(JUNE 18) The MBC
International Championship, a new professional boxing
championship developed by the Malta and London, UK, based Malta
Boxing Commission in partnership with New Jersey, USA based
Group One Sports and Entertainment Consulting, launches today.
The raison d'etre of the new Championship is to provide boxing
promoters worldwide with a high profile, yet cost effective,
championship, designed to give upcoming young fighters their
first taste of International Championship boxing.
The MBC International Championship is for both Male and Female
boxers, the men competing in ten three minute rounds, whilst the
females compete for ten two minute rounds.
An innovative aspect of the MBC International Championship is
the partnering with companies to provide additional benefits,
through a contingency sponsorship programme, for the competing
boxers.
The first to sign up to the partnership programme is British
boxing equipment retailer BoxFit – www.boxfituk.com - who as
part of this programme offer boxers competing in the
Championship a special discount on the extensive range of
products that they supply from their superstore in Harold Wood,
Essex in the UK and on-line worldwide.
Overseeing all aspects of the MBC International Championship is
a highly accomplished board, consisting of experienced
sanctioning officials, former World Champions, as well as
representatives from the management and promotion side of the
boxing industry.
Heading up the MBC International board are former Chairman of
the Michigan Boxing Commission (now known as the Michigan
Unarmed Combat Commission) Albert Low (Chairman) and WBU Europe
Managing Director and Malta Boxing Commission Vice President
Gianluca Di Caro (President), who represent the sanctioning
element of the board along with Malta Boxing Commission
Permanent General Secretary Marc James and German elite referee
and judge Alf Sprung.
Former World Champions Steve ‘Celtic Warrior’ Collins,
‘Terrible’ Tim Witherspoon and Vinnie Curto provide
representation of the boxers, along with Marianne ‘Golden Girl’
Marston, who is the voice of female boxing on the board.
Providing input from the management and promotion arena are
Richard Hone and Johnny Eames.
On making the announcement of the new Championship a clearly
elated Gianluca Di Caro said,
“It gives me and my fellow board members extreme pleasure to
announce the launch of the MBC International Championship.
It’s really is such an exciting project, one that will give
boxing fans the world over the opportunity to see the sports’
future stars in international championship action.
Promoters will like the fee structure, which is competitive to
put it mildly, even more so due to sponsorship of the
Championship belt by BoxFit, which enables us to include the
belt within the already very reasonable sanctioning fee until
September 2015.
The boxers themselves will benefit greatly, not just by fighting
for the title but also through our contingency partnership
programme.
BoxFit is also the first to partner with us on the contingency
sponsorship side, but there will be more on board in the coming
months, I expect some will be providing discounts or goods like
BoxFit, whilst others will offer financial incentives, either
way it is a great programme that will truly benefit the boxers.
Coming from a motorsport background, where contingency funds for
racers are the norm, I have to say I was surprised that this
type of fund was not already a standard in boxing, perhaps it
will be now we’ve started one for the boxers campaigning for our
titles.
Originally we were going to launch in September, as we wanted to
launch with a few more partners signed up to the contingency
programme, but have had to bring this forward, as we already
have a number of MBC International title fights lined up.
At this time the first MBC International title fight will take
place in Malta on August 22nd, however we are in talks that
could see the first title fight take place right here in London
as early as the 2nd August.
Either way, we are really looking forward to crowning the first
MBC International Champion this coming August.”
