Look Ma! No Helmets!
Boxing at the 2016 Rio Olympics delivers action in the first four days.
No, we didn’t get big name professional fighters like Mayweather, Jr., Pacquiao, or Ward at the 2016 Rio Olympics [1]. But we did get a return to professional style rules and action.
The one-point-per-punch scoring system and helmets have been abandoned. Now, as in the professional ranks, rounds are won by “effective aggression”. Essentially, fighters must display a desire to win and a skillful control of the match.
The Action Is Back!
The emphasis on effective aggression has raised the level of activity. In every match, at least one of the fighters has pushed the pace, taking the new guidelines to heart.
Some veteran amateur champions have appeared to struggle to update their strategies. Clemente Russo (Italy) nearly lost a decision when his jab-and-run style met the swarming Hassen Chaktami (Tunisia). Similarly, none of the professional fighters who entered the tournament remain.
Seeing the athletes’ faces again has been nice as well. You can’t help but emotionally connect with these boxers, as they participate in the biggest contests of their lives.
Cuts have been a problem, as some critics feared. But the trade-off is a noticeable improvement in technical defense. Without the bulky helmets, it is easier for boxers to see punches coming. In turn, it is easier for viewers to see the difference between grazing blows and solid punches.
A Cut Above
Most of the cuts have appeared to result from accidental contact to the eyebrows. After years of fighting with the helmets on, it’s possible the fighters haven’t yet learned how to protect their brows.
Several fighters have shown the habit of leading with their eyebrows rather than their gloves or forehead. This means unnecessary blunt contact between eyebrows and forearms or foreheads.
Regardless of the cause, it will be a shame if any boxers are disqualified from advancing due to a cut. If this happens to a high profile competitor, expect a return of headgear at the next Olympic games.
The Rules You’re Used To
Some things are the same from amateur boxing to professional boxing, all the way to MMA. Punches to the back of the head remain a problem in Rio, just as in any other combat sport.
Though explicitly against the rules, dating back to 1867 [2], boxers continue to get away with punches to the back the head, also known as “rabbit punches,” in competition. In Rio, the referee will often stop the action and warn the fighters, but I have yet to see a point deducted, or a fighter disqualified.
This is a huge problem for boxing.
Proper enforcement of the rabbit punching rule could go a long way to restoring the reputation of boxing.
The referees in Rio have been better than their professional boxing counterparts when it comes to policing the clinch. Overt holding is illegal in both amateur and professional boxing, but many top professional fighters are allowed to hold and wrestle endlessly.
In Rio, the referees have been quick to break up clinching fighters. No points have yet been deducted for the infraction, but there has been an obvious increase in boxing action thanks to the separations.
These Olympic games have favored the hungry fighters, and that is very good for boxing fans!
Ok, Ok, But How Is The Judging?
So far, so good. I haven’t found cause to be angry with the judges’ decisions yet. Perhaps the extra attention, after rumors of wild corruption, is keeping everyone honest.
Even in bouts between celebrity athletes and newcomers, the decisions have been fair. This has been a great relief for true fans of the sport.
With solid judging, Olympic Boxing’s tournament format can shine. No one will have to wait years for fighters to agree to contractual terms, as in the professional ranks. Here, in Rio, the best will face the best.
You Should Be Watching
Monday morning, most of us were busy starting another work week. Brazilian heavyweight Juan Goncalves Nogueira was trying to pull off one of the biggest upsets in boxing history. Nogueira was the “Rocky Balboa” to Russian star Evgeny Tischenko’s “Ivan Drago”.
It was the kind of classic boxing opera usually reserved for Hollywood movies. This fight was better than anything scripted. Tischenko was forced to exchange with the pressuring Brazilian, barely managing to emerge victorious with his long reach and cleaner technique.
All boxing fans should be watching the games, if only on their phones.
Unfortunately, NBC’s coverage of the sport is not easy to locate. The NBC Sports website is not user-friendly for boxing fans. Below, thanks to a Google search, is the home of live streaming boxing:
http://www.nbcolympics.com/live-stream-schedule/boxing
The ESPN 2016 Summer Olympics Schedule provides details of all events, and competitors, in one elegant list:
http://www.espn.com/olympics/summer/2016/schedule
I recommend using the ESPN list as a reference while watching the NBC live stream.
See you at the fights!
Footnotes:
- Professionals were allowed to compete in these Olympics, though discouraged.
- Boxing created the rule against “rabbit punching” in the days of dirt rings and bare knuckles. Official documentation of the rule is within the 1867 “Marquess of Queensberry Rules”.
