Benefits of Having Professional Female Boxers at the Olympics

Recently, the International Boxing Association made the blockbuster announcement that professional boxers would be allowed to compete at the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro.  Much has been made of the drawbacks of such an arrangement and I do understand and agree with many of them.

But in this blog post I will outline my list of the top 5 possible benefits of this decision for women's boxing as a whole.

1. Increased exposure of women's boxing.  Now I don't know what, if any, female professional boxers would be able to qualify but any big names would certainly increase interest and viewership.
2. Inclusive to the participation of more nations.  Some countries may not be able to qualify amateur boxers for the olympics but may be able to qualify professional boxers.
3. Increased exposure for female boxers.  Olympic boxing is well covered in the media and would provide female professional boxers much needed media exposure.
4. Cross 'pollination' of skills.  The addition of professional boxers will enhance the skill and technique of all female boxers.

With these in mind, I am leaning more in favour of seeing female professional boxers at the olympics.  I am certainly very interested in seeing how they would fare under the olympic rules.

What do you think?

Female Boxing - In Pictures

Boxing clubs around the world are attracting women in ever increasing numbers.  These clubs are producing a growing number of female recreational, amateur and professional fighters.  Some of these female fighters were pioneers and opened the doors for others to follow in their footsteps.  Here is a collection of photos that showcase the toughness, determination and boxing skills of the women who battle it out in the ring.