No stopping pro boxers in Rio

AIBA president Dr. Ching Kuo Wu of Taiwan isn’t waiting four more years to welcome pro boxers to the Olympics. He broached the idea of making Olympic boxing an open competition, like basketball, six years ago and with the Rio de Janeiro Games a few months away, the way is clear for a veritable free-for-all.

It wasn’t an overnight whim, to be sure. Slowly but surely, AIBA moved to break down barriers from an exclusively amateur domain to a wide open universe. AIBA set up two pro leagues – in 2010, the World Series of Boxing with team franchises representing cities and in 2013, the AIBA Pro Boxing where eight fighters ranked in 10 weight divisions face off to determine the top two to qualify for the Olympics. Rules were modified to reflect the transformation as now, AIBA bouts are held without headgear or vests and scored by a panel of judges under the 10-point must system.

However, AIBA bouts for men are three rounds of three minutes each and weigh-ins are held on the morning of each fight. It may not be that easy for a pro boxer to immediately adjust to AIBA conditions but for an experienced champion like Manny Pacquiao, the switch shouldn’t be too difficult.

Dr. Wu has invited Pacquiao to compete in Rio and the Filipino icon won’t need to go through a qualifying tournament. He’ll be awarded a wildcard ticket for either the lightwelterweight or welterweight division. In Olympic boxing, the lightwelterweight division has a limit of 141 pounds and the welterweight division has a limit of 152. Boxing trainer Freddie Roach said if Pacquiao decides to fight in Rio, he’ll likely enter the lightwelterweight class. Roach added he’ll be in Rio, too, to work the Filipino’s corner if the decision is a go.

Initially, Dr. Wu said he would allow pros to compete in the Olympics if they hadn’t figured in more than 15 prizefights and they had to sign contracts with AIBA relinquishing ties to governing bodies like the WBC, WBA, WBO or IBF. Dr. Wu has since softened his stand on both issues, presumably to entice more pros to try their luck at the Olympics.

Pacquiao, 37, is undecided at the moment. He’s in the middle of an election campaign and his focus is running for a Senate seat. After beating Timothy Bradley early this month, Pacquiao announced his retirement. But it doesn’t mean he can’t un-retire. Fighting to win for the Philippines a first-ever Olympic gold medal is a patriot’s dream. An Olympic gold medal for the Philippines would be more prestigious than eight world titles in different divisions as a professional.

In Pacquiao’s case, his entry as a competitor in Rio will depend on a wildcard from the tripartite commission (made up of the IOC, AIBA and the Association of National Olympic Committees) and accreditation from the POC on ABAP’s endorsement. This will be Pacquiao’s only chance to fight in the Olympics as the age limit for boxing is 40 years old. He’ll be overage by the 2020 Tokyo Games.

Dr. Wu said there is no imminent danger or risk of serious injury to an amateur fighter facing a pro in Rio. “This is a total misunderstanding of our qualifying,” he told John Dennen in Boxing News (London). “How could a young, inexperienced boxer qualify? He will face the whole world in qualifying. If he’s not good enough, not competent enough, he will not be qualified for the Olympics. Only experienced, competent and very good boxers have the opportunity to qualify. Maybe, people don’t understand we have qualifying.”

Dr. Wu said an AIBA Extraordinary Congress will be held in late May or early June to amend the Constitution so that pros may compete in the Olympics. The amendment is a done deal. “I think we will welcome pros in Rio,” he said. “The Olympics have to have the best boxers in principle. The IOC principle is the best athletes should be in the Olympics. We are probably the last international federation without pro athletes in the Olympics. Now, I think we are in line with the IOC so only good boxers go to the Olympics. We are ready. The (pro) competition already exists (in AIBA), the APB for two years, WSB for six years now. Why wait for another four years? IOC passed Agenda 2020 and I think we are the only international federation without pros.”