2 MAY 2012, ExCeL LONDON WSB TEAM FINAL EVENING PROGRAM 18.30 PRESS CONFERENCE / MEDIA ROUND TABLE with AIBA President and WSB Board Chairman, Dr Ching-Kuo Wu 18.30 VIP RECEPTION 19.30 ENTERTAINMENT PROGRAM LAURA WRIGHT Britain’s most exciting soprano Laura Wright has already performed live to over 75,000 people in the last 12 months. In 2011, Laura became one of the biggest selling classical artists in the UK, out-selling some of the world’s biggest classical names. Laura has to date sold over 2.5 million albums and is still only 21 years old. COSSACK DANCE The ‘Hopak’ or National Dance of Ukraine will be performed by dancers taught by the world renowned Sergey Yatskevychd and Lyudmila Nikolova. Yatskevych graduated from Kiev’s National Academy of Dance and has enjoyed a successful Cossack Dance career, which took him to numerous countries including France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany and United Kingdom. 19.50 WELCOME MESSAGE from AIBA President and WSB Board Chairman, Dr Ching-Kuo Wu 20.00 WSB TEAM FINAL: DYNAMO MOSCOW vs. DOLCE & GABBANA MILANO THUNDER Bantamweight Lightweight Middleweight Light Heavyweight Heavyweight 22.15 AWARDS CEREMONY 22.30 END OF THE EVENING PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Dear Boxing Fans, It is my great pleasure to welcome you all to the ExCeL London for the World Series of Boxing Team Final between the Dynamo Moscow and the Dolce & Gabbana Milano Thunder. These two fantastic teams have been outstanding in this WSB second season and their talented squads will contribute to a quality Team Final which will showcase WSB in all its glory. The WSB is an innovation in boxing, bringing the best of Olympic boxers together in a pro style format that had delighted fans worldwide. And we are thrilled that this electric competition comes to British shores for the very first time as boxing fever reaches London. With the London 2012 Olympic Games a mere weeks away, the WSB will offer fans a glimpse of some of the best talent around. I truly hope you enjoy the show and I also look forward to seeing you all at the WSB Individual Championships on 9 June here at the ExCeL once more. Yours boxing, Ching-Kuo Wu AIBA President and WSB Board Chairman ABOUT WSB The World Series of Boxing is a groundbreaking, one of a kind, a first truly global boxing league that brings together Franchise teams from around the world to compete in five weight categories: Bantam (54kg), Light (61kg), Middle (73kg), Light Heavy (85kg), Heavy (91+kg). As well as a being team competition, the series also incorporates separate individual championships for the best boxers in each of the five weight divisions. Developed by AIBA, the International Boxing Association, the WSB is a unique concept in the world of boxing. It is the only pro style competition where boxers retain their Olympic eligibility. It brings together the best Olympic boxers in an explosive format with worldwide appeal. Endorsed by nearly 200 National Federations, it represents the future of boxing. It reunites the broader boxing community and connects the sport to its grassroots foundation, as well as helping it reclaim its noble position across the world. The WSB promotes a transparent scoring system and brings with it much a needed world-leading governance and commercial guidance to international boxing. The WSB marked a new era in the sport of boxing when it launched its first season on 19 November 2010. In its inaugural year, the WSB competition had 12 teams spanning the globe in three continental conferences: the Americas, Asia and Europe. 219 boxers from 49 countries competed, and amongst those were 18 Olympic and World medallists. For the second season, the 12 teams were split into two World Groups to further enhance the global appeal of the league. For the first time the world’s top boxers could enjoy training in a team, regular competition against world-class opponents and had the opportunity of earning a regular salary along with a performance based bonus system. Paris United became the first WSB Team Champions. The five winners at the WSB Individual Championships were awarded Champion’s belts. AIBA had also secured direct qualification for the London 2012 Olympic Games for these WSB Individual Champions. Ending a six months season made of 72 matches and 360 bouts, the 2011-2012 WSB Team Final will feature the top two squads of this second season, at the ExCeL London, the venue for this year’s Olympic Games. The Winner will be crowned 2011-2012 WSB Team Champions. TEAM COMPETITION FORMAT • Pro style competition • Professional 10-Point-Must-System (no vests or head guards) During the Regular Season, teams are divided into two groups of six teams. Within each group, the teams meet once home and away, with each team fighting