Boxing officials fight over including pros at the Olympics

The gloves are officially off, with boxing leaders duking it out over the prospect of welcoming pro fighters into the Olympic Games.

The International Boxing Assn. (AIBA) plans to invite dozens of professionals to the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Wladimir Klitschko will be competing under their national flags.

The AIBA is creating a pro boxing organization in which member fighters can be paid while still retaining their Olympic eligibility. The so-called APB will officially begin competitions next year.

In the alphabet soup world of boxing, this has raised the ire of the existing powers that be. World Boxing Council President Jose Sulaiman and prominent boxing promoters have complained the APB is trying to muscle in on their territory.

This weekend, the AIBA fired back with a statement asserting that it is merely looking out for the best interests of fighters who, through its new organization, can earn a living while continuing to pursue Olympic aspirations.

“AIBA understands the dreams and hopes of current professional boxers to compete in the Olympic Games,” the statement read.

Professionals at the Olympics are nothing new. Basketball and hockey have benefited from including the world’s top athletes. Given the infighting in recent months, it seems boxing might not make the shift so easily.

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