Liverpool to host first World Boxing Championships

Councillor Harry Doyle said it was a "huge coup" for the city

Liverpool will host the inaugural World Boxing Championships in 2025.

The amateur fighters will compete at the M&S Bank Arena from 4 to 14 September.

It will be the first elite-level global championships hosted by World Boxing, the new international federation created to ensure boxing remains an Olympic sport.

World Boxing president Boris van der Vorst said the "historic event" would be the first time that male and female boxers had competed in Olympic-style boxing for the world champion title at the same event.

Liverpool has a long history of staging major international sporting events.

The city hosted the European Boxing Championships in 2008.

Five years ago the Vitality Netball World Cup took place in Liverpool, as did the 2022 World Gymnastics Championships.

Mr 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 that the men and women's competition will run alongside each other as part of the same championships."

The M&S Bank Arena is staging the event featuring amateur men and women

Harry Doyle, Liverpool City Council's cabinet member for culture, sport and health, said it was a "huge coup" for the city.

"This is a massive global sporting event and one which the city is proud to be welcoming.

"Liverpool has a long, historic connection with boxing and we are delighted to be playing our part in what will be a pivotal step for the future of the sport.

"We also look forward to working with our communities and boxing clubs to ensure that we can support the future grassroots development of boxing in the city."

Jerome Pels, chief executive of England Boxing, said the event was a "game-changer" in its goal of establishing a unified international governing body.

"We are thrilled to host this event and confident it will have a huge, lasting impact on both our organisation and the future of the sport itself."

Matt Holt, chief executive of GB Boxing which manages the Olympic programme for boxing in Great Britain, said having the championships "on home soil is fantastic news for the boxers in our squad" who regularly compete abroad.

"The chance to box in a world championship at home is great for the boxers and I am sure they will all be very keen to make the most of this opportunity."

The arena is staging Liverpool's Nick Ball's first defence of his WBA featherweight title against Ronny Rios next month.