Saving Boxing for Los Angeles 2028

The Paris 2024 Olympic Games have ended, and in my view, many good things were achieved overall for what is the most important event in the world of sports.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) faces extremely complicated decisions at all times to achieve a balance between what the Olympic Charter states and the changes needed to maintain media interest, ratings, financial results, and the interest of new generations, both in practicing various sports and as an audience, so that they continue to follow these competitions with interest.

I would like to share my conclusions regarding boxing, a sport that is my concern.

Sigue leyendo:

Canadá quiere a México fuera del nuevo T-MEC en 2026: ¿cuáles serán las consecuencias?

Phew! Where to start? As of today, boxing is out of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. A titanic effort is required to ensure that our sport is included in the Olympics four years from now.

Why is boxing excluded? Due to the terrible management of AIBA (International Boxing Association) over decades. The IOC derecognized them, and currently, there is no International Federation recognized by the IOC for boxing.

What needs to be done?

The first step is to get the national boxing federations of many countries to affiliate with the new organization called World Boxing (WB), which has already made some progress with the IOC. The only thing missing is the affiliation of countries. For example, Mexico is not affiliated with WB because it remains affiliated with the IBA (formerly AIBA).

What happened in boxing at Paris 2024?

Overall, it was a very good competition in Olympic boxing, with only a couple of issues to discuss later. Here are the most important conclusions:

• 32 countries won medals in boxing.
• Uzbekistan dominated with five gold medals.
• Mexico won one silver.
• The U.S. only won one bronze.
• China won three golds and two silvers.
• Cuba won only one gold and one bronze.
• Three professional boxers participated and won medals.
• Men's boxing took place without headgear.
• Every day of the competition was sold out.
• There was a very high rating worldwide.

Boxing was practiced in these Olympic Games based on the competition rules that AIBA had. The IOC decided not to intervene in regulatory matters when they derecognized AIBA and only appointed an internal committee to handle the qualification and administration for Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024.

The most serious issue with these rules imposed by AIBA, since Rio 2016, was allowing professional boxers to be eligible to fight in the Olympic Games. The reasons were very clear—a business decision, without considering in the slightest the physical integrity of the athletes and the serious repercussions that such a measure could bring. Boxing is not a game; it is a contact sport. You don’t score baskets, it’s not golf or tennis, and you don’t break time records; it’s about a sport of punches.

They attempted to recruit Manny Pacquiao, Canelo Álvarez, Deontay Wilder, and any powerful champion, who undoubtedly would have injured a young boxer. The WBC imposed a two-year suspension on any professional who participated, and the measure was successful; only three professionals fought in Rio 2016, and they were of low level.

Another problem with the rules is that there is no minimum standard to guarantee the level of competition, which ties in with the previous issue. Just as Canelo could participate, any young boxer would face this super champion in four divisions.

In boxing, it is crucial to have a level of skills. In professional boxing, a debutant fights four rounds against a similar opponent, then six, eight, and 10 rounds, and then the championship level is 12 rounds. Or like in karate, where there are belt colors that demonstrate the level of that athlete.

One of my complaints about Paris 2024 was that three professionals participated, two from Uzbekistan who won gold medals at Tokyo 2020, turned professional, and are undefeated. They obviously won gold at these Olympic Games.

Super heavyweight Bakhodir Jalolov, with an amateur record of 104-14 and a professional record of 14-0 with 14 KOs, defeated Spain’s Ayoub Ghaofa, who had an amateur record of 37-24.

The other Uzbek, Hasanboy Dusmatov, with an amateur record of 124-13 and a professional record of 6-0, defeated France’s Billal Bennama, who had a record of 74-30.

Brazil’s Beatriz Ferreira took home a bronze medal. It couldn’t be clearer. Imagine facing a high-level professional, a world champion; it would be barbaric.

Another rule that I find difficult to accept is the removal of headgear for men. Several winners had to go home after getting cut and were unable to compete in the next fight.

Mexican boxer Marco Verde was cut on his left eyebrow and had to fight like that for the bronze medal. In the end, starting a fight with a cut is a huge disadvantage, a significant handicap!

The issue of women and the scandal that arose in Paris involving two female fighters with an evident issue of male chromosomes was something I mentioned last week. Both, Imane Khelif of Algeria and Lin Yu-ting of Chinese Taipei, obviously won gold.

Marco Alonso Verde Álvarez won the silver medal, losing 29-28 to Uzbek Asadkhuja Muydinkhujaev. Marco put up a great fight; if it had been judged like professional boxing, he would have won 30-27, without a doubt. A great silver medal that brings boxing back to Mexico’s medal count.

DID YOU KNOW...?

Mexico has won 14 Olympic medals in boxing; for decades, it was the sport that brought the most medals to our country. Unfortunately, in the last 38 years, only three medals have been won, which is why Marco Verde's silver medal feels like pure gold.

BY MAURICIO SULAIMÁN
PRESIDENT OF THE WBC
@WBCMORO