FRIDAY, April 19th, 2016, AT 3:30 PM/ PST



What Does The Future Hold For Amateur Boxing


Is Amateur Boxing In Need Of The IAB...
Now?

This past week here at the International Fight Sports Headquarters in California, USA we've been getting a load of e-mails and facebook messages from literally all over the world asking if the IAB (International Amateur Boxing & International Association of Boxing) would finally be interested in making a bid to govern Olympic Boxing both here in the USA and around the world.

YES, we too were shocked with such requests...

However...
With all the terrible stories that have surfaced after recent Olympic Boxing issues it's no wonder many in the sport are looking at alternatives. (See Bottom of this Article for Stories)

Yes, we were indeed shocked from all this sudden attention, especially since we don't do any marketing for the IAB as it's been pretty successful running on it's own. We don't even have the time to post the IAB events around the world, yet it continues to sanction loads of events every weekend. Heck, we don't even have an IAB Facebook page... But that may change in the next few days now...

The sudden increase in web traffic this past week to the IAB website tells the story that someone is indeed looking into the IAB...

After all the messages, e-mails, etc. etc. we have to say that maybe the IAB has been silent too long... Maybe it's time, as many have been asking all week, to help bring some integrity back into the sport or Amateur Boxing... Maybe it "IS" time to take on USA Boxing here in the USA and more so, AIBA (International Boxing Association) the sports governing body for Olympic competition.

Two other issues have also surfaced with Amateur Boxing. shedding the Headgear and the idea of allowing PROS to fight in the Olympics. Amateur Boxing, like ANY other sport would like more spectators and to do so, need the fans to relate more personally with the fighters. The headgear (As we have seen in kickboxing and muay thai as well) blocks their face making them an unknown to the fight fans. Their thoughts on this topic were, if they take the headgear off, "FIGHT FANS" will be more interested in the fight. This has NOTHING to do with safety. It's all about bringing more fight fans in to watch the amateurs. As we all know, amateur mma doesn't have this problem because they don't wear headgear, thus, amateur mma continues to thrive with a massive fan base, amateur and pro.

However, when it DOES come to "Fighter Safety", the idea of allowing PROS to compete at the Olympics with AMATEURS is indeed a line they have crossed! Is Olympic Boxing losing their "Fair Competition" Mindset? Well, with this recent decision to allow PROS to compete in the Olympic games, it seems VERY MUCH SO!!! One things for sure, the current governing body for Olympic Amateur Boxing AIBA (International Boxing Association) is clearly being questioned by MANY around the world... and Boxing fans are looking for answers to help their sport. But is the IAB it? The REAL and bigger question is, "Do we have the time to focus on such a task?"

Click Here To Read More About Pro Boxers In The Olympics.

Maybe we should start reading more of those quotes we've been posting to keep us humble, such as...

"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."
Abraham Lincoln

Is it time to put some time into the growth of the IAB! Not making any promises, but time will tell... Moving ahead... SLOWLY..

"Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right! These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity."
W. Clement Stone

