League of Fists gears up for 2nd season
Print Edition
THE second season of League of Fists, a professional boxing tournament to promote the sport in China, will kick off in Shanghai this weekend, organizers announced yesterday.
Jointly organized by American boxing promoter Top Rank and its Chinese partner SECA, the second season of the tournament will be held from March 4 to July 23, featuring six levels (divided by weight) of professional bouts. Finals winners will be given WBO China Champion belts, and will win WBO points that could propel them onto the international stage.
The inaugural season of League of Fists attracted a total of 177 boxers from China. They were divided into eight levels. Some of the boxers were national or regional champions, while some had tasted professional boxing for the first time.
Boxers with outstanding performance during the league, like Zulpikal Maimaitiaili from Urumqi, were given the chance to fight in undercard bouts for Zou Shiming’s WBO International flyweight title bout in Shanghai on January 30.
“To standardize the league is our No. 1 priority,” said Li Sheng, CEO of SECA. League of Fists has reached cooperation with professional organizations like WBO and PBC. Referees and medical staff from five countries and regions served in the league’s first season. “Among the 198 ranking fights of the first season, 68 ended in knockouts or TKO, counting for about 34 percent,” said Li.
In the second season, cash prizes will be set for coaches. Once a boxer advances to the semifinal or final, his coach will receive prize money of up to 10,000 yuan (US$1,528).
The first-round bouts of the League of Fists’ second season will be held at YunSpace in suburban Baoshan District and Mercedes Benz Arena in Pudong New Area today and tomorrow, respectively.
“China doesn’t lack boxing talent, but rather a stage to let them present themselves, as well as a mature boxing market,” added Li.
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