Professional fighters in the 2016 Olympics

[iamasadlittleboy]

So far pro's who have competed in the qualifying have been-

Geard Ajetovic (LOST to Raul Sanchez)

Norbert Nemesapati (LOST to Mateusz Tryc)

Petar Maukovic (LOST to Juan Carillo) - This one is interesting as Maukovic was 14-0 (13) in the pro ranks and was stopped inside a round!

Dilbag Singh (LOST to Petru Ciobanu)

Spas Genov (LOST to Jonathan Esquivel)

Evan Nedd (LOST to Ahmed Hefny)

Hermogenes Elizabeth Castillo (LOST to Hamza Touba)

Massimiliano Ballisai (LOST Vs Thulasi Tharumalingam)

Carlos Manuel Portillo (LOST Vs Volodymyr Matviychuk)

Israel Duffus (LOST vs Marko Calic)

 

Amnat Ruenroeng (WON Vs Arthur Bril)

Carmine Tommasone (WON Vs Oleg Dovgun)

Neeraj Goyat (WON Vs Pulikos Tsagrakos)

 

Interestingly Amnat and Tommasone are set to fight in the next round of their qualifying event, and the only fighter to have been stopped so far is a guy who is 14-0 (13) in the professional ranks. Not good for those who thought the professionals would be too good, too dangerous and too skills for the amateurs-who are most paid amateurs or "professionals" themselves.

 

Whether you agree or disagree with amateurs in the Olympics one thing that can't be argued is that they aren't all going to walk in and win gold medals left right and center. Many aren't going to reach the games anyway. Many top amateurs are actually rather fucking good....and it's their damned sport. A bit like an NFL player coming in to Rugby and thinking they will be the boss just because the two sports are similar.

[Ton]

Re: Professional fighters in the 2016 Olympics

 

Not exactly top tier pro's though are they??

 

Would be a bit different if the top guys decided to give it a bash which is what I think the initial uproar was about. When you had people like Amir Khan expressing an interest in it.

 

I'm still against them allowing pros in, but if that's going to be the case I hope that only those interested will be ones barely out of the amateurs anyway.

 

Is there monetary gain from taking part in Olympics?? Or purely just recognition/potential for sponsorship etc.

[iamasadlittleboy]

Re: Professional fighters in the 2016 Olympics

 

Not exactly top tier pro's though are they??

 

Would be a bit different if the top guys decided to give it a bash which is what I think the initial uproar was about. When you had people like Amir Khan expressing an interest in it.

 

I'm still against them allowing pros in, but if that's going to be the case I hope that only those interested will be ones barely out of the amateurs anyway.

 

Is there monetary gain from taking part in Olympics?? Or purely just recognition/potential for sponsorship etc.

 

Theirs no real money (which likely stopped most from bothering) but these also aren't the top tier amateurs (who have ALREADY qualified so aren't here). They were some unbeaten prospects though among the professional guys. The top pros with amateur styles (Lomachenko, Usyk, Rigondeaux, Khan) would likely have fared really well, however guys like Klitschko and Canelo wouldn't.

 

I'm not for or against, I just think the arguments made by a lot of people against it were a bit foolish, "safety" being the biggest myth among them. A bit like the EU referendum, I'd have liked to have seen someone make a GENUINE argument that held up. The Chinese event this year showed APB/WSB pros more than hold their own with professionals (Lu Bin schooled Xiong Zhao Zhong in a 10 round main event of that) and I suspect some top amateurs could easily hold their own against top professionals over the amateur format.

[WelshDevilRob]

Re: Professional fighters in the 2016 Olympics

 

Only names I really recognise are Geard Ajetovic and Amnat Ruenroeng. Think the main announcement came abit late for the Rio games could be a whole different story by the next ones.

 

WSB has been going for a few years now and people like Joyce are in the GB amateur squad. Believe Team GB is sending it's biggest ever squad.

[selij]

Re: Professional fighters in the 2016 Olympics

 

5 of the GB Squad competed in WSB

[pittbox]

Re: Professional fighters in the 2016 Olympics

 

Balissai compted for EBU title in the last fight. His defeat surprises me.

[iamasadlittleboy]

Re: Professional fighters in the 2016 Olympics

 

Newfel Ouatah out now too!

[steelfist]

Re: Professional fighters in the 2016 Olympics

 

no pros give the amatuers a chance

[iamasadlittleboy]

Re: Professional fighters in the 2016 Olympics

 

no pros give the amatuers a chance

 

The pros are getting beat on a consistent basis, which I think proves a point, they don't realise how good the amateurs are. Don't forget this is essentially the "also rans" of the amateur ranks who have failed in the previous qualifying events.

[pittbox]

Re: Professional fighters in the 2016 Olympics

 

To be honest only loses by Balisai and Ajetovic surprised me. Most of these guys build their records by beating bums and they would end being defeated by the first guy who knows how to throw a punch.

[Javier Ortega Nieto]

Re: Professional fighters in the 2016 Olympics

 

It is a shame and above have lost almost all except Amnat Ruenroeng and Hassan N'Dam N'Jikam. I think this has gone out of hand the lords of the AIBA in his eagerness to try to control the world boxing.