Teddy Atlas’ Reaction To The IOC Withdrawing From The IBA
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has set a date to terminate the International Boxing Association’s (IBA) Olympic status.
As of now, boxing is still very much a part of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Although that may be the case, the IOC has stated that their executive members have requested that a meeting be held on June 22nd, 2023, to terminate recognising the IBA.
Concerns emerged when the IOC withdrew its recognition of the IBA in 2019, as a result of worries over their judging.
Not only that, but the IBA did not follow through on the IOC’s recommendation to stop Russian fighters from competing for their country even with their nation’s approach to the Ukrainian conflict.
As such, both bodies have been left dissatisfied with the current state of affairs.
“[The IBA] has failed to fulfil the conditions set by the IOC … for lifting the suspension of the IBA’s recognition,” IOC
“[This is a] truly abhorrent and purely political [decision by the IOC,]” IBA
In response, Teddy Atlas has been very vocal about his disatisfaction with the state of boxing.
Atlas has called for the establishment of a federal boxing commission to address the issue of poor decision-making in the sport.
He made these comments following the controversial Devin Haney vs. Vasiliy Lomachenko fight in which Haney was awarded a unanimous-decision victory.
Boxing experts, including Shakur Stevenson, Paulie Malignaggi, and Atlas himself, criticized the decision, with Atlas calling for judge Dave Moretti to explain his scorecard of 116-112.
Atlas has even posted a petition online, hoping to draw Congress’ attention to the issue, as he had a lot to say about the IOC’s decision, as he spoke to FIGHT SPORTS.
Atlas’ Reaction
“The protection of fighters and the sport is something that has been shown over the years to be also corrupted, to not be what it needs to be.
“The sport has survived everything. It has survived corruption before.
“When there is a chance to do something, they are not gonna do something because they don’t wanna be seen as doing something where it would hurt those affiliations and incentives that they have.
“They say ah, Teddy it’s not going to make a difference… It’s a sewer sport. That ‘pi**es me off because the only sewer part of it is the part of exactly what I’m talking about.”
You can support Atlas’ federal-boxing-commission petition right here.