LOS ANGELES (April 5, 2022) — World Cup Boxing Series (WCBS), co-founded by CEO Terry Hollan and matchmaker Guy Taylor, has announced a new series, “WCBS Junior Tournament,” to go along with its ongoing “WCBS 4-Man Tournament.”
The “WCBS Junior Tournament” is designed for professional fighters under the age of 24 with records within the 9-0-to-11-0 range of experience.
“When our company announced the tournament platform, we had 271 fighters, managers and promoters reach out to us about getting in on one of the brackets,” Taylor said. “I’d say 90-percent were good, young fighters who had records of 9-0, 10-0, etc. Our ‘Junior Tournament’ will provide a great opportunity for young prospects looking to break into the role of young contenders.”
The “WCBS Junior Tournament” will use the same format as the “WCBS 4-Man Tournament” – four fighters in 8-round semifinals with the winners advancing to the 8-round championship final, unlike the 10-round “4-Man Tournament” final.
“The reason we decided to go with 8-rounds for both the semifinals and final is that most of these fighters in the ‘Junior Tournament’ have never gone 8 rounds before,’ Taylor explained. “We just feel that fir them to be effective in their development and progression in the sport and, more importantly, their safety, we will keep both the semifinals and final at 8-rounds.”
The “WCBS Junior Tournament” will also adopt one ‘Overtime round” in the event the any series bout is declared a draw after the scheduled distance is completed.
The North American Boxing Federation (NABF) will be the exclusive sanctioning body for the “WCBS Junior Tournament” with the winner being crowned the new JUNIOR NABF Champion.
“The NABF is excited to support this tournament,” NABF President Duane Ford commented. “This is what our ‘JUNIOR NABF’ title is all about and that’s giving young talent the opportunity to prove themselves.”
“WCBS is honored to have the NABF sanctioning our ‘Junior Tournament’,” Hollan noted. “Not only does it give our tournament credibility, but it also gives these young fighters something to strive for.”
“NABF Championships is one of the most sought-after regional titles in boxing,” Taylor added. “It provides a pathway for many fighters to not only break into the World Boxing Council (WBC) world rankings but positions them for world title opportunities. This is all part of the process.”
The “WCBS Junior Tournament” semifinals are scheduled for June 3rd with the championship final on September 16th.