Here are the links to some of those Olympic Boxing Articles

  • "Judging problems return to Olympic boxing"
    • CLICK HERE.
      • By Tim Dahlberg, AP: RIO DE JANEIRO
        Maybe having pros box in the Olympics isn't such a bad idea after all. While they're at it, they might start getting some professional judges, too. A lot of what is still wrong with Olympic boxing was exposed in the heavyweight gold medal fight Monday night, when Russia's Evgeny Tischenko was handed an inexplicable decision win over Vassiliy Levit of Kazakhstan in a fight that was almost as ugly as the scoring.
        That it came with the head of the International Olympic Committee in attendance couldn't have been good for the future of the sport. Boxing has had a rocky road in the Olympics recently, and Thomas Bach couldn't have been happy with what he saw as boos cascaded down when the unanimous decision was announced. Had Bach stuck around for the medal ceremony he would have heard even more boos, as fans expressed their displeasure once again. Standing on the medal podium, Levit put his finger to his lips in an unsuccessful attempt to stop fans from booing Tischenko as he was given the gold medal. This was supposed to be an Olympic boxing competition like no other, with the men shedding headgear and the judging converted to the same type of 10-point must system used in the pro ranks. Pros were also invited to compete, although they were included so late that only three journeymen fighters signed up and all were drummed out of the competition before the first week was over.
        Up until the heavyweight final it had all worked fairly well. Without headgear, fans were able to see the faces of fighters, and the new scoring forced fighters to actually get into scraps instead of trying to land pitty-pat punches one at a time from the outside. The only real downside was a big increase in cuts without headgear, some of which caused competitive fights to be stopped early. That happened a few fights earlier Monday when Daniyar Yeleussinov of Kazakhstan was cut in the second round against Souleymane Cissokho of France in their welterweight semifinal.
        Still, boxing seemed like boxing again, a contrast to previous Olympics when headgear and a computer scoring system that awarded points for touches turned it into something more akin to fencing with gloves.
        The old system was put into place to get away from scoring controversies in the wake of the horrendous decision that cost Roy Jones Jr. his gold medal against a hometown fighter in Korea in 1988. ( **Click Here To See This Bout) But judges pushing buttons seemed to get even more decisions wrong, and there was a time where the sport's very future in the games was in jeopardy. Just what the three judges scoring the heavyweight final saw to award this fight to Tischenko wasn't exactly clear. Levit forced the fight, getting inside against his taller opponent and smothering his punches. It wasn't pretty by any means and neither fighter looked particularly skilled, but it was clear to almost anyone in the arena that Levit had done enough to win the fight.
        That included the fighter himself, who was confident right up until the decision was announced that he had won the biggest fight of his life. "In my head I was thinking I won," Levit said. "The coaches were quite happy."
        The crowd booed lustily at the decision, and kept booing long after the fighters had left the ring. The boos got louder during the medal ceremony, when Tischenko should have been enjoying his time in the spotlight. "I'm really upset about it," Tischenko said through an interpreter afterward. "I respect my opponent and the crowd. I cannot know why they booed."
        If there was an Olympic moment to be taken from the night, it was the gesture of sportsmanship by Levit as the boos kept coming. He put his finger to his lips to try and silence the crowd, though with little success. "Every fighter that comes to the ring deserves respect," Levit said.
        Boxing history, of course, is littered with decisions gone bad. Judging fights is more art than science, and what one judge sees another might not even notice. Incompetence can also play a part. So can favoring fighters for reasons other than what they do in the ring. None of that really mattered to Tischenko, who ended the night with a gold medal around his neck in an Olympics he wasn't sure he would even be in as Russia faced a possible ban for doping.
  • "Was This Disgraceful Olympic Boxing Match Fixed?"
    • CLICK HERE.
      • By Barry Petchesky
        Knockdowns are exceedingly rare in Olympic boxing. Japan's Satoshi Shimizu knocked down Azerbaijan's Magomed Abdulhamidov five times in the third and final round of their bantamweight bout yesterday. And yet, the judges scored the round in favor of the one who spent more time on the canvas than on his feet.
        "I was shocked by the final scores. He fell down so many times," Shimizu said. "Why didn't I win? I don't understand." After Abdulhamidov was awarded the 22-17 victory over Shimizu, the uproar began. Fans rained boos from the stands, and Japanese officials immediately lodged a protest. It was, by any account, the biggest competitive disgrace of the Olympics so far.
        And there's reason to ask if this was more than the usual Olympic boxing incompetence, but rather something more sinister. Last September, BBC Newsnight presented evidence that Azerbaijan had paid millions of dollars in an international boxing organization, in return for a guarantee that two Azerbaijanis would win gold medals at these London Olympics. They found documents showing a $9 million bank transfer, funneled through Switzerland, to a boxing organization owned by AIBA, which oversees Olympic boxing. Whistleblowers reported that the money came from an Azerbaijan government minister, and were strictly a cash-for-medals exchange.
        "Ivan boasted to a few of us that there was no need to worry about World Series Boxing having the coin to pay its bills. As long as the Azeris got their medals, WSB would have the cash."
        Another said that Mr Khodabakhsh came in and said: "We are safe now - Azerbaijan came in - we have to give them medals for that."
        "He was talking about gold medals in London in return for millions of dollars of secret payments," the insider added. "Medals are being sold so blatantly it's amazing." Azerbaijan denied the allegations, and an AIBA committee found them groundless. (The $9M was deemed to be a "purely commercial investment.")
        But here we are! Azerbaijan's Abdulhamidov was awarded a win he didn't come close to earning. (Clip of Decision - Click Here.) This one has a happy ending, sort of. Late last night, AIBA officials upheld Japan's appeal, and awarded the bout to Shimizu.
        Their statement: After reviewing the video of Bout #105 involving Bantamweights Satoshi Shimizu (Japan) and Magomed Abdulhamidov (Azerbaijan), the Competition Jury made the following decision:
        The boxer from Azerbaijan fell down six (6) times during the 3rd round. According to our rules, the Referee should have counted at least three (3) times. In this case, following the AIBA Technical & Competition Rules, the decision should have been RSC (Referee Stop Contest); - Therefore the protest lodged by the Japanese corner is accepted and the result of this bout overturned.
        AIBA officials will consider on Thursday morning whether to sanction the referee of this bout. Shimizu moves on. Abdulhamidov goes home. The Turkmenistani ref may be punished for not stopping the fight. The judges? Nothing happens to them. Olympic boxing remains a joke.


