— IBA President Umar Kremlev took to the stage with heavyweight icon Tyson Fury at the IBA Golden Era press conference held in Istanbul this week to unveil plans for a revolutionary new approach to bare knuckle boxing.

The event, featuring some of the world’s most established combat sports stars, laid out a new mandate that seeks to centralise and regulate the rapidly growing bare knuckle industry.

‘Why bare knuckle?’ Kremlev began.

‘Because it is the roots of boxing, and that’s why we, as the IBA, should also regulate bare knuckle fighting. First, we started from bare knuckle fighting, and then we have developed boxing.

‘We will have a bare-knuckle championship for our boxers to participate in. Some people will be champions in this area, and we will be responsible for creating all of the opportunities for them.’

Heavyweight great Fury, a descendant of a long lineage of gypsy bare knuckle champions, praised the move by IBA and Kremlev; with ‘The Gypsy King’ believing greater regulation within the sport can help to ensure not only the highest level in competition, but also dramatically improve the health and prosperity of its competitors.

‘This is how fighting started,’ said Fury.

‘Men have always fought. Men still fight today. You should go down to Morecambe on a Friday night… fights everywhere!’, Fury laughed.

‘In a controlled environment, it’s good. It gives fighters opportunities to earn money, provide for their families and give themselves a decent life.

‘When you bring all of the judges, referees and doctors into bare knuckle boxing, it’s not as brutal as the way we do it, the gypsies, where we fight outside for 10 hours until one man says, ‘That’s enough, I’m finished!’ — with bare knuckle boxing, it’s boxing rules with no gloves on.’

Kremlev and Fury were joined on stage by former super-middleweight title challenger Paul Smith.

Smith also endorsed the IBA’s push to implement a more universal approach to the bare-knuckle field, including a shift towards two minute rounds, in an attempt to improve fighter safety and well-being.

‘There has to be a legislation,’ said Smith.

‘There has to be a set of rules across the board that are the same for bare knuckle fighters. Two-minute rounds mean fighters are going to be taking less damage to the face and the hands. It will be a lot easier on the body. Three rounds (or five rounds for championship fights) is enough. The fighters’ safety must be taken care of.’

As well as the health and regulatory benefits of a centralised sport, IBA President Kremlev reiterated his intention to elevate the ‘ungloved’ code by incentivising competitors with a significant prize pool.

Kremlev, whose sizeable investment has helped to transform both amateur and professional boxing, continued, ‘Boxing is the flagship of elite sport, but not everyone can be a champion.’

‘Why shouldn’t we give an opportunity to other boxers to participate in bare knuckle? That’s why IBA has started this. We want to centralise it, and we want to have universal rules that are implemented.

‘The health of the boxers is very important for us. With time, we will include new rules — but first of all, we will care about the health and protection of the athletes. We want to make IBA the central platform of bare knuckle, and everyone who participates will be fighting for this title of champion of IBA bare knuckle.

‘Of course, we will also be paying significant prize money, to make sure the fighters can provide for their families, just as the IBA does in boxing.’

The process of global development has already started, wit the Secretary General & CEO pulling a strong team together to create the conditions in this area to successfully deliver a well-established, well-governed and safe product – more to follow in this space.

______________

Media contacts:

Elena Sobol, Head of Communications and PR, International Boxing Association: elena.sobol@iba.sport

Share on Facebook

Tweet