A few pro boxers are big hits in Paris. Some foes think they should pick on somebody their own size

VILLEPINTE, France (AP) — Although professional boxers were first allowed into the Olympics eight years ago, they haven't come close to dominating in the way many coaches and fighters feared they would.

That's easy to forget this week at the Paris Olympics if you happen to be watching 30-year-old super heavyweight gold medalist Bakhodir Jalolov taking time out from his 14-0 pro career to try to beat up a bunch of younger, less experienced boxers in his third Games.

Jalolov and a few other pros, particularly IBF lightweight champion Beatriz Ferreira of Brazil, have some coaches and opponents questioning their presence in Paris. U.S. lightweight Jajaira Gonzalez was furious after her loss Monday to Ferreira, a 5-0 professional whose strength and speed are formidable to fighters with a fraction of her resources and experience.

“I will say I think the pros should stay out (of) the amateurs,” Gonzalez said. “You went pro. You’re pro for a reason. Leave the amateurs alone.”

Most professional boxers do, but the Olympics simply mean too much to those like Jalolov and Ferreira. They crave the personal achievement, but they also share a fanatical desire to honor their country, their families and the boxing systems that taught them everything.

“Gold is the mother of all medals,” Ferreira said.

While Jalolov and fellow Uzbek gold medalist Hasanboy Dusmatov stand out among the men's pros, Ferreira has been the most impressive on the women’s side. They eagerly jumped through the Olympic hoops, sacrificing months of moneymaking opportunities for qualifying and preparations for Paris.

Jalolov started his pro career in the U.S. in 2018. He shows promise as a heavyweight contender and has fought in big venues around the world, but his heart clearly isn’t in prizefighting: He bounced from promoter Lou DiBella to Top Rank and then out of the pro game temporarily this year because he wanted to focus on Paris.

But he has been clear for years about his boxing goals, which he laid out to The Associated Press immediately after crying on the medal podium in Tokyo. He thinks the professional game is a good way to pass time between Olympic cycles, but it doesn’t matter to him nearly as much as fighting for Uzbekistan in the Olympics and in world championships.

“I’m very happy being here, because winning a gold medal is my greatest goal,” Jalolov said through an interpreter Sunday after he opened his Paris run by blanking Omar Shiha of Norway. “Everything I have done in boxing is to prepare me for this opportunity. This is my greatest wish.”

Jalolov could dominate Paris’ super heavyweight division, but his next bout is likely to be his toughest. He drew a quarterfinal matchup Friday with Australia’s Teremoana Teremoana, a nascent professional himself and a 6-foot-6 athlete who has improved noticeably in the year since he lost to Jalolov at last year's world championships.

“I believe I'm the best in the world, and I think this is the stage to prove it,” said Teremoana, who stopped Dmytro Lovchynskyi of Ukraine moments before Jalolov beat Shiha. “I hope the Uzbek wins so I can get my revenge on him.”

Professional boxers were first welcomed to the Olympics in Rio by AIBA, the governing body that has since changed its name and been banned from the Games. AIBA had an oft-stated desire to control boxing in all of its forms — it even took “Amateur” out of its name — and its leadership thought the Olympic carrot might turn the organization into a global player in professional boxing promotion.

But only three pros qualified for Rio, and they all did poorly. There were 43 modestly accomplished professionals in the field for Tokyo, and while some took home medals, only Jalolov stood out — and even he had moments of struggle.

Dusmatov turned pro after he claimed the Val Barker Trophy as the Olympics’ top boxer during a spectacular run in Rio, but he didn’t compete in Tokyo. Now 31, he’s back in Paris after showcasing pro skills in six fights over the previous five years.

Ferreira came to Paris with a clear mission after losing the gold-medal bout in Tokyo to Kellie Harrington of Ireland, a 34-year-old career amateur. They could have a rematch in the semifinals.

“In Tokyo, I was so well-trained for the Olympics, and I fell one step short,” Ferreira said. "I am ready to take the next step. The Olympics is over for me after this, as I am now a professional. I want to do another great show with Kellie, but I want to end my story at the Olympics with me being the champion.”

Ferreira is a boxer's daughter who didn't make her pro debut until late 2022, but she never left the Olympic-style sport. She has won at least one medal in an Olympic-style competition every year since 2016, traveling the world with her Brazilian team while taking pro fights essentially in her spare time.

In 2023 alone, she won a pro fight in July, won the Pan-Am Games in October and won another pro bout in December. She claimed the vacant IBF featherweight belt just three months ago with a victory in Liverpool.

That's no consolation to fighters like Gonzalez, who was on a roll heading into their bout two days after knocking off hometown favorite Estelle Mossely, a Rio gold medalist and an 11-0-1 professional.

“I think I gave (Ferreira) a hell of a fight,” Gonzalez said. “I think I’m her toughest opponent here. I feel like they were trying to set me up. They gave me all the champions on my side of the bracket.”

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AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games