Barry McGuigan rips into Olympic bosses after female boxing controversy - Barry McGuigan

It’s wrong, it’s unfair, and above all it’s dangerous. Angela Carini’s Olympic dreams lie in ruins because she lost to an opponent with male characteristics. It’s that simple.

Who are these people making the decisions? The IOC in their comments never once used the word dangerous. This is amateur sport. These athletes empty themselves in competition. But this is not athletics. In boxing you get hit in the head as well.

The situation in Paris is one catastrophic blow from tragedy. These guys at the IOC are playing God.

To win a medal is everything to these boxers. The train all their lives to get here. I never forget how down and dejected I was after Moscow in 1980. One lousy decision broke my heart.

I remember a plaque I made in woodwork in school in 1970. I carved the words ‘Olympic Gold Medallist 1980’ on it. And it never came to pass. So I know just how that Italian girl must be feeling. She said she wanted to honour her father and bring back an Olympic medal for Italy.

I went on to win a world title as a pro, but not many of these girls will experience that. This is their moment, and she has been robbed of hers.

They can make all the justifications they want but at the end of the day we are talking about biological men fighting women.

All I need is ten seconds and I can tell if it’s a man in the ring.

She was stunned by a shot to the mouth and then a second blow landed flush on the nose. You could see on her face that she was in shock. It is like a welterweight fighting a heavyweight. You think the house is falling in on top of you. That is what happens when you get hit with that sort of power.

I watch girls sparring men every day. It brings them on and makes them stronger, but we would never dream of matching a woman with a man in a proper fight.

The Olympics should hang their heads in shame. They wouldn’t know a left hook from a fish hook and have made a fundamental mistake here. It will take someone to refuse to fight to make them see sense, because the IOC clearly won’t do anything about it.

The athletes themselves are not to blame. They can’t help the way they were born. But the world is looking at this and wondering how it can happen?

It is shameful and hugely damaging to our sport.

Follow Barry on Twitter at @ClonesCyclone @mcguigans_gym