Olympic hopes Jack Bowen and Taylah Robertson knock out Tokyo

Jack Bowen and Taylah Robertson — who represented Australia at last year’s world amateur titles — will abandon the Toyko Olympics when they kickstart their professional careers in Brisbane next month.

Jack Bowen and Taylah Robertson have forgone the chance to fight at the Tokyo Olympics to turn professional instead.

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Two of Australia’s Olympic boxing hopefuls have turned their back on Tokyo to make their professional debuts in Brisbane next month.

Jack Bowen and Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Taylah Robertson, who both represented Australia at last year’s world amateur titles, will begin their chase for world professional honours on February 22 at the Sleeman Centre in Chandler.

Bowen, 23, said he had already achieved his goal of representing Australia on the world stage as an amateur and that the time was right to turn pro.

“It was basically too expensive for me to stay on and chase a spot for the Tokyo Olympics,’’ Bowen said.

Taylah Robertson was crowned Australian women's 51kg champion last year.

“When I weighed up my living expenses and all the time I had to take off work I decided to turn pro now rather than wait another year until after the Games.’’

Bowen, who will fight in the 76kg division, represented Australia in the 81kg light-heavyweight division at the men’s World Amateur Championships in Russia in September, where he dominated China’s Zhang Jilei in his opening fight before losing a disputed decision to Nuryagdy Nuryadyyev of Turkmenistan in his next appearance.

He has won the Australian amateur title, the Arafura Games gold medal, five Queensland championships, the Australasian Golden Gloves and the Queensland Elite Boxer of the Year award.

He regularly spars the Gold Coast’s Rohan Murdock, who is the No. 1 contender for the world super-middleweight title.

Bowen will face a former amateur rival, Todd Sweeney, on the Chandler card.

Robertson, 21, a five-time Australian champion who fought in the 51kg division at the world women’s titles in Russia in October, won a bronze medal at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games but said she had grown weary of the constant long-distance travel with the Australian team.

Olympic boxing hopefuls Jack Bowen and Taylah Robertson have forgone the chance to fight at the Tokyo Olympics to turn professional instead. Picture: AAP

“I was in a different country every month last year and I looked at the schedule for this year leading to Tokyo and it was more of the same,’’ she said.

“I had a great time with the Australian team and met so many great friends but there are so many opportunities in professional boxing for women these days and I’m really looking forward to winning some big fights.’’