Why don professional boxers compete at the olympics?
Boxing is the only sport in the Olympics that doesn’t allow professional athletes. Because the rules are different between Pro. Boxing and amateur boxing. In amateur rules, boxers wear protective helmets and points will be awarded based on the clean hits a boxer makes regardless of power since knockdowns don’t net the boxer extra points. As long as you touch your opponent cleanly with your knuckle without being blocked or parried, you’d get a point. So it’s more of a technical fight rather than power. In professional boxing the ultimate goal is the knockout and there are no protective helmets. Imagine the toll it would take on the body of a pro boxer if he would fight four times in a span of 2 weeks. Considering that prize earnings from winning a medal is significantly smaller than from PPV matches. This is why most amateur boxers use the Olympics as a springboard to pro boxing so boxers don’t stay around for the next Olympics. Hoping this helps. Ta.