  • "Gary Russell 'robbed' in loss as problems with Olympic boxing once again revealed"
    • CLICK HERE.
      By Kevin Iole
      RIO DE JANEIRO. There have been dozens, if not hundreds, of head-scratching decisions in Olympic boxing over the years. In Tuesday's third bout, Irish bantamweight Michael Conlan lost a bout to Russian Vladimir Nikitin that ranks up there with some of the most outrageous calls. But the bad judging wasn't confined to the Irish, who were hopping mad Tuesday after having a fighter eliminated they thought had won for the second consecutive day. On Monday, the Irish coaches were fuming after Katie Taylor, the 2012 lightweight gold medalist, was eliminated by Finland's Mira Potkonen. That, though, was nothing compared to what happened to Conlan. And then, about an hour later, American Gary Antuanne Russell was the victim of another inexplicable decision.
      Russell seemed to thoroughly outbox Uzbekistan's Fazliddin Gaibnazarov in their quarter final light welterweight match that had a medal on the line. For most of the final two rounds, Gaibnazarov simply ran laps around the ring and was warned several times for failing to engage. But when the scores were announced, it was yet another shocking call that seemed to go opposite of the way everyone expected. Gaibnazarov took a stunning split decision to move onto the semifinals. Judge Enrico Licini favored Russell, two rounds to one, or 29-28, but judges Roland Juhasz and Kestutis Bagdanavicius had it 29-28 for Gaibnazarov.
      It was an almost incomprehensible outcome. Yahoo Sports had it 30-27 for Russell.
      "The first round was a little competitive, even though it shouldn't have been, but even that round, I thought I won," a disconsolate Russell said after the bout. "The [next] two rounds, I pulled away from him, I believe. I won them hands down, even though it was a little sloppy. I believe I did more than enough to outscore him. I was the aggressor, and more."
      The loss cost Russell a medal and eliminated him from the tournament. U.S. coach Billy Walsh was irate, and even former U.S. Olympian Floyd Mayweather, who once was robbed himself, couldn't believe the call. To See This Bout - Click Here.
      "I thought Gary Russell got robbed," Mayweather said. "Clearly. Clearly."
      Gaibnazarov's best round was the first, and there is at least an argument that could be made he deserved to win that round, even though many ringsiders felt Russell also took that one. But the scoring of the second round was incomprehensible. Gaibnazarov was circling the ring and repeatedly failing to engage. He threw very few punches and absorbed the harder, cleaner shots.
      It was hard for Russell to accept, and he could barely contain his emotions. He was so focused on winning a gold medal that it was as if he didn't even conceive he could lose in such a manner. "I have high expectations I set," Russell said. "I set the bar for myself very high. I'm trying to live up to my family's legacy and then some. Outside looking in, I know a lot of people believe I won." Russell said calls such as the one that went against Conlan made it difficult for the fighters who followed him to compete at the top of their game.


