Boxing remained in the spotlight at the Paris Olympics, but not entirely for good reasons. Amid the Imane Khelif controversy and the visuals of Vasyl Lomachenko handing out medals to the champions, boxing’s future association with the Olympics is in danger. Eddie Hearn has already raised concerns about it, and the fans have followed suit.

Notably, the IOC handled the organization of the boxing event and not the IBA because of the claims of corruption in the latter organization. The IOC had withdrawn the IBA’s recognition last year, which oversaw the qualification of boxing athletes at the Olympics until now. As a result, there are doubts about whether boxing will be part of the schedule when the Olympics hits American shores in 2028. This has led Hearn, 45, to push for boxing’s inclusion.

Eddie Hearn lends his support for boxing’s inclusion at 2028 LA Olympics

The British promoter turned to his X handle and shared his experience of attending for the first time since 2012. He also pointed out the importance of the Olympics as a stage for amateur boxers and as a learning curve for their careers. He wrote, “Had a chance to experience the boxing at the Olympics over the last few days, first time since 2012. It reminded me how important it is to amateur boxing and the sport as a whole.”

“It’s also one of the most exciting events on the Olympic schedule. I hope the IOC don’t give up the fight and make sure boxing remains for 2028 and beyond..here to support in any way I can,” Hearn added. This started the campaign for boxing’s inclusion, as fans took to the comment section.

Fans call for drastic changes

One fan took a jibe at the Matchroom lynchpin for his recent association with HE Turki Alalshikh and the spilling of money to host boxing events. The two recently came together to host Terence Crawford vs. Israil Madrimov. They declared, “By here to support you mean you’ll ask Turki if he’s got any spare change?”

A user asked Hearn to rope in other top promoters, including Oscar De La Hoya, to make a case for boxing. In addition, they drew parallels with break dancing, a sport introduced only this year. They insisted, “Lead the way Eddie, get a few of you top dogs including Oscar he will jump on board to get this back in 2028. If they are gng to keep break dancing , theirs no way you get rid of boxing.“

Someone argued to iron out the issues associated with a new scoring system, which now awards points on a scale of 10–7, with 2 judges scoring the fight. This year’s Olympics made headlines, as Great Britain’s Delicious Orie found himself on the wrong side of the decision. They contested, “Just need to sort the judging out. Think the old system of scoring punches worked much better. Team GB on the wrong side of way too many questionable decisions.”

Another comment referenced similar issues with judging and appealed for a better system. The comment read, “Need better judging as it’s been A disgrace.”

Lastly, another fan demanded an alternative organization or mechanism to run and regulate boxing at the Olympics. While the IOC has other responsibilities and a different mandate, the IBA has divided the boxing community with its corruption claims and how it handled the Imane Khelif situation. They suggested, “Need someone to run and regulate it, the ioc can’t do it and the iba can’t.”

As the Olympics continues to mold itself in modern times, sports like boxing and wrestling find themselves in conversation to be cut off. The reason is the irregularities in the conduct of business. However, it doesn’t mean that boxing won’t make a return to the Olympics if some changes are made.

What do you make of this post by Eddie Hearn? Do you believe boxing should have a spot in the 2028 LA Olympics? Let us know in the comments below.