Tyson: Olympics pro boxing proposal 'ridiculous'

Beijing - Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson says a proposal to let professional fighters compete in the Rio de Janeiro Olympics is "ridiculous" and "foolish."

In Beijing to promote professional boxing in China, Tyson says any pro boxers going to the Olympics should be prepared to lose because the amateurs could prove too fast for them.

Tyson says he still has strong memories of the skilled boxers from Cuba, Russia and elsewhere he fought as an amateur in the 1980s.

The head of the International Boxing Association has proposed allowing pros in the Olympics, although it's uncertain how the plan would be implemented for Rio because qualification tournaments are either underway or have already been held for boxers in most countries.