Having been on the canvas, facing being counted out of the Olympic programme, boxing has survived a potential knock-out blow and is set to feature in Los Angeles in 2028.
Which is good news for Australian pugilists with the nation having recently re-emerged as a contender for boxing medals.
Thomas Bach, the International Olympic Committee president, said on Monday that the IOC's executive board has approved including boxing in 2028 with the event run by the nascent World Boxing organisation.
It still needs a full IOC session to sign off on the decision later this week in Greece, but that's expected to be a formality.
Australia have won one silver and six bronze medals at the Olympics, with three of those at the last two Games after a 61-year lean period in which Grahame 'Spike' Cheney's light welterweight silver in 1988 was the only podium finish.
Then Victorian Harry Garside won lightweight bronze in Tokyo followed by West Australian duo Charlie Senior and Caitlin Parker winning bronze at men's featherweight and women's middleweight in Paris.
The IOC organised boxing at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and the Paris Games last year after relations with the International Boxing Association broke down, but said it needed a new partner in time for 2028.
The IOC last month granted provisional recognition to World Boxing, which was formed in 2023.
The IOC said only athletes whose national federations were members of World Boxing by the start of qualification events for the 2028 Olympics could take part in Los Angeles.
Boxing Australia joined soon after it's creation and Dinah Glykidis, CEO of Boxing Australia, is one of the body's two vice-presidents.
World Boxing now has more than 80 national federations as members and, said IOC Sports Director Kit McConnell, "we see an acceleration of the number of federations joining".
The IOC suspended the IBA in 2019 following long-running disputes over governance, its finances and the integrity of bouts and judging, and took the rare step of banishing it from the Olympic movement entirely in 2023, shortly after the World Boxing breakaway.
Since it was suspended, the IBA and its Russian president Umar Kremlev have continued to feud with the IOC.
The IBA said last month it planned to file criminal complaints against the IOC in the United States, France and Switzerland.
with agencies
