who has expressed an interest in winning his
nation's first gold medal and I don't blame him). Imagine an
amateur boxer having to face Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather,
Tyson Fury or Deontay Wilder in the ring. It would be
an intimidating and daunting task. The professional boxer would
likely use
experience to win. However, there is also the possibility it
would bring up the level of talent in amateur boxers, which
could aid in their development (provided the professional
boxer doesn't punch the amateur to the moon).
As stated in the column previously, you can
see the progression in most boxers from their first
professional fight to approximately their tenth. The development begins to
show by the end of that time period. The body language
exudes more confidence. The punches become more precise. By
approximately their twentieth professional fight, if they progress
correctly, boxers look like confident, skilled pugilists,
who punch correctly and in a controlled manner.
