WBC Grand Prix of Boxing

[handsofstone]

Who's even fighting? There's nothing on boxrec

[gregregegg]

At heavyweight the only two I have hear of is Dante stone and Steven torrez (not jr).

[KiwiRider]

Many will catch attention from promoters. It’s a way for those prospects to make a name for themselves.

It's the best showcase many will ever get.
Which is why I expect all the participants to really go for it.
I like these sort of things. And there will be some diamonds born out of the adversity of four consecutive fights where the other guy is there to win as well.

[gregregegg]

I wonder how good some of the unknowns in this will be…

Dante stone has a slither of name value and a decent looking record, feels like someone that could get a payday vs a fisher type fighter… or moses (Mabey a few fights ago)…

This gamble will be worth it for him if the others are shit…

but looking closer….

lazibek should be very very tough to beat in this… 25 year old Uzbek southpaw, Olympic gold medalist…

[gregregegg]

12 oz gloves... not terrible for the Heavyweights but not good for the 140s...

Pro boxing should be pro boxing, I think this is something different... (bigger gloves, open scoring (and different scoring for draws)....

This would be fun, in concept, if it was just regular old pro boxing (but with odd rounds), just 32 guys, 5 rounders in April, 16 winners go to 5 rounders in June, 8 winners go to 7 rounders in August, 4 winners go to 9 rounders in October, 2 winners go to an 11 rounder in December.... (odd rounds for tournament format to decrease the likelihood of draws...)

[Ruthless-RKO]

Weight tolerance permitted for WBC Boxing Grand Prix participants

Non-heavyweight participants won’t have to worry about making a hard divisional weight limit.

Boxing Scene has confirmed that a weight tolerance is in place for the featherweight, junior welterweight and middleweight divisions of the inaugural WBC Boxing Grand Prix tournament. The rule was implemented given the travel conditions for the majority of the boxers set to compete this week, live on DAZN from Global Theatre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

“The WBC Tournament Competition Committee in conjunction with the Middle East Boxing Commission and NAS Medical Limited hereby informs all fighters that there will be a tolerance to the weigh-in,” participants were informed in an official notice obtained by BS. “[This is] as a result to the water retention know[n] to occur in the immediate period after long-distance air travel.”

Fighters participating in the featherweight and junior welterweight divisions are each granted a two-pound allowance (limits of 128lbs and 142lbs). The middleweights are permitted two-and-a-half pounds (a limit of 162.5lbs).

The ruling does not affect the heavyweight division, given there is already no weight limit.

Each division carries 32 participants, with each weight division's opening 16 matches spotlighted on its own day. The featherweights are up first on Thursday, April 17. Friday’s offering will feature the junior welterweights. Middleweights are up after that on Saturday, while the heavyweights will throw down on Sunday.

All 64 bouts are scheduled for six rounds apiece. Each day’s event will begin at 3 p.m. local time (8 a.m. ET/1 p.m. BST). Participants are required to weigh in the day before at 10 a.m. local time (3 a.m. ET/8 a.m. BST).

Winners from this week’s bouts will advance to the Sweet 16 round.

Among the unique rules in place:

There will be a confirmed winner in every bout.

Tiebreaker procedures are in place in the event that the scores are knotted at the end of six rounds. In addition to the 10-point must-system, judges are required to grade the advantage for the winning boxer of that round: C (close), M (moderate), D (decisive) or E (extreme).

Open scoring will be implemented, a common practice for WBC-sanctioned global bouts (excluding the U.S., U.K. and select other markets).

Instant replay will be fully utilized to confirm in-ring rulings (knockdowns, fouls, etc.) or for immediate protest if it is believed such a call was missed.

In addition to the 10-second clapper and the final bell, a 30-second buzzer will sound – with the intention to motivate the boxers to pick up the pace, particularly in perceived close rounds.

Green and gold corners will replace the traditional red and blue. Boxers will wear uniforms in accordance with this color scheme, reflective of the WBC belt.

All boxers are subject to random drug testing as contracted through VADA.

Participants cannot be more than 26 years of age or have more than 10 pro bouts upon tournament entry.

The final winner of each division will be presented with the Jose Sulaimán Trophy, named after the late and long-reigning WBC president. The sanctioning body has been run by Mauricio Sulaiman, Jose’s youngest son, who has served as president since 2014.

[maverick23]

This has zero hype. Before looking at this thread I couldn’t name one fighter involved.

[handsofstone]

16 6 rounds a day is a bit much

[gregregegg]

16 6 rounds a day is a bit much

Decent at heavyweight…

Trash at feather and super light weight in 12 oz gloves…

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Ruthless-RKO]

Thursday, Apr. 17
DAZN, 8:00 am ET,
WBC Boxing Grand Prix Round 1, Day 1.
A WBC + Riyadh Season collabo, bringing 128 early to mid-career fighters, most younger than 27, in a series of 32-man tournaments across four divisions. There are first round shows all week, with action at heavyweight, middleweight, super lightweight, and featherweight. Fights are six rounds, open scoring after the 2nd and 4th rounds, and there’s a convoluted formula called “WBC enhanced scoring” to resolve any draws with a declared winner and loser. Should be a nice little career boost for whoever wins, and could be a pro equivalent of all-day Olympic boxing viewing fun. I’ll check it out at some point during the week, and if the show is good entertainment with Olympic rather than Saudi pacing, Round 2 in June.

Friday, Apr. 18
DAZN, 8:00 am ET, WBC Boxing Grand Prix Round 1, Day 2.

Saturday, Apr. 19
DAZN, 8:00 am ET, WBC Boxing Grand Prix Round 1, Day 3.

[Ruthless-RKO]

[Ruthless-RKO]

Anyone watching?

[handsofstone]

Nah but every fight result I keep seeing on the bird app is a distance fight, think I'll give watching it a miss

[joshj909]

I didn't realize this was happening. Is there anybody we would've heard of in the tournament?

[rd350lc]

I watched a bit and it was good .
The lad Powar from Britain did great .

[Glass Joe]

they streamed it on their youtube channel yesterday

[maverick23]

Nah but every fight result I keep seeing on the bird app is a distance fight, think I'll give watching it a miss

Buddy, if you’re not watching then they’re buggered.

Shows how poorly promoted it’s been.

[handsofstone]

Nah but every fight result I keep seeing on the bird app is a distance fight, think I'll give watching it a miss

Buddy, if you’re not watching then they’re buggered.

Shows how poorly promoted it’s been.

I've not got the stamina mate, 64 fights on 4 days? No thanks

[maverick23]

Nah but every fight result I keep seeing on the bird app is a distance fight, think I'll give watching it a miss

Buddy, if you’re not watching then they’re buggered.

Shows how poorly promoted it’s been.

I've not got the stamina mate, 64 fights on 4 days? No thanks

The issue I have is that I’m a die hard boxing fan and I still don’t have a clue who’s fighting in it. I couldn’t even tell you if there were any Brits.

Where was the big draw? Is it seeded? Where are the profiles on the favourites?

It needs an awful lot of promotion to get people invested in this kind of thing.

[margaret thatcher]

it feels a lot like a big amateur tournament, which i like, but a lot arent so into that

[Jimmy2025]

This will do woeful numbers. It's a crap idea. You build boxing around a single main event, it's been done that way for centuries because it works.

[TBA]

Agreed. fornicate watching 1000 fights in a row of early 2000s Fwank matchmaking.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Day 2

[gilgamesh]

Anyone watching?

I've actually tried my best to watch every bit of the whole shows each day. I've still got some Middleweight and Heavyweight Tournament bouts to catch up on. I'm watching the Heavyweight portion of the Tournament as it airs Live now.