WSB TEAM FINALS EVENING PROGRAM 10TH MAY, FRIDAY 20.00 Show starts 20.10 Ukraine Otamans and Astana Arlans Kazakhstan Team Presentations 20.20 Season 2012-2013 WSB Awards 20.30 Entertainment Program, Erbolat Kudaybergenov 20.45 Match starts 11TH MAY, SATURDAY 20.00 Show starts 20.10 Ukraine Otamans and Astana Arlans Kazakhstan Team Presentations 20.15 Entertainment Program Daus International band Ulytau band 20.30 Match starts PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Dear Boxing Fans, It is my great pleasure to welcome you all to Astana for the 2013 World Series of Boxing (WSB) Team Finals between the Ukraine Otamans and Astana Arlans Kazakhstan. Not surprisingly, given the exceptional depth of talent in their respective squads, both these teams have produced some memorable performances throughout this third WSB season. With a number of the world’s leading boxers on display across the two evenings, this year’s Team Finals looks set to be our best yet, as the WSB continues to mature into one of the most exciting sports formats in the world. We are proud to be leading such an incredible innovation in boxing. The opportunity to watch world’s top boxers in a revolutionary pro-style team format has already delighted fans worldwide and long may it continue to do so. Given Kazakstan’s well documented love of boxing we are also thrilled to be bringing this event to Astana for the first time in history. I truly hope you enjoy the show and I look forward to seeing you all again soon for the WSB Season IV, where we will be welcoming new Franchises - including legendary Cuba - to the series. Yours boxing, Ching-Kuo Wu AIBA President and WSB Board Chairman WELCOME MESSAGE MR. SHUKEYEV U.Y. Chief Executive of “Samruk-Kazyna” JSC I am particularly honored to welcome the World Series of Boxing Season III Team Finals participants. Not just because “Samruk-Kazyna” JSC is the Main Sponsor of today’s event, but rather because I am bursting with the pride for our country! For the first time Kazakhstan welcomes such a high calibre competition to our unique sports facility - “Saryarka” cycling ground. Hosting the Final in our country is the indicator of the increasingly visible presence of Kazakhstan in the international sporting landscape. The event will mark the debut of the Presidential Professional Sports Club “Astana”. As you know, the Club was established this year under the patronage of the Head of State N.A. Nazarbayev. It is noteworthy that it is headed by the Olympic champion, a legend of Kazakhstan and world boxing Bakhtiyar Artayev. Supporting national sports is a special work stream for “Samruk-Kazyna” Sovereign Wealth Fund. With the support of the Head of State, the Fund has created the favorable conditions necessary to achieve high results. A solid foundation for reaching new heights has been laid. Funding sport is not just about social responsibility. It is about the principle of investing in the future of the country and the health and competitiveness of the next generations of Kazakhstan. On behalf of Main Sponsor “Samruk-Kazyna” JSC, I wish all the participants and guests of the WSB Team Finals the best of luck! ABOUT WSB World Series of Boxing is a ground breaking, one of a kind, the 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). Developed by AIBA, the International Boxing Association, WSB is a unique concept in the world of boxing. It is the only pro-style team competition where boxers retain their Olympic eligibility. It brings together the best 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. WSB promotes a transparent scoring system and brings with it much a needed world-leading governance and commercial guidance to international boxing. 