THE PROPOSED World Boxing Council (WBC) Youth Amateur Pro League convention will take place in March 2016, according to popular boxing official and matchmaker Boxu Potts. This disclosure was made during a media conference at Alicia’s Guest House, St Ann’s yesterday.
Potts also revealed that the Youth Boxing World Cup will be staged next year, with the venue and date to be confirmed during the convention.
It is expected that all 165 countries in the WBC will take part in the World Cup.
“I have spoken to, and gotten approval of nearly all of the Caribbean members and other affiliate nations,” Potts noted.
As far as the World Cup is concerned, the former Trinidad and Tobago Boxing Board of Control (TT BBC) special advisor said a number of the sport’s greats, including Floyd “Money” Mayweather, George Foreman, Oscar De La Hoya and promoter Don King have endorsed the proposal, and also indicated their desire to be in the twin-island republic for the convention.
“There are 19,000 boxers looking for an avenue to box,” said Potts, with regards to both ventures.
“We want to develop boxing in all forms.” He also said that the convention will feature a number of activities geared at assisting the young boxers, including anti-bullying and social development programmes.
Also at the media briefing, Potts stated that he will serve as chairman of the WBC-sanctioned Central America and Caribbean region.
“This decision was made after a meeting last year in Mexico, with the WBC, WBA (World Boxing Association) and the IBF (International Boxing Federation),” said Potts. “The meeting was to decide on a way to deal with the sport of boxing, since it was dying due to the IABA new system, which was making the sport watered-down, and as a result, providing less boxers of world championship quality.” At the meeting, Potts recommended that the WBC stage boxing nurseries across the globe to help amateur fighters enhance the amateur development of the sport.
He made reference to a scenario involving Mayweather, the world light middleweight champ, who was defeated by Bulgaria’s Serafim Todoroy at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, United States.
According to Potts, while Mayweather is one of sport’s wealthiest performers, Todoroy is currently a pauper who currently resides in one of Bulgaria’s poorest cities.
“Thank God and everyone for helping me to promote the sport of boxing in this region,” Potts commented.
“The World Boxing Council considers me to be an integral part of boxing and I have been appointed as a chairman.” He called on the new Government, led by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, to “appoint the right people so they can take this initiative and run with it.” He said this has nothing to do with the Boxing Board and, for him, as chairman, it is a way of giving back to the country, and the sport, for what they have done for him.