Azumah Nelson is not happy.

On Wednesday, the International Boxing Association (AIBA) -- the recognized international amateur boxing governing body -- made an unprecedented move to allow professional fighters to compete in the Olympic Games.

Boxing was one of the few sports that had not been open to all professional athletes but AIBA say this is to ensure that the world’s best athletes are eligible to compete at the event. 

The change is supposed to level the playing field but many top boxing names have blasted the decision.

"Well, you know, it's difficult to say something about it. Amateur is amateur. Professional is professional," he began.

The three-time world champion in two weight classes, widely regarded as Africa's greatest boxer of all time, dominated the featherweight and super featherweight divisions in the '80s and early '90s.

 "I don't know what to say because they are in charge of the sport and they think this is good, but I don't think it is a good idea," Nelson told Joy Sports.

The AIBA vote saw 95 per cent of member federations in favour, and a total of 26 places in the Rio tournament will be made available at a qualifying event in Venezuela next month.

But even Azumah, whose dream of winning an Olympic gold medal were shattered after Ghana boycotted the 1980 Olympic Games to protest the Soviet invasion in Afghanistan, won't go back if he could.

The former two-time WBC super featherweight champion - and also former WBC featherweight champion - had a stellar amateur career, competing at the 1978 Commonwealth Games where he won a gold medal in the Featherweight class, and compiling an amateur record of 50-2.

"I hope the reason why they did this will work. But I don't think it is a good idea".

WHY AIBA DID THIS

AIBA spokesman Nicolas Jomard said there would be no wild cards, with the age limit at 40 for the athletes. Northern Ireland's Carl Frampton, a former amateur who has won WBA and IBF world title belts at super-bantamweight, was also against allowing professionals into the Olympics.

"They're two different sports. It's like a badminton player playing tennis," he said on Twitter.

But Jomard rejected claims of a disparity. "There has been a lot of talk about disparity of level," Jomard said. "But it is not true."

He said professionals would just need to adapt to a different set of rules that was Olympic boxing. "Olympic boxing has existed for decades and it is for them (professionals) to adapt and not the other way around. Why should we adapt for a minority?"

"We are acting for the Olympic legacy of boxing. This is not just a one-off thing."

Amateur boxing has had its share of Olympic champions who have gone on to become top professionals, among them Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Lennox Lewis, Oscar De La Hoya and Vladimir Klitschko. 

And many of them are unhappy with this move.

REACTION

Former world heavyweight champion Tyson, who as an amateur won gold at the 1981 and 1982 Junior Olympic Games, said on that professional boxers would be stunned by the fast-paced fighting style of the amateur fighters. And he had more choice words, too.

“It’s ridiculous, it’s foolish, and some of the pro fighters are going to get beat by the amateurs. It’s just going to happen, I really believe that,” the 49-year-old told Reuters TV in China, where he is attending the 33rd IBF convention. 

“If they are like the amateur fighters that I was fighting in the 80s… they are going to beat some of the champions. It’s just going to happen. These guys will be fast for three or four rounds, and these guys are not going to be accustomed to that.”

Another former heavyweight world champion Lennox Lewis, who was a 1988 Seoul Olympic gold medallist, tweeted, “The AIBA decision also devalues the Olympics as the pinnacle of achievement for amateur fighters.”

Several other issues may also pose questions about the amalgamation of amateur and professional boxing. World Cup medal winning boxer Venkatesh Devarajan, who turned professional, said it might be difficult for an amateur to take the hit against a professional.

Although the decision must still be approved by the International Olympic Comittee, former two-weight champion Ricky Hatton (below shown) took to Twitter to state his unhappiness. “Goodbye amateur boxing now as far as I’m concerned. Can’t say I’m a fan of this.”

Former world champion Carl Frampton said amateur and pro boxing were "two different sports. It's like a badminton player competing in tennis". The British Boxing Board of Control called on AIBA to "reconsider" its decision, saying it was "dangerous".

In a statement it said: "It is against the spirit of the Olympics, disrespectful to the many GB amateur boxers who, throughout the Olympic cycle compete around the world in qualifying tournaments."

Newly-crowned WBC world cruiserweight champion Tony Bellew also said the move was "dangerous". The 33-year-old added in a BBC interview that the Olympic event would be "tarnished" if a pro boxer won it.

"It wouldn't really be an Olympic gold medal. A professional winning an Olympic medal is wrong on so many levels. No-one in boxing in my opinion would take them seriously if they won the gold medal."

AN OPENING FOR GHANA?

No athlete or team from the Gold Coast, or subsequently, Ghana has been able to win a gold medal at the Olympic Games. The closest has been a silver medal by Clement Quartey, the elder brother of former WBA welterweight champion Ike 'Bazooka' Quartey, at the 1960 Rome Olympic Games.

Ghana also has three bronze medals: two in boxing and one in football from the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona.

This AIBA decision could thus be an opening for the nation to cop a few medals going forward, since good boxers are still produced locally. 

It remains to be seen whether any boxers from the paid ranks are serious about taking part in Rio this summer, with some professional Ghanaian boxers such as Joseph 'Fresh King' Agbeko, Emmanuel 'Game Boy' Tagoe and even Braimah 'Bukom Banku' Kamoko all interesting names that could consider the decision.

AZUMAH COULD HAVE WON GOLD

In the lead up to that Moscow Olympics in 1980, Azumah was in the form of his life as an amateur. And, in hindsight, it could have been Ghana's chance to pick it's only top medal from the Games.

“I feel so bad, very bad because I wanted to set all the records in boxing,” he told Starr FM recently.

“I was the Ghana champion and I became African champion, I became Commonwealth champion and then I became World champion. I am talking about professional [boxing]".

“[At the] Amateur [level], I couldn’t get to the Olympic Games and we were preparing for the Olympic Games at that time. Nobody has won an Olympic gold medal and that was my dream but God said no”.

Almost forty years on, Ghana has no such inhibitions from partaking in the quadrennial event. For what it is worth, it's a great chance to advantage of the new rules to get the country into the history books.

VIDEO

Watch Azumah Nelson speak about his opposition to the AIBA move, while Joy Sports' Nathaniel Attoh gives his view

 

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