Many sports in the Olympics have a long and rich history of its top athletes winning gold. For some reason, boxing is not one of them. Despite being a very diverse sport, top fighters don’t compete at The Games and it leads to the question of why that’s the case.
Boxers such as Oleksandr Usyk, Lennox Lewis, George Forman, and Oscar De La Hoya were all gold medalists in the Olympics, but this was before they decided to go pro. However, top professionals have not previously competed by choice, as there were rules that prevented them from doing so.
Why Pro Boxers Haven’t Competed in Past Olympics
The reason why pro boxers haven’t competed in previous Olympics is simply because they weren’t allowed to. Until a rule change in 2016, pros were not allowed to compete in the Olympics. Olympic Boxing was made for amateur athletes to showcase their skills before they turned pro.
It was seen as a developmental pathway and still is although pros are now allowed to compete. The reason that pros were not allowed to compete is it would make it much tougher for these amateurs who are supposed to be the main competitors in Olympic Boxing.
This is different from other sports such as basketball and tennis, where the best athletes in those sports are eligible to compete. That makes it much more interesting for fans, as they have a sense of who is competing and what the future would look like. However, even though pro boxers are now allowed in the Olympics, many top stars have decided not to take that jump.
Why Top Boxers Aren’t Competing Now
There are multiple reasons boxers decide not to compete for their countries, but the main one is that the rules in the Olympics are much more different than the standard boxing rules. Instead of a standard 10-round fight, Olympic matches are only 3 rounds, which gives much less time for athletes to turn the bout in their favor. There are also five judges in the Olympics instead of the professional three, so pro fighters would have extra stress put on them to impress each one of them.
Since most top pros are accustomed to 10-12 rounds, it would be difficult for them to adapt to this format as they have not fought in the amateurs in years. Terence Crawford, for example, hasn’t had a fight that ended within 3 rounds since 2017, and even that was scheduled for a championship 12. Because he has gained so much experience in longer fights, it will be difficult for him to adjust back to an amateur style.
Another reason high-level boxers may not want to compete in the Olympics is that they would be losing a lot of money that they could be earning from pro fights. The United States only awards gold medalists $37,500, which is not even close to what these fights make. Gervonta Davis took home a 5 million dollar payout from his fight with Ryan Garcia, so competing in the Olympics could feel like a step down for someone like him.
Will Olympic Boxing Change?
The question now becomes whether or not Olympic Boxing will change and if more high-level professionals will start competing. Undefeated pro Bakhodir Jalolov is 14-0 and has been competing in the pros for six years, but he still competing in the 2024 Olympics. His experience has definitely helped him as he has made his way to the quarter-finals where he will look to continue his run.
Although pro boxers are deciding to step into the Olympics to represent their countries, it’s not likely that top fighters will be doing the same. Someone on the level of Canelo Alvarez will never find themselves competing in the Olympic games for multiple valid reasons. However, more pro boxers will continue to get involved in the Olympics and aim to win one of the most prestigious sports awards, a gold medal.
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