Archive: 2025 / 09

Michael Conlan Rio 2016: the controversial loss that shook Olympic boxing

Michael Conlan’s controversial loss to Vladimir Nikitin at Rio 2016 sparked one of Olympic boxing’s fiercest scandals. The top-seeded Irishman dominated to many eyes, yet lost on the cards, then blasted amateur boxing as corrupt. The fallout pushed judging reforms, saw referees and judges stood down, and fed into the IOC taking control of Olympic boxing. Conlan later beat Nikitin in a pro rematch.