It may come as a surprise, but professional boxing and amateur boxing are two completely different sports. While the goal for professionals is to end fights as quickly as possible, Olympic boxers focus their attention mainly on points scoring.
Shorter fights and headguards are just two of the things you’ll see in the amateurs that you will not see in the professional ranks, but there’s more to it than that. The judging and the basic rules are very different.
The upside of top-flight amateur experience is that you can learn lessons that help in the professional ranks. Although Britain’s Anthony Joshua captured Olympic gold at London 2012, the former two-time heavyweight king lost the final of the World Championships a year earlier.
“There's nothing wrong with taking losses — it's just an experience and you learn from those situations,” Joshua told the PA news agency via The Daily Mail in 2019. “If you correct your wrongs and don't shy away from them, you can always bounce back.”
The Sporting News takes a deep dive into the rules and regulations of Olympic boxing:
How many rounds do you fight in Olympic boxing?
All fights are scheduled for three rounds of three minutes each.
What are the target areas in Olympic boxing?
The target areas are the front and sides of the head and body.
A blow must land with the knuckle part of the glove on these target areas with enough force to be considered an authentic punch.
What size of gloves do fighters wear in Olympic boxing?
Men wear 10-ounce or 12-ounce gloves depending on weight class.
All women wear 10-ounce gloves.
What is the purpose of headguards in Olympic boxing?
There’s a train of thought that headguards protect you from the concussive effects of a punch, but that’s not the case. A punch will snap a boxer’s head back and do damage with headgear or without.
The real purpose of a headguard is to reduce the risk of eye cuts (sustained from punches or accidental butts), which is vital in a long Olympic tournament.
What is a standing count in Olympic boxing?
A standing eight count is applied at the referee’s discretion. This usually takes place when a fighter is nailed by big punches but doesn’t go down. The referee can use those eight seconds to make sure the fighter still has their faculties intact.
This rule does not apply in professional boxing.
How is Olympic boxing judged?
Five judges score from ringside, as opposed to three in the pros. As is the case with professional boxing, Olympic scoring has now adopted the 10-point must system. A competitive round will be scored 10-9. A round with a standing count or a knockdown will be scored 10-8. A dominant and one-sided round can be scored 10-7.
While amateur boxers focus primarily on points scoring, knockouts are obviously still allowed.
MORE: Is Manny Pacquiao boxing at the Olympics?
Can professional boxers qualify for the Olympics?
In a controversial call, the IOC first allowed professional boxers to compete in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, so the answer is yes.
Many felt this decision could negatively affect amateur boxing, if not destroy it completely. Amateur boxers contest three rounds of three minutes with large gloves and headgear, whereas world-class professionals fight 12 three-minute rounds with small gloves and no headgear.
In 2016, both the IBF and the WBC issued press releases stating that they would ban professional fighters from their ratings if they competed at the Rio Games. The decision remains unpopular in 2024.
Earlier this year, former eight-weight world champion and boxing legend Manny Pacquiao , 45, was refused a place at Paris 2024. The IOC declined his application to represent the Philippines because he was 5 years over the age threshold.
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