First World Boxing Championships heading to Liverpool in 2025

[Ruthless-RKO]

Press Release

The city of Liverpool in England has been selected as the host city for the inaugural World Boxing Championships 2025 for Elite men and women.

The championships will take place between September 4 and September 14 at the M&S Bank Arena, marking the first Elite-level global championships hosted by World Boxing, the new International Federation which has been set up to ensure that boxing remains an Olympic sport.

There will be action in 10 weight classes for both men and women and it will represent the first time male and female boxers have competed in Olympic-style boxing for the title of world champion at the same event.

The weight categories will be finalized in the new edition of World Boxing’s Competition Rules, which will be published following its forthcoming Congress in November.

The bid to host the World Boxing Championships 2025 was developed by a group of partners including England Boxing, GB Boxing, Liverpool City Council and the M&S Bank Arena and is supported by the National Lottery and UK Sport.

The President of World Boxing, Boris van der Vorst said: “Liverpool is a globally famous city with a proud heritage in boxing and it will be a fantastic place to host our first ever Elite World Boxing Championships. This will be a superb showcase for the sport of Olympic boxing, particularly as it will be the first time ever that the men and women’s competition will run alongside each other as part of the same Championships.

Speaking on behalf of England Boxing, Jerome Pels, added: “The World Boxing Championships is not just another big sporting event– it is a game-changer for us. It is a strategic initiative that aligns with our goals of establishing a unified international governing body, inspiring the next generation of boxers, boosting participation, and strengthening communities through boxing. We are thrilled to host this event and confident it will have a huge, lasting impact on both our organization and the future of the sport itself."

World Boxing was launched in April 2023 and aims to ensure that boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic movement. On 7May 2024 it held its first meeting with the IOC which signaled the start of formal collaboration between the two organizations aimed at establishing a pathway for boxing to remain in the Olympic Games.

World Boxing currently has 44 members covering all five Continents that compete in international boxing. Its membership is expected to have grown significantly by September 2025.

Further information on World Boxing is available at www.worldboxing.org.

[coneye]

Coming back over for a holiday , Ireland , England next year , was trying to make my mid up Aug or sep , after the school holidays , guess i can work around these dates now , was'nt even sure excatly where i wanted to go this time so looks like Liverpool could be on the agenda for a week or so , has good a place has any to base myself for a while

[Delta Jay]

I’m calling a few favours/asking about for tickets for this, I might honestly go nearly every day.

Absolutely brilliant for da best city in da werld laa

[KiwiRider]

So glad it isn't in Saudi, should be a great atmosphere in Liverpool.

[coneye]

So glad it isn't in Saudi, should be a great atmosphere in Liverpool.

Especielly if i dig out my old Man UTD SCARF LOL

[Tarquin Tarpaulin IV]

This event is NOT the world championships as we've seen in previous years and is unlikely to see true global involvement.

This is the world championships for WORLD BOXING, (WB) the *intended breakaway from the International Boxing Association (IBA) who currently retain the overwhelming majority of international federations as members.

IBA currently have 192 national federations, WB 44 (if you accept England, Scotland, Wales and Team GB as 4 independent federations?) *Some of WB's federations including England have stated that they wish to remain with the IBA for now but it is almost certain that WB member federations will be given a choice in December when IBA hold their annual congress and being a part of both organisations will be disallowed.

Whichever way you look at it, just as the domestic senior 'ABA' championships once featured England, Scotland & Wales and is now a shadow of it's former self, the desperation to maintain boxing as an Olympic sport for 2 weeks of competition every 4 years will cast a devisive shadow over all international amateur boxing events.

[SeanBrennan]

This event is NOT the world championships as we've seen in previous years and is unlikely to see true global involvement.

This is the world championships for WORLD BOXING, (WB) the *intended breakaway from the International Boxing Association (IBA) who currently retain the overwhelming majority of international federations as members.

IBA currently have 192 national federations, WB 44 (if you accept England, Scotland, Wales and Team GB as 4 independent federations?) *Some of WB's federations including England have stated that they wish to remain with the IBA for now but it is almost certain that WB member federations will be given a choice in December when IBA hold their annual congress and being a part of both organisations will be disallowed.

Whichever way you look at it, just as the domestic senior 'ABA' championships once featured England, Scotland & Wales and is now a shadow of it's former self, the desperation to maintain boxing as an Olympic sport for 2 weeks of competition every 4 years will cast a devisive shadow over all international amateur boxing events.

it's symptomatic of the wider malaise in amateur boxing. It won't be a global event.

[Ruthless-RKO]

World Boxing to debut in Liverpool

With a long history of hosting international sporting events, the English city will be the stage for the first ever Elite Men's and Women's Championships from the recently International Olympic Committee-recognised sporting body, from 4 to 14 September.

The M&S Bank Arena, a stones throw from the Royal Albert Dock, has been chosen as the venue for the competition, which will feature Olympic-style boxing in 10 weight divisions for both men and women. It will also be the first time that both men's and women's titles will be contested in a single event. The official weight divisions are yet to be announced and will be governed by World Boxing's competition rules.

Liverpool has a long history of hosting international sporting events and was the venue for the European Boxing Championships in 2008. More recently, its facilities have hosted a number of major competitions including the Vitality Netball World Cup in 2019, the World Gymnastics Championships at the M&S Bank Arena in 2022, The Open Golf Championship at Royal Liverpool in 2023 and the Eurovision Song Contest in the same year.

World Boxing President Boris van der Vorst expressed his gratitude, "I would like to thank all our partners in Great Britain and the City of Liverpool for their enthusiasm and support in hosting these championships. I look forward to working closely with them to deliver what will be an historic event for the boxers and for our sport," he said.

Jerome Pels, Chief Executive of England Boxing, highlighted the significance of the event. "The World Boxing Championships is not just another major sporting event, it is a paradigm shift for us. It is a strategic initiative that aligns with our goals of creating a unified international governing body, inspiring the next generation of boxers, increasing participation and strengthening communities through boxing," he said.

Other partners involved in the bid echoed the importance of allowing local athletes to compete at home in front of their supporters. Esther Britten, Head of Events & External Affairs at UK Sport, expressed her confidence in the long-term relationship between Liverpool and World Boxing and hoped the city would become a benchmark for future events.

Liverpool City Council's Cabinet Member for Culture, Sport and Health, Councillor Harry Doyle, highlighted the qualities that secured Liverpool as the host city, "Our winning bid demonstrates the city's appeal and ability to host the world's best. I am sure these championships will be as popular as the gymnastics and netball events we have previously hosted," he said.

Ben Williams, Commercial & Business Development Director at the M&S Bank Arena, praised the venue and its suitability for the competition, sayiing, "Situated on Liverpool's iconic waterfront, in the heart of a city immersed in sport, we are perfectly positioned to deliver a fantastic experience."

Finally, Matt Holt, Chief Executive of GB Boxing, the organisation responsible for the Olympic boxing programme in Great Britain, reflected on the importance of hosting such a high-profile competition on home soil. "Being part of GB Boxing often means competing abroad, so the chance to box at home in a world championship is fantastic for our boxers. I am sure they will all be keen to make the most of this opportunity," he concluded.