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 Champions while the five winners at the first WSB Individual Championships were awarded direct qualification to the London 2012 Olympic Games along with their championship belts. The season two champions meanwhile were Dolce & Gabbana Italia Thunder but the balance of power in the WSB has shifted East this year. Thus, after a six months of hard fought competition, featuring 12 teams and 370 high octane bouts, the 2012-2013 WSB Team Finals will feature this season’s strongest teams: the Ukraine Otamans and Astana Arlans Kazakhstan. The event will be staged in the latter’s hometown, Astana, Kazakhstan. The Winner will be crowned 2013 WSB Champion. 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 (50-54 KG) • LIGHT (57-61 KG) • MIDDLE (68-73 KG) • LIGHT HEAVY (80-85 KG) • HEAVY (91+ KG) SEASON 2012-2013 GROUP A GREAT RUSSIA BRITAIN POLAND GERMANY KAZAKHSTAN UKRAINE USA ITALY AZERBAIJAN ALGERIA MEXICO ARGENTINA GROUP B REGULAR SEASON GROUP A GROUP B RANK TEAM PTS RANK TEAM PTS 1 Azerbaijan Baku Fires 27 1 Astana Arlans Kazakhstan 24 2 Mexico Guerreros 19 2 Dolce & Gabbana Italia Thunder 22 3 Hussars Poland 13 3 British Lionhearts 16 4 Argentina Condors 12 4 Ukraine Otamans 14 5 Russia Boxing Team 12 5 German Eagles 9 6 Algeria Desert Hawks 9 6 USA Knockouts 4 PLAY-OFFS 2:8 (1:4) 4:6 (4:1) 4:6 (4:1) 2:8 (2:3) WSB 6:4 (5:0) CHAMPION 3:7 (3:2) TEAM FINALS = 2 MATCHES = 10 FIGHTS (1 fight per weight category) 1 FIGHT = 5 ROUNDS x 3 minutes each TIEBREAKER BANTAMWEIGHT (50-54 KG) WSB FAST FACTS Total number of boxers – 283 Total number of pro boxers - 18 Total number of countries represented - 41 Total number of Olympic and World Championships medallists – 13 Total number of London Olympians - 43 Average number of boxers per team - 23 Average number of boxers per weight category - 4 Youngest boxer - Mamadli Rahil (Azerbaijan Baku Fires), 18 years old Oldest boxer – Kamel Rahmani (Algeria Desert Hawks), 34 years old Average age – 24 19 broadcasters in total covering 98 countries 16,500 fans on WSB Facebook UKRAINE OTAMANS The Ukrainian WSB Franchise had a slow start to the season choosing instead to blood their younger and less experienced fighters in the opening matches of the Regular Season. With an official line-up that includes some of the biggest names in boxing, (such as the likes of double Olympic and AIBA World Champion Vasyl Lomachenko), the team’s opening results were a surprise to many. Beginning their campaign with a 3-2 loss to fellow finalists Astana Arlans Kazakhstan, the Otamans got the same result again against the German Eagles. A 4-1 loss to defending champions Dolce & Gabbana Italia Thunder followed and it wasn’t until they took on the star studded British Lionhearts that the Ukrainians began to really cook. That night Lomachenko and Oleksandr Usyk were finally let off their leashes and the Olympic Champions left an impressive trail of destruction in their wake. But the pair was again taken out of the starting line-up as the Otamans lost the second of their two encounters with the Arlans (4-1). Ukraine had certainly left it late in the competition to begin to show their true potential, but with a 5-0 redemptive win over the German Eagles they achieved just that. Italia Thunder was the next to feel the full force of Ukraine’s capacity as they were on the wrong end of a 4-1 drubbing by the Otamans. Finally, by squeezing out a 3-2 victory away to crack the perfect home record of the British Lionhearts, the Ukraine made it through to the play-offs. This is where the stats get interesting: while fighting at home in both the quarter and semi-finals, the Otamans were utterly dominant, getting a clean sweep over both the Azerbaijan Baku Fires and Italia Thunder (5-0). When competing away from home however, they lost to both teams 4-1. Only Lomachenko (vs. Azerbaijan) and Usyk (vs. Italy) were able to notch up wins. Given that the WSB Team Finals will be held in Kazakhstan, what does this tell us about Ukraine’s chances of winning this season? Otamans fans will be quick to point out that with the unbeaten trio of Lomachenko, Usyk and Oleksandr Gvozdyk all expected to feature, the team can expect a significant boost to both its competitiveness and its moral.