Pros primed to punch at Olympics

Eligibility change could see stars slug it out in Rio

Leading professional boxers will become eligible to compete at this year's Olympic Games in Rio under proposals put forward by the sport's global governing body, AIBA.

There has traditionally been a strict dividing line between amateur and professional boxing, although Olympic success has proved a springboard for a successful career in the paid ranks for the likes of Muhammad Ali, George Foreman and Lennox Lewis.