  • "Irish Bantamweight Blasts 'Corrupt' AIBA"
    • CLICK HERE.
      By Alan Baldwin RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters)
      Irish bantamweight Michael Conlan blasted Olympic boxing body AIBA as 'corrupt' on Tuesday in an expletive-laden rant at the judging after losing to Russia's Vladimir Nikitin in the quarter-finals. Saying he had been robbed of a rightful win, and vowing never to fight again in any AIBA-organized competition, the world champion also accused Russia of influencing judges.
      "AIBA are just corrupt. They've robbed me of my Olympic dream," he told reporters after losing on points in a unanimous decision that, to some observers, seemed at odds with what they had witnessed.
      "Obviously Russia can't dope this time so they are obviously paying the judges a lot more," he added
      "I will never box an AIBA competition again. Not APB, not WSB, not world championships or Olympic Games. Corruption runs deep... I just think they are rotten to the core."
      An AIBA spokesman said Conlan was a champion who came to Rio with high expectations and was understandably disappointed to have lost. "Afterwards, it's his personal judgement," he said. "All I can say is that AIBA is striving for a fair, level playing field. "The idea is not to benefit one country towards another, we represent 200 national federations. These statements are groundless but he's free to have his opinion."
      Russian officials said the judging had to be respected and boxers should show dignity in defeat.
      "The Russians are constantly being accused of something. Let's deal with these things in a dignified way," said Igor Kazikov, head of the Russian delegation at the Games.
      "There were judges sitting there, professionals who take responsibility for these things. Why is there this mistrust all the time?" Dozens of Russian athletes, including virtually the entire track and field team, were suspended as part of sanctions against the country for a systematic state-backed doping program that included the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics. Russian heavyweight Evgeny Tishchenko was booed when he won gold on Monday.
      NEW SYSTEM
      The scoring system has been changed for Rio from a computerized system to a professional-style, 10-point one. Conlan, who had been the last Irish boxer left in the tournament, lost 28-29 on all three scorecards. The three judges -- from Brazil, Sri Lanka and Poland -- all gave Conlan the second round 10-9, 10-9, 10-9 but scored the first and last in favor of his rival. "I was boxing the ears off him, I don't know how it went against me," said Conlan, who lingered in the ring after the fight, twirling his vest around his head to applause from the crowd. He also gave the judges a piece of his mind.
      "I thought the first round I won easy by boxing him. Second round I completely annihilated him standing in close to him. Third round the same, probably a bit closer than the second. I put a serious shift in. "He was completely surprised (to win). He roared like he'd won the Olympic gold... He knows he didn't win. The American kid's going to pick him to shreds and I wouldn't be surprised if they rob him too."
      Nikitin will fight highly-rated Shakur Stevenson in the semi-finals, with both guaranteed at least bronze medals. U.S. coach Billy Walsh, who is Irish, joined in the criticism after his light-welterweight Gary Russell missed out on a medal when a split decision went to Uzbekistan's Fazliddin Gaibnazarov. "The judging has been atrocious," he told reporters. "The last time I saw it as bad was in Seoul in 1988 when Roy Jones got robbed in the final. "I saw Michael Conlan's first two rounds in the changing area and he completely out-boxed this guy. He out-fought him in the second round and out-boxed him in the first. And he didn't get it."
      (Additional reporting by Jack Stubbs and Mark Trevelyan; Editing by Clare Fallon)


  • AND IT CONTINUES ON AND ON...

    • "Michael Conlan's Russian Victor Pulls Out Of Rio Olympics Boxing Semi-Finals"
    • "Michael Conlan Farce Leaves Amateur Boxing Nursing A Black Eye In Rio"
    • "Top Boxing Executive 'Reassigned' After Olympic Judging Controversy"
    • "Olympic Boxing Corruption Alive And Well, Says Official As Rows Continue "
    • "He Got Robbed': Boxer Gary Russell's Father Claims Olympic Bout Was Rigged"
    • "Six Boxing Judges Sent Home From Rio 2016 After Outrage Over Results"
    • WATCH AND LISTEN TO WHAT TEDDY ATLAS
      HAS SAID AND IS NOW SAYING ABOUT AMATEUR BOXING!


