August 12, 2024
Source: Boxing Scene
Photo Source: Boxing Scene
What is the point of Olympic boxing?
That’s the lingering question after the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, where only two non-professionals—Uzbekistan’s Asadkhuja Muydinkhujaev and Ukraine’s Oleksandr Khyzhniak—captured gold in the men’s competition. The women’s tournament offered a slightly more level playing field, but still saw professionals Algeria’s Imane Khelif and Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yu-ting take home gold. Both Khelif and Lin faced controversy before the Olympics, as a questionable organization initially ruled them ineligible due to a chromosome test. Despite the International Olympic Committee later allowing them to compete, the controversy surrounding that test overshadowed their Olympic achievements and performance.
From pros in the ring to tests sparking more buzz than the bouts themselves, the 2024 Olympic boxing scene was anything but focused on the action between the ropes. With so many professionals competing, keeping track of who was an amateur or professional was like chasing shadows. Meanwhile, Khelif and Yu-ting became the subject of so many memes, it was tough to sort fact from fiction.
Once a proving ground for rising amateurs destined for stardom, it’s now a stage dominated by pros who haven’t fully embraced the pro style—perhaps because a loss in the pros hurts more than in the amateurs. This shift, eight years in the making, began at the 2016 Olympics when the International Boxing Association (AIBA) voted overwhelmingly—84 out of 88 delegates—to allow professionals to compete, bringing boxing in line with sports like basketball and tennis.
Cameroon’s Hassan N'Dam N'Jikam became the first pro to step into the Olympic ring under the new rule. A multiple-time titleholder, N'Dam was defeated in the first round by Brazil’s Michel Borges, proving that being a seasoned pro doesn’t guarantee success in the amateur ranks. This defeat marked the beginning of a new era, despite how inconsequential it was.
A prime example of this shift is Uzbekistan’s Bakhodir Jalolov, who made history as the first super heavyweight to win two Olympic gold medals in his division—both as a professional. His dominance in the amateurs, despite his pro status, raises eyebrows. Jalolov, who turned pro in 2018 and boasts a record now of (14-0 with 14 KOs), delivered a memorable first-round knockout against U.S. super heavyweight Richard Torrez Jr. in 2019, highlighting the blurred lines between amateur and professional boxing. Now 30, Jalolov’s dual success begs the question: why did he turn pro if the amateur circuit remained his priority?
Uzbekistan's other gold medalists include flyweight Hasanboy Dusmatov, who also claimed gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics, featherweight Abdumalik Khalokov, and heavyweight Lazizbek Mullojonov—all of whom are professionals. Even Cuba's sole gold medalist, lightweight Erislandy Alvarez, is a professional.
Similarly, IBF women’s lightweight champion Beatriz Ferreira competed in her second Olympics, this time as a titleholder, winning bronze in 2024 after taking silver in 2020. Both times, she was bested by Ireland’s Kellie Harrington, who retired a career amateur after winning her second gold medal. While representing one’s country is a noble cause, the increasing involvement of professionals and inconsistent qualifying standards across countries have turned what was once the pinnacle of amateur boxing into a confusing spectacle, far removed from its roots. Boxing has always been more political than fair, and the current Olympic landscape reflects that reality.
U.S. welterweight Omari Jones secured a bronze medal, but American fight fans are already shifting their gaze to featherweight Jahmal Harvey. Harvey has hinted at the 2028 Olympics on social media, but if he decides to turn pro, the nation will be watching—even without a medal. Meanwhile, Britain’s super heavyweight Delicious Orie, once a favorite to medal, was eliminated on the first day yet still garners attention. In contrast, British welterweight Lewis Richardson claimed a bronze, only to be an afterthought. It’s not exactly a shining moment for some of the world’s biggest nations.
Both the U.S. and Great Britain ended with just a bronze, while Harrington’s gold was Ireland’s only medal. Countries not involving professionals are falling behind, with professionals dominating the medal counts. Looking back at the 2020 Olympics, the U.S. had four boxing medalists, two of whom—Keyshawn Davis and Duke Ragan—were already pros. The pandemic and varying qualification rules blurred the amateur-professional divide even further, and the qualification standard allowed the U.S. to have professionals in that Olympics.
The fundamental challenge is that amateur boxing is almost a different sport, one might even call it a game. Success hinges on winning the first round, as seen in the fights of Harvey, Jones, Morelle McCane, and Alyssa Mendoza. A narrow first-round loss can be like quicksand, pulling a fighter into a losing position that’s nearly impossible to escape.
Whether fair or not, the 2024 Olympics were one of the least captivating in terms of boxing. They showcased Uzbekistan’s dominance but also highlighted the uncertainty surrounding the future of amateur boxing. The fact that Uzbekistan’s Olympians continue to outshine their professional counterparts leaves many puzzled. Uzbekistan’s professional boxers, while dominant in the amateur ring, still have much to prove at the highest levels of the sport, with no clear crossover star emerging yet.
Now the Olympics feel more like the recent U.S. Olympic Trials—a significant event, but one that lacked the excitement and significance of the past. None of the USA Boxing Olympians fought at the Trials, stripping the event of its traditional all-or-nothing drama. The 2024 Olympics lacked buzz, partly because promising fighters chose to turn pro instead. The Olympic stage now seems reserved for career amateurs or those seeking life experience—not just the young stars who once honed their skills on the road to professional greatness and dreamed of being on Wheaties boxes. Instead, we see seasoned pros in their second or third Olympics, and we’re left wondering—why are they still doing this?
Have the Olympics "jumped the shark," a term originating from a famous scene from the TV show "Happy Days" in which“The Fonz”, played by Henry Winkler, literally jumps over a shark on water skis, signaling a decline in relevance and getting away from the show’s original mission statement. Similar concerns arose with Showtime's "Dexter" as its final season strayed from its original allure— a serial killer blending into everyday society with dark comedic undertones that had plenty of missteps in its conclusion. Now Olympic boxing, like other once-stellar entities, struggles to maintain its former glory with its future unclear, and the verdict on where it is going even more uncertain.
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