British Heavyweight Tournament

[rooq]

From BBN...

Eight British heavyweights are set to clash at the York Hall in Bethnal Green on April 11th in a heavyweight tournament named the Prizefighter series organised by Matchroom Promotions.

The tournament will consist of quarter-finals, semi-finals and Final, all of which will be over three rounds in duration. Some of the countries unbeaten heavyweight's are involved in what should be an intriguing night's entertainment.
A draw will be made in advance of the tournament to determine who faces who in the quarter-final fights.
If there has been no knockout or stoppage, the winner will be decided by three judges (all appointed by the British Boxing Board of Control).
In the event of a winning fighter not being fit to carry on, he will be replaced by a reserve fighter for the next contest.

The contenders are

Billy Bessey (Portsmouth) - 7-4-0
Paul Butlin (Melton Mowbray) - 11-4-0
David Dolan (Sunderland) - 7-0-0
Dave Ferguson (North Shields) - 4-0-0
Alex Ibbs (Stoke) - 3-0-0
Colin Kenna (Southampton) - 16-6-2
Ian Millarvie (Hamilton) - 7-0-0
8th boxer to be confirmed

The winner of the tournament will get £25,000 while the runner up will get £10,000. Losing Semi-Finalists will get £7,000 and losing Quarter-Finalists, £3,500.

With the contender series so popular on television recently, this could be a shrewd bit of marketing by Matchroom and with so many unbeaten prospects in the mix should provide an interesting evening's entertainment.
The event will be screened live on Sky Sports.
If the event does well there are plans for similar events to take place later in the year at welterweight, middleweight and featherweight.

[rooq]

interesting idea...millarvie is possibly the favourite (depending on who the 8th boxer will be).

[john b]

Something to look forward to.

[kurt2006]

This is what FW has been doing with Danny W, Skelton, Audley and Sprott for the last 3 years.

[rooq]

Originally Posted by kurt2006

This is what FW has been doing with Danny W, Skelton, Audley and Sprott for the last 3 years.

yes, apart for the bit about putting 8 prospects in a heavyweight tournament together, fighting 3 - rounders, screened live by sky and the fighters earning different prizes depending on progress.

apart from that its exactly the same

[john b]

Originally Posted by rooq

yes, apart for the bit about putting 8 prospects in a heavyweight tournament together, fighting 3 - rounders, screened live by sky and the fighters earning different prizes depending on progress.

apart from that its exactly the same

Oh yeah and its on skysports instead of ITV 4.

[TBooze]

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

A heavyweight boxing tournament..... how orginial

[elle]

Good idea but I'd be more interested in an event like this at different weights as the british heavyweight division is my least favourite.

[john b]

Originally Posted by TBooze

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

A heavyweight boxing tournament..... how orginial

It might liven the domestic heavyweight scene up, because it is a bit drab at the moment.

[TBooze]

Originally Posted by john b

It might liven the domestic heavyweight scene up, because it is a bit drab at the moment.

It has been done for the last 159 years of Queensberry rules when the division has sucked, it rarely produces anything, in fact I would go as far as to say, it has never produced anyone thus far...

[john b]

Originally Posted by TBooze

It has been done for the last 159 years of Queensberry rules when the division has sucked, it rarely produces anything, in fact I would go as far as to say, it has never produced anyone thus far...

Fair enough it might do though you never know. Its right will have an heavyweight on the world stage if if he gets past maccarenelli i.e. david haye he might bring us some glory.

[TBooze]

Originally Posted by john b

Fair enough it might do though you never know. Its right will have an heavyweight on the world stage if if he gets past maccarenelli i.e. david haye he might bring us some glory.

That is just being greedy , we are more than ever punching above our weight, with more world class fighters than perhaps ever.

We always have sucked at Heavyweight, Lennox Lewis proved the rule. I like Haye he is exciting, but just do not see him making it as a World Class Heavyweight.... but I hope I am wrong and get to eat some humble pie, when David is standing over a prone Wlad.

[rooq]

Originally Posted by elle

Good idea but I'd be more interested in an event like this at different weights as the british heavyweight division is my least favourite.

so would i...but something similiar happening at lower weights depends on the success of this one!

i wonder if the prospects would be restricted to matchroom fighters though. that would make it less interesting

[kurt2006]

Why not put them all in the ring for a battle royale, WWF style (or WWE). Would make great television with 8 HW knock shit out of each other.

[Nemesis]

Dolan for me. He's the guy with the semi-decent ametuer background