Boxing at Paris 2024 (Les Jeux de la XXXIII Olympiade)

Wasn't saying the USA shouldn't be. Too early to say with slots yet to fill.

 

Yes but not the best 2023 campaign for the Croatian. (9-4 ytd, and stopped thrice in the last six months including his last two, and twice in rematches with guys Veočić had defeated last year)

 

Over all terrain no less, a few thousand kilometers inland!

 

I'm intrigued by British super heavyweight Delicious Orie. (that name!)

Apparently he's half Nigerian and half Russian, born in Moscow, moved to GB early on as his parents realized "oh hey wait it's actually super racist around here" and was on track to play college basketball before switching on a dime to boxing. He has faced two fellow declared Olympians this year, going 1-1 (a loss to Joshua Edwards of the US in May and most recently victory over Azerbaijani veteran Mahammad Abdullayev).

He also beat Yordan Hernández Morejon, another "Bulgarian" from Cuba. It would have been a shutout but Orie had a point taken in R3 for headbutts. It was an incredibly ugly fight, in which Hernández Morejon clinched nonstop, both men landed tons of rabbit punches in the clinch, and honestly both butted but only Orie got docked. All five judges had it 29-26 (3-0 in rounds, point deducted from Orie with the last round actually 9-8 as it had a standing eight when Hernández Morejon was badly rocked)

Jalolov obviously has to be considered top seed at 92+ but a few to keep an eye out for.

 

Yeah they officially denied it.

https://www.perild.com/2023/10/11/t...acquiao-to-participate-in-the-paris-olympics/

I mean, he is 45. I get that he's a legend and yadda-yadda, but it's a bad look to make an exception for him and then have a bunch of other guys over the previous AIBA age limit (which the IOC is keeping) potentially come crawling out of the woodwork with "well you did it once already" and have to explain "oh no, that one guy, he's special". Even if you happen to feel he is special enough to warrant a bend in the rules, it's sort of a bad look to make the whole system grind to a halt for one individual.

If it was something he really wanted he could have gotten in for Rio since since that's the first time they allowed pros and he was still 38 and under the age limit. It would have meant giving up the Senate seat he'd just won, but the choice was his. That was his window, and it closed. End of story.

 

It's possible boxing will be removed from the slate of Summer Games in 2028 in Los Angeles. It has featured consistently since 1920.

So tune in for Paris, because it could be the last one for a while...

 

I get it. But from a Pac loving perspective, sure it'd be nice for him to grab a gold medal, but - was he really going to be a shoe-in to do so at 45yo, having not even fought pro in three years? And wouldn't it tarnish his image a bit to lose to some kid half his age?

 

Wlad K has been lobbying hard for the IOC to bar not just Russian but also Belarusian athletes.

 

Round of 64 in the Italian qualifier prelims happening now:

https://boxrec.com/en/event/892189

https://www.youtube.com/@Olympics/featured