This content is protected Interesting story if true but I’m really not a believer in pros returning to the amateur game.
"Nothings really going to happen for me in the pro ranks for the next year, the Olympics could be a way of raising my profile............" No, when you make the decision to turn pro you should understand that anything amateur related you can't go back to, it's over. Happy to earn money on the Joshua v Ruiz jnr undercard with an easy fight against a barely there Molina, then wants a profile booster at the Olympics, that doesn't sit well with me.
Makes no difference really. He'll be fighting amateurs under amateur rules, which isn't what he has been spending the last few years training for. If anything, he'll be at a disadvantage.
Don't have a problem with it. Plenty of sports accept professionals at the Olympics. Why should boxing be different?
What if Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury say they want to enter the Olympics? What should be the pinnacle of the amateur sport getting messed up by Pro's dropping back into it when there's an opportunity to be showcased. The Olympics is for the amateur boxers, always has been, always should be. It's been a great way of showcasing future talent, we don't need pro's involved.
I don’t have a problem with it either. I can’t see it being good for his development as a pro though. And if he loses it’s not going to do his confidence or profile any good. The amateurs can be even dodgier than the pros as far as scorecards go, I’d focus on his pro career. But hey, just suggesting it has got us all talking about him...
True, but you don’t see Roger Federer up against an amateur player in the tennis for example. Boxing is clearly ‘amateur’ boxing and not for full time professionals
I can't think of a better showcase for an amateur than taking a professional world champion to school over 3 rounds
You reckon there's an amateur heavyweight that would take Tyson Fury to school over 3 rounds? Wilder I could possibly see as he could struggle to connect meaningfully for a while, but Fury? Can't see it personally.
Sure, why not? He got beat in the amateurs before and he's been training as a pro for years now, not as an amateur. Different style of fighting entirely against different fighters. The pro fighters would do better in WSB than they would the Olympics IMO.
He's also outboxed Vlad since then though and improved no end. I'm certainly not denying that it would be interesting but for me it should just be left as it is and I only think Hrgovic is suggesting doing it because he feels there's nothing else on for him this year.
I agree that I would rather the pros didn't go back but I don't think there should be anything to stop them. Him beating Wlad in the pro ranks doesn't really mean much to be honest, it's a different game altogether and he'd be boxing someone more used to and suited to the amateur format.
Agreed generally although one massive advantage is that he will (or at least should) be much fitter as he will (or at least should) be conditioned to do 10-12 rounds. I remember at the 2012 Olympics I was shocked at how unfit the HW amateurs were. There was one bloke from Cape Verde who genuinely gassed out after the first round.
