It was just last month the World Boxing Council (WBC) launched their public attack on the International Boxing Association (AIBA).

The WBC has long been considered boxing's leading professional organisation but they expressed fears that AIBA, the body responsible for Olympic boxing, were looking to displace them in the pro game.

The attack came from the very top, with WBC President José Sulaimán of Mexico behind it.

Sulaimán claimed that AIBA's move towards professional boxing "clearly constitute an attempt to establish a monopoly and a restraint of trade" and he claimed that the organisation presents "danger to the sport of boxing" that the WBC will look to fight.

Perhaps the only surprise about the public attack from the WBC President is that it hadn't come earlier.

What has particularly irritated the WBC is AIBA's World Series of Boxing (WSB) tournament, currently the only boxing competition in the world that allows fighters to compete professionally and retain their Olympic eligibility.

The WSB actually was launched in the latter part of 2010 but has only really started to take off this season, its third edition.

Changing the format of the competition from city to country franchises has certainly played a big part in the growth, as has getting the UK on board in the form of the British Lionhearts was a must after Team GB topped the medal table at the London 2012 Olympics.

Another factor is the star-studded Ukraine Otamans team, spearheaded by double Olympic champion Vasyl Lomachenko, widely considered one of the best boxers ever to fight at the Games.

The 25-year-old lightweight from Bilhorod-Dnistrovskyi, a gold medallist at Beijing 2008 and London 2012, is also a double AIBA World Championship champion and turned down numerous professional offers to be part of the Ukraine Otamans - a team which also includes the reigning Olympic and world heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk.

Next season, Cuba will join in a historic move that will see the country box professionally for the first time since 1962. Professional boxing was effectively banned in Cuba over 50 years ago due to former leader Fidel Castro's belief it was both corrupt and corrupting, while authorities there deemed it is too unsafe.

But what really riled Sulaimán into his public attack was the semi-final first-leg between Mexico Guerreros and Astana Arlans Kazakhstan.

It was not the match up itself, but the location.

For the first leg in Sulaimán's native Mexico, the Guerreros received permission to stage the bout on the iconic El Zócalo - the main square of Mexico City and its historic centre.

"The Mexico Guerreros are our representatives in WSB, so the city and the country are very interested in working with them," said the high-profile Mayor of Mexico City Ángel Mancera Espinosa as he announced that El Zócalo would be used. "We are looking forward to accomplish more of our goals together."

That Kazakhstan won the match and the overall semi-final was irrelevant to Sulaimán, who had seen enough to publically attack the WSB.

His letter to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was rebuffed as they claimed that it was not an issue for them to get involved with before AIBA President C K Wu, himself an IOC Executive Board member, sent a letter to the Olympic boxing community to calm the situation.

"The IOC President confirmed in a letter to me that the IOC would recognise only AIBA as the International Federation representing the sport of boxing in the Olympic Games," Wu explained

"At the same time, the IOC sports director also replied to the WBC President that as a result of the IOC recognising AIBA as the only International Federation administering boxing at world level, AIBA is responsible for the technical control and direction of its sport at the Olympic Games.

"AIBA has also informed the global media and press in regard to IOC's full support and confirmation on AIBA's governing position at all levels for our sport."

Things are about to get worse for Sulaimán and co as AIBA prepare to launch AIBA Pro Boxing (APB) later this year.

APB will be a professional boxing tournament that links to the WSB while Olympic boxing itself is set to have a more professional look as headguards are removed and a professional-style scoring system introduced this year - well ahead of Rio 2016.

When it comes to Rio 2016, the new professional-style rules at the Olympics have intrigued some of the world's top fighters; not least heavyweight world champion Wladimir Klitschko.

The 37-year-old from Ukraine currently holds the WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight titles but is set to discuss with AIBA the possibility of competing at Rio 2016 as he looks to get a second Olympic gold medal in Rio, having claimed victory in the super heavyweight category at Atlanta in 1996.

Such a move could be the real game-changer in AIBA's move towards professionalism.

In his letter, Wu writes: "It is AIBA's mission to govern the sport of boxing worldwide in all of its forms and I am very grateful to you for your constant support."

Maybe they are now closer than many believe.

He also adds that following Sulaimán's attack, "the current professional organisations might continue exploring any means to damage our programme in the future."

This is more than likely, and the gloves are now off.

But in secret, Wu and AIBA will be delighted.

The attack from the WBC is simply endorsement that AIBA's move towards professionalism is starting to make a real impact.

Tom Degun is a reporter for insidethegames. To follow him on Twitter click here.