a total of ten matches. At the end of the regular season, the four top ranked teams in each group move into the Play-Offs. The Play-Offs consist of four quarter-finals, two semi-finals and one final match. WEIGHT CATEGORIES • Bantam 54 kg • Light 61 kg • Middle 73 kg • Light Heavy 85 kg • Heavy 91+ kg SEASON 2011-2012 GROUP A MOSCOW LEIPZIG ASTANA BEIJING ISTANBUL PARIS LOS ANGELES MILAN BAKU MUMBAI MEXICO CITY BANGKOK GROUP B REGULAR SEASON GROUP A GROUP B RANK TEAM PTS RANK TEAM PTS 1 Dynamo Moscow 25 1 Baku Fires 30 2 Dolce & Gabbana Milano Thunder 24 2 Mexico City Guerreros 20 3 Astana Arlans 22 3 Paris United 18 4 Venky’s Mumbai Fighters 14 4 Leipzig Leopards 13 5 Los Angeles Matadors 11 5 Istanbul Bosphorus 11 6 Bangkok Elephants 4 6 Beijing Dragons 7 PLAY-OFFS 0 : 10 7 : 3 6 : 4 3 : 7 WSB TEAM 7 : 3 CHAMPIONS 3 : 7 TEAM FINAL = 5 FIGHTS (1 fight per weight category) 1 FIGHT = 5 ROUNDS x 3 minutes each WSB FAST FACTS Total number of boxers - 273 Total number of countries represented - 44 Total number of Olympic and World Championships medallists - 32 Average number of boxers per team - 21 Average number of boxers per weight category - 4 Youngest boxer - Ramon Hidalgo Estrada (MEX, Mexico City Guerreros), 18 years Oldest boxer - Alexander Povernov (GER, Leipzig Leopards), 34 years Average age - 23 24 Broadcasters in more than 80 countries for the first season 11,000 fans on Facebook DOLCE & GABBANA MILANO THUNDER The Italian outfit has really added style to the competition this season, bringing a sense of bravado, backed by a quality set-up and an exciting array of talented fighters. After finishing the regular season just two points behind eventual winners Paris United in last season’s Group stages, Milano were determined to make it to the showpiece final this time around and after reaching that objective they have their eyes firmly set on that much coveted WSB Team Trophy. They started the season in irrepressible fashion, looking invincible in the early stages as they won their first six matches and stormed to the top of Group A. Although they were pegged back by their final opponents Dynamo Moscow, who ended the regular season by winning the group, there were plenty of positives for the Thunder to take into the knock-out stages. In the quarter-finals they were given the opportunity of avenging last season’s heartache as they faced reigning champions Paris United. The French team made home advantage count in the first leg as they brought a slender lead back to the Mediolanum Forum in Italy. Milano were in unforgiving mood on their territory, as they dominated proceedings with a resounding win to ensure a semi-final showdown with Group B table-toppers Baku Fires. Baku represented their biggest challenge to date and Milano defied the odds to win 5:0 at home. The pivotal moment in that match was the Middleweight contest that saw Irishman William McLaughlin mount the comeback of the season as he overturned a two round deficit to triumph. With the wind in their sails, they won all of their remaining bouts to take a huge lead with them on the travels to Azerbaijan for the return leg. That match was then just a formality. Since Easter they have been closed off from the world in a specialised tailored-made training camp just for the specifics of this Final against Dynamo Moscow. Fully endorsed by the Italian Boxing Federation and being sponsored by the Italian luxury fashion house Dolce & Gabbana, the team has been synonymous with glamour, which has attracted a huge fan base, not only in Italy, but all around the world. Closely followed by influential media partners La Gazzetta dello Sport and La Repubblica, as well as being broadcasted by SportItalia, the team has really set the standard in the competition. The business mastermind behind these associations has been President Paolo Taveggia. The boxing side has been the major influence on results, the coaching set-up is second to none and at its head you will find Italian living-legend Francesco Damiani, one of the most decorated in his country and actual National Coach. His pedigree speaks for itself, as boxer he took silver medals at both the 1982 AIBA World Championships in Munich and at the 1984 Olympic Games. He was also crowned European Gold Medallist in Ampere in 1981 and in Varna (Bulgaria) in 1983. He fought 140 bouts as an amateur before turning professional in 1985. He fought 34 times, with a record of 32 wins and 2 losses. As a coach, he has lead boxers to one bronze medal at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, one silver medal at the AIBA World Boxing Championships Chicago 2007, two gold medals at the AIBA World Boxing Championships Milano 2009 and one gold, one silver and one bronze medal at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.