      • Rumors Of Questionable Officiating Continue To Swirl Around Olympic Boxing.
      • NBC Hides Corrupt Olympic Boxing Matches.
    • MORE INTERESTING READS WE FOUND DURING OUR RESEARCH
      ON THE CORRUPTION OF AMATEUR BOXING

      • Who Killed USA Boxing: How Amateur Boxing Became A Joke
      • Roy Jones: Corrupt Officials Killing Olympic Boxing











Russia's Evgeny Tishchenko reacts as he win the gold medal
for men's heavyweight 91-kg final boxing match against
Kazakhstan's Vassiliy Levit during a men's heavyweight 91-kg
final boxing match at the 2016 Summer Olympics in
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Monday, Aug. 15, 2016.
(Frank Franklin II/Associated Press)



Aug 16, 2016; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Vladimir Nikitin (RUS, blue) reacts after defeating
Michael John Conlan (IRL, red) in a men's
bantamweight quarterfinal bout at Riocentro - Pavilion
during the Rio 2016 Summer Olympic Games.
Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports









Gary Antuanne Russell suffered an "inexplicable" loss to
Fazliddin Gaibnazarov. Getty Images



1996, Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, USA
The referee mistakenly raised the hand of Floyd Mayweather
when, in fact, Serafim Todorov won their semifinals bout
at the 1996 Atlanta Games. (USA TODAY Sports)




Korea's Park Si-hun, left, delivers a left jab to America's
Roy Jones Jr in the controversial 1988 light middleweight
final in Seoul. Photograph: Ron Kuntz/AP




________________________________________________________________

AIBA TODAY ATTEMPTS DAMAGE CONTROL
TOO LITTLE... TOO LATE

Rio 2016: Olympic Boxing Tournament Hit By Corruption Allegations

CLICK HERE





THE IAB WILL BE ADDING MORE NEWS IN THE COMING WEEKS,
SO KEEP CHECKING BACK TO THE IAB NEWS PAGE FOUND BY CLICKING
HERE.




For those looking at the History of the IAB and questioning how qualified they are to oversee Amateur Boxing,
let us assist you in their Regulatory Experience.
The IAB is under the umbrella of
International Fight Sports.



Under the IFS Umbrella are several Fight Sport Companies.
One of their regulatory/sanctioning bodies is one of the largest for Amateur and Pro Kickboxing & Muay Thai, the

International Kickboxing Federation.

You can check out the IKF at IKFKickboxing.com
or look at their History page by clicking HERE.



Also under the IFS umbrella is the very first created regulatory/sanctioning body for Amateur and Pro Mixed Martial Arts, the
International Sport Combat Federation.

You can check out the ISCF at ISCFMMA.com
or check out more by clicking HERE


In All, the IAB, IKF and ISCF
Regulate and Sanction Over 2,000 Events A Year.
There is no question whether or not the IAB has the ability to take the place of any other Amateur Boxing regulatory Body

The only question now is, Does Amateur Boxing want the IAB?

Do Other boxing Regulatory Bodies take the IAB seriously?
Well, they certainly did here in the USA
USA Boxing has already tried to stop the IAB within a few months after it was created.
To read about this, click HERE.


The International Fight Sports Mission...
"Safety, Credibility, Fairness, Recognition, Support & Unification of Fight Sports Around The World"
"The Goal of International Fight Sports is to regulate safe and fair rules and regulations and help provide exposure and opportunities for local, regional, national and international competition among amateur and professional fighter athletes, trainers, promoters and officials. We will, through adherence to and enforcement of these rules and regulations, strive to make competitive fight sports a safe and fair experience as we continue to help bring exposure to and enhance the present as well as the future of these sports we serve."




PAST IAB NEWS - CLICK HERE

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