Manny
Pacquiao has received an invitation to compete at the 2016 Olympics in
Rio ‒ but Floyd Mayweather has 'absolutely' no intention of making a
surprise return to the Games.
Top
professional boxers will become eligible to compete in this summer's
Olympics under radical new proposals being pushed through by the sport's
world governing body, AIBA.
In
light of the decision, which is yet to be confirmed, it has emerged
that AIBA president, Dr Ching-Kuo Wu, has personally invited Pacquiao to
compete in Brazil.
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| Legendary boxer Manny Pacquiao has received an invitation to compete at the 2016 Olympics in Rio |
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| Floyd Mayweather (pictured left during his win over Pacquiao) has no intention of making a return to the ring |
According to the Philippine Star, the idea was initially discussed when Pacquiao flew to Doha, Qatar for the AIBA World Championships last October.
It
is believed Pacquiao, who is preparing for his fight with Timothy
Bradley in April, is wanted to compete at the Games as the sport's world
governing body bids to attract the biggest names to Rio.
However, retired boxer Floyd Mayweather has revealed he has no intention of making a shock return to the ring at the Olympics.
Mayweather,
who won bronze at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, retired undefeated with
a record of 49-0 after defeating Andre Berto in September.
'Absolutely not,' said the 39-year-old when asked if he is considering a return to the ring.
'For
my body to recover from all my fights will be for the rest of my life.
I'm truly blessed to have been fighting for so much of my life.
'I had a great run. Ain't no more for this body to heal but rest.'
 |
| Mayweather was in attendance as he watched the Washington Wizards beat Cleveland Cavaliers 113-99 |
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| International Boxing Association president Ching-Kuo Wu hopes to push through proposals in time for Rio |
Until now only amateur boxers have been allowed to compete in Olympics, but professional boxers could appear in the summer.
Dr Ching-Kuo Wu has indicated
that the last remaining barriers preventing full-time professionals
competing in the Games are set to be abolished within a matter of
months.
Wu
said: 'We want the best boxers to come to the Olympic Games. It is
AIBA's 70th birthday, and we want something to change - not after four
years, but now.
'It
is an IOC policy to have the best athletes in the Games, and of the
international federations, AIBA is probably the only one without
professional athletes in the Olympics.
'We already have our own professionals, APB and WSB boxers, in the Games - [and] we will go further.'
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| Tyson Fury and other professional boxers could be set to become eligible to compete in the Olympics |
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| British heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua won the gold medal at the London 2012 games |
But
former World and Olympic champion Lennox Lewis has labelled the
proposal to allow professional boxers to compete at the Olympics as
'preposterous'.
The
British fighter won super-heavyweight gold for Canada at the 1988 games
in Seoul before turning professional, and fears the potential safety
consequences of the plan.
Lewis
told BBC Radio 5 Live's Sportsweek programme: 'I kind of think it is
preposterous, to a certain degree. The amateur system is based for
amateurs - this is why we put in the headgear to protect them because
they have a lack of experience and they are not that primed as a
professional yet.
'Now
all of a sudden, you get a world champion or somebody in the top 10 as a
professional now going against basically an amateur, somebody with a
lack of experience - I don't look at that as being fair.'
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| Lennox Lewis (right), pictured with Anthony Joshua, doesn't think professionals should fight at the Games |
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| Fighters are prevented from fighting at the Olympic Games if they have had 15 or more paid bouts |
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