WSB - World Series of Boxing

[Dennis]

According to WSB's website, http://www.worldseriesboxing.com, Robert Brant has become the first U.S. boxer to sign the Pre-Employment Agreement.

[Dennis]

The WSB website also talks about the Italians and how Cammarelle would fit perfectly into their league's structure. How? He is a super-heavyweight and the WSB has heavy, light-heavy, middle, light, and bantam. Is the WSB going to have the heavyweight class be everything over 178? Are they going to have different weight structures so that heavy is 200+, light-heavy is something like 175-200; middleweight is 150-175; lightweight is 130-150 and bantamweight is anything up to 130 pounds?

[Dennis]

Maybe some of the pro promoters around the world will start to get nervous and offer bigger contracts to the top amateurs to sign them before they get tied up with the WSB.

The promoters may also look at this as a huge benefit to them. They will get to see these guys box without shirts and headgear and more rounds and decide who really can cut it in the pro game. The promoters are used to stealing away boxers from other promoters and dealing with the legal consequences in court. They can also try to just buyout the boxer's contract from the WSB.

[Lifestyle Flashy]

So what is this WSB? like is their a preview or explination?

[Dennis]

The WSB is owned by AIBA and IMG. It is sort of a semi-pro boxing league. The boxers will be paid, but can still compete as amateurs. They will not be able to compete in any professional boxing contest besides the WSB competitions.

[boxmel]

The boxers will be paid, but can still compete as amateurs

Will they be able to participate in sanctioned U.S. amateur events as well - or just be eligible to qualify for the Olympics?

[Dennis]

The boxers will be paid, but can still compete as amateurs

Will they be able to participate in sanctioned U.S. amateur events as well - or just be eligible to qualify for the Olympics?

That is one of the questions I want answered in an official document.

[hbomb2]

The boxers will be paid, but can still compete as amateurs

Will they be able to participate in sanctioned U.S. amateur events as well - or just be eligible to qualify for the Olympics?

What I get from the meeting in Milan is that they will only be able to compete in events that the WSB will approve and determined at the time as it does not interfere with their program. From my understanding is there will be a three month regular season when boxers train and box for the franchise that drafted them. There will also be stand-by boxers in case of injury. After the regular season there would be a playoff season which will lead to a championship. There will box 5 3-minute rounds with the rules utilized by professionals today. All the kids brought home pamphlets that were distribute but I think that the meeting was more informative. They definitely put a lot of money into the promotion of the league. The video shows highlights of successful olympic boxers that went professional and all are American except Lennox Lewis.

[boxmel]

Ron - do you think that participating in the WSB and not in "regular" amateur boxing will be a detriment to qualifying for a country's Olympic team, i.e. different rules, etc.?

[hbomb2]

Ron - do you think that participating in the WSB and not in "regular" amateur boxing will be a detriment to qualifying for a country's Olympic team, i.e. different rules, etc.?

I think that we have a disadvantage as it is now as we (U.S. Coaches) teach our boxers to box the way that professional boxers box ie. slipping, rolling, inside fighting which are not conducive to being balanced,scoring and winning in Olympic Style boxing. The WSB will be utilizing the professional style and rules which will ultimately have the boxers going away from Olympic style and boxing attempt to adjust back to the Olympic style. Some may be able to make that adjustment and others may not.

[boxmel]

The WSB will be utilizing the professional style and rules which will ultimately have the boxers going away from Olympic style and boxing attempt to adjust back to the Olympic style. Some may be able to make that adjustment and others may not.

Thanks for your comments, Ron - my thoughts exactly. I think, however, there will be more who do not than do make the adjustment.

[hbomb2]

Here are a few things that are in the packet that AIBA gave out concerning the WSB:

COMPETITON:

The World Series of Boxing will be an annually recurring, global competition featuring franchises in three regional conferences: ASIA, EUROPE, AND THE AMERICAS. Each region will initially be comprised of FOUR CITY-BASED FRANCHISES, and each franchise will field a SQUAD OF 10 BOXERS across the FIVE WEIGHT CLASSES designed by AIBA.

The inaugural season 2010/2011: Sep-Dec 2010 Regular season, Jan 2011 Play-off Series, Feb-Mar 2011 Exhibition Matches, Apr 2011 Individual Championship bouts.

Each match between teams will consist of five bouts, each bout will consist of five rounds, rounds will consist of three minutes in length. A manual scoring system will be used with three judges operating a 10 point system there will not be any live scoring during the bout. There will be no vest or headgear gloves will be 8 oz. or 10 oz.

[Dennis]

Here are a few things that are in the packet that AIBA gave out concerning the WSB:

COMPETITON:

The World Series of Boxing will be an annually recurring, global competition featuring franchises in three regional conferences: ASIA, EUROPE, AND THE AMERICAS. Each region will initially be comprised of FOUR CITY-BASED FRANCHISES, and each franchise will field a SQUAD OF 10 BOXERS across the FIVE WEIGHT CLASSES designed by AIBA.

