Roy Jones: Exclusion of boxing from the Olympic program will be beneficial only to pros

The lack of boxing in the program of the Olympic Games can only be useful for professional athletes. This opinion was expressed to journalists by former world champion legendary Roy Jones Jr.

Earlier, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) froze plans to hold a boxing tournament at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics until the completion of the investigation into the International Boxing Association (AIBA). At the same time, IOC President Thomas Bach noted that the organization would like to keep boxing in the Games program.

“I heard about it and I think that everything that is done is all for the better,” said Jones. “I have my relationship with Olympic boxing, I, a still very young guy, was condemned in the Olympics final. Why then boxing is at the Olympics? And excluding the sport from the program can only be useful for professional athletes, because they will receive more attention when amateur boxing becomes less popular."

The final decision to hold a boxing tournament at the 2020 Olympics should be made at the next IOC session, which will be in 2019 in Lausanne, Switzerland. The 2020 Olympic Games will be held from July 24 to August 9.