In 2016, important changes to Boxing rules will have their Olympic debut in Rio de Janeiro. The changes aim to move the Olympic sport closer to its professional counterpart and were tested for the first time in the end of October in Almaty, Kazakhstan, during the 2013 AIBA World Boxing Championships, organised by the international federation that governs Olympic Boxing. Among the changes, the most relevant are: the creation of a new league, the APB (AIBA Pro Boxing), the removal of headguard (for men only), which also aims to ease the recognition of boxers by the public, and the change to the scoring system.

In order to determine if the changes are positive or negative, the rio2016.com website heard both Olympic and world medal-winning boxers like Italian Clemente Russo and Brazilian Robson Conceição, former world super featherweight and lightweight champion Acelino Popó Freitas, who never fought in the Olympics but won a silver medal in the Mar del Plata 1995 Pan American Games, and Breno Pontes, Rio 2016 Sport Manager responsible for Boxing.

Holder of two silver medals (Beijing 2008 and London 2012) in three Olympic appearances, Clemente Russo is one of today’s Italian boxing stars. In the Almaty World Championships, he once again made it to the podium (he was defeated by Russian Evgeny Tishchenko in the heavyweight final) and ensures he will be present in the Rio 2016 Games.

“Creating the APB Professional League was timely. I love the fact that I can fight as a professional and keep my Olympic eligibility”, said Clemente, who also supported the removal of headguard.

“I like to fight without headguard. I managed to enjoy my semiprofessional experience in the WSB (World Series of Boxing), where bouts also take place without headguard. In the Almaty World Championships, I felt safe, fighting with mastery and keeping a fair distance. I noticed the opponents’ hesitation”, said Clemente.

Brazilian Robson Conceição, silver medallist in the Guadalajara 2011 Pan American Games as well as in the Almaty World Championships, said athletes, referees and all other people involved in the sport are going through an adjustment period.

“Changes were very good for the public but for the boxers it got a little complicated. With the removal of headguard, the boxer has a real chance of taking a headbutt. As the recovery time is very small between fights, especially between the semifinal and final, if you get your eyebrow cut, for instance, and you need stitches, you will be automatically eliminated”, says Robson Conceição, before concluding:

"That is, boxers have to change the way they fight, get less head first and prioritise defence. Referees also need to adapt to the new rules and I believe that by 2016 everyone will be more used to the changes”, the boxer said.

Brazilian Robson Conceição, silver medallist in the Guadalajara 2011 Pan American Games (Foto: Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)

Breno Pontes, Rio 2016 Sport Manager responsible for Boxing, followed in loco the Almaty World Championships from the beginning and also weighed in on the changes. He said the tournament was well organised and, above all, very competitive. But he also considered:

“The changes of rules split opinions. Without headguard, the wider field of vision helps a lot, and the public can see the face of their idol, besides seeing more clearly if the coup really hit and hurt the boxer. But regarding the number of cuts, it is actually a nuisance to the winner, who has to fight the next bout, already with a cut that a punch could reopen”, he said, before completing:

“Today, the number of WO when the winner exits the ring with serious cuts is higher than it was before, which is bad. But, over time, boxers will adjust their fighting style, and certainly this number will get back to normal. I believe that referees are also still in the process of adapting to the changes of rules and therefore either result was a negative surprise. But, overall, the World Championships were great”.

The changes of Olympic Boxing rules were also motivated by a slump in the sport’s audience, especially in Brazil, largely due to the growth of MMA (Mixed Martial Arts), known as “vale-tudo” (anything goes) in Portuguese. For Acelino Popo Freitas, the country suffers from a lack of national idols in the sport.

“I don’t think the public and the media distanced themselves from the sport because of MMA. There simply are no Boxing idols. I was world champion 25 years after another Brazilian won a title. In MMA, for instance, we have several world champions and international sports idols like Cigano, José Aldo, Anderson Silva and Minotauro. I believe it only takes a new idol to move the sport closer to the audience and media again”, the 38-year-old boxer considered. He shall return to the ring in order to face Filipino Manny Pacquiao.

Moreover, Olympic Boxing’s scoring system is no longer done according to the number of computed blows, but resembles that of its professional counterpart (up to ten, with the difference that in all rounds there will necessarily be a winner). There are five referees for each fight, and three are chosen by lot in order to determine the winner.