The inaugural season 2010/2011: Sep-Dec 2010 Regular season, Jan 2011 Play-off Series, Feb-Mar 2011 Exhibition Matches, Apr 2011 Individual Championship bouts.

Each match between teams will consist of five bouts, each bout will consist of five rounds, rounds will consist of three minutes in length. A manual scoring system will be used with three judges operating a 10 point system there will not be any live scoring during the bout. There will be no vest or headgear gloves will be 8 oz. or 10 oz.

Ron
The problem I have with the WSB documents is that they are not clear and sometimes contradict each other. In the booklet called "Introducing The World Series of Boxing" it has the information as you stated above. However, in the booklet entitled "The World Series of Boxing is Coming" it states that the competition starts November 2010 and the regular season continues to February 2011. The playoffs are then from February 2011 to March 2011. The Individual Championships will be held in April 2011.

[Dennis]

The booklets talk about exhibition matches during the off-season which means that the boxers might not really have an off-season.

The boxers in the WSB will get to compete in some tough competitions, but will not be able to compete in local shows and tournaments unless released to do so by their franchise. They will get to compete in the Olympics and qualifying tournaments. Hopefully, that also means the "Federations" qualifying tournaments including the Olympic Trials. Boxers will not be able to compete in other national tournaments unless released to do so by their franchise. Will franchises want their boxers competing in non-WSB tournaments and take the risk of injury? It is similar to other pro sports franchises. The NFL, NHL, NBA, etc have the same types of restrictions. They don't want their players participating in high-risk activities. They typically have restrictions against participating in other competitions and not doing things like sky-diving, cliff diving, etc.

[Alodom7]

So are they pros or amateurs?

[boxmel]

that would apply to all boxers, not just american fighters...so i fail to see how it would not hurt asian or european boxers too!! maybe i'm missing something...

My original question was generic. Ron answered from the point of view of being a U.S. coach.

[boxer]

Hi guys,

I have a question about the WSB. Do you think the IOC will allow the WSB boxers to get back to take part in the Olympics?

Thanks for the information.

[hbomb2]

Samaranch was at the Aiba World Championships and I am sure that he heard about it.

[JMac]

Samaranch was at the Aiba World Championships and I am sure that he heard about it.

Ron, Samaranch has been dead a few years. You meant to say IOC President Jacques Rogge.
Anyway, to answer the question, the IOC is well aware of the WSB and yes those boxers who compete in it will also be able to box in the Olympics. Most Olympic sports have pros competing. There are no true amateurs anymore.

[hbomb2]

I think that I may have been mistaken as I saw Samaranch on the T.V. Screen in the locker room. There was no sound and if there were I would not have understood italian. Maybe there was a tribute to him and I viewed the television that had him in an audience. LOL

[locoxelbox]

Samaranch WAS there. You buried him too early JMac .

[hbomb2]

Thanks Locoxelbox,

You saved me...I thought that I was loosing it for a second. I knew I saw what I saw. But Rogge is the president.

[JMac]

Samaranch WAS there. You buried him too early JMac .

He's still alive? I could have sworn he died. I guess the dementia is starting to take over and I had nowhere near the number of bouts that Ron the hbomb had.

[NYboxing]

A little late, but a second US boxer has signed - light heavyweight Sijuola Shabazz to fight in the World Series of Boxing

World Series Boxing signs US light heavyweight Shabazz
Saturday, 21 November 2009 21:01

As the second US light heavyweight to confirm his participation in the World Series of Boxing, Sijuola Shabazz will soon get chance to show off the professional style of boxing for which he has been chided in the past. The 2007 National Golden Gloves champion has signed a guaranteed participation agreement that will almost certainly see him boxing with one of four yet-to-be confirmed US city franchises in the global tournament of 12 teams.

Ranked second in the USA at light heavyweight (81kg or 178 lbs), the 24 year-old from Las Cruces, New Mexico can't wait to make his international boxing debut. "I have fought in about 15 international duals but the only international tournament I've fought in was the Golden Gloves World Championships, in which I beat Great Britain and lost a very controversial decision to the Puerto Rican Olympian Carlos Negron," he said. Commenting on his new contract with the WSB, he promises that "there will be a big reward, I plan on being the first WSB individual champion and hopefully on the champion team as well."

At the US national championships this year, Shabazz lost a close final (12-9) to fellow WSB contender Robert Brant.

Shabazz has the potential to shine in both the WSB and at future Olympic Games, since he has the basics of a professional style but has also taken on amateur traits thanks to USA Boxing. "Most say I have a pro style and for a few years USA Boxing was trying to break me out of that and get me to fight like most amateur boxers, with a lot of punches and lots of movement. I have adapted somewhat to the amateur style but I am a true fighter and love to fight hard."

http://www.thesportscampus.com/20091121 ... ht-shabazz

[Jma05]

what other usa boxers are going with the wsb. i now know of brandt and shabbazz and for a time it looked like kisner might have been a name to. but how many are there know