The AIBA is Now Taking Head Gear from Amateur Fighters in the 2016 Rio Olympics

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By Jeffrey “Italian Medallion” Cellini

Once again, there is big news coming out of Rio concerning boxing at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. For the first time since the 1980 Moscow Games, the AIBA has decided that male boxers will step into the ring without headguards. AIBA president Wu Ching-kuo has stated in recent months that the commission came to that conclusion based on “both our statistical research and the feedback from boxers and coaches”. He also believes “that this is the best outcome for our sport.” The argument will definitely start over again on whether or not this is the right decision for those fighters entering the squared circle.

President Wu Ching-kuo has reminded the critics that AIBA’s team-based World Series of Boxing (WSB) and individual APB Boxing, whose competitors fight for money while remaining eligible for the Olympics, have no headguards or vests. He firmly believes that the AIBA commission has made the right decision and that the fighters’ health is a major factor behind the decision.

Mike Loosemore of the English Institute of Sport (EIS), who carried out research for the IOC after AIBA requested headguards be removed for Rio, supports the move. “There’s three pieces of research that I personally have done which led me to the conclusion that removing headguards was a good thing,” he told Reuters. He backs up his claims by using statistical analysis gathered between 2009 and 2013 which compared the number of knockouts and stoppages due to head blows in world series boxing against amateur fights during that time period. Loosemore points out that “there was a marked reduction in knockouts and stoppages in 2013 when the headguards were removed.”

Some critics are claiming that the line between professional and amateur boxing has started to become blurred, especially with the AIBA allowing pro fighters to participate in this year’s summer games. However, that is not necessarily true, because boxers fought headgear free at the 2013 and 2015 world championships as well as the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

The reason why there may be a reduction in knockouts and stoppages may be due to the fact that the fighters will not be as careless when they are just trying to slug it out. The general consensus among members of the commission is that the fighters are willing to take a blow to give a blow because they feel that wearing head protection will keep them from harm. By removing the headgear, they are trying to eliminate the boxers from taking additional punishment. Furthermore, by removing the headgear, the fighters will actually have better vision in the ring and will see the more damaging punches that come from the side.

Removing headgear from the fighters at the summer games is also a better way for the sport to promote itself for the future. It is easier to market a fighter if the public can better identify them from past success, especially if comes from the Olympic Games. Boxing has to do more if the sport wants to attract more talented athletes to the business.

Olympic boxing darlings like Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Sugar Ray Leonard and Michael Spinks made themselves stars at the amateur level because they did not wear headgear. Their faces were not hidden behind some protective gear, but were out in the open for audiences to embrace. Their stardom was created way before making their first professional fight because the American audience had embraced them while they were performing on center stage at the Olympics. The marketability for young promising fighters will definitely improve because of this decision by the AIBA commission.

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