The Road to London will begin in less than a month at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Men's Boxing, July 31-August 6 in Mobile, Ala. Seventy-seven Olympic hopefuls will convene in Mobile for the double elimination tournament at the Mobile Civic Center. Press accreditation is now open and media members interested in covering the event must complete the attached form and return it by Friday, July 29. Mobile, Alabama will showcase the biggest event in men's Olympic-style boxing action, July 31-August 6, as the top male boxers in the United States converge on the Mobile Civic Center for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Men's Boxing. Yet, the boxing action won't end there, as the sport's future stars will compete in the Junior Olympic National Championships, August 2-5, at the Civic Center as well.
Five-time heavyweight boxing champion of the world Evander "The Real Deal" Holyfield will be the featured guest at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Men's Boxing Champions Banquet on Saturday, August 6, 2011 at 6 p.m., at the Mobile Convention Center. The boxing legend will arrive in Mobile on Friday, August 5 in time to watch the final round action of the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Men's Boxing before speaking on Saturday night. (Please see attached full release)
"This new event structure provides the boxing fan a unique opportunity to view and embrace multiple levels of Olympic-style boxing, ranging from the future stars of our sport to the elite male athlete vying for a berth in the 2012 Olympic Games," USA Boxing Executive Director Anthony Bartkowski said. "We are thankful to have a fantastic host in the Mobile Sports Authority as well as a top notch venue, the Mobile Civic Center, which they have provided for this unique sporting event and we look forward to enjoying their southern hospitality."
The U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Men's Boxing will be a double elimination tournament showcasing eight boxers in each of the 10 men's Olympic weight divisions. The 10 U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Men's Boxing champions will represent the United States at the 2011 World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan in September where they will look to qualify internationally for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
"Mobile is incredibly pleased and honored to be hosting the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Men's Boxing, the USA Boxing Junior National Championships, and the organization's Annual Meeting," added Bud Ratliff, Executive Director, Mobile Sports Authority. "This area has a great sports history and heritage and USA Boxing's decision to hold such prestigious events here truly validates Mobile as a legitimate sports destination."
Olympic Trials qualifying began at the 2010 National PAL Championships in October, and continued at the 2011 Armed Forces Championships and recent National Golden Gloves Championships. The champions at those three events will be joined in Mobile by the top four finishers at the 2011 USA Boxing National Championships, June 20-25 in Colorado Springs, Colo., and the 10 champions from the Last Chance Qualifier, July 3-9 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The full list of participants can be found at www.usaboxing.org.
The three-pronged event in Mobile will allow the Junior Olympic National Championships participants the opportunity to watch the sport's current stars vie for a berth on the 2012 Olympic Team, providing great motivation for the youngsters who will likely compete for Olympic spots in 2016. Women's boxing will make its Olympic debut in 2012, but the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Women's Boxing will be held in early 2012 prior to their international qualifying tournament.
The competitors in each of the 10 men's weight divisions were determined by five qualifying tournaments with the champions from the 2010 National PAL Championships, 2011 Armed Forces Championships, 2011 National Golden Gloves Championships and the Last Chance Qualifier joining the top four finishers from the 2011 USA Boxing National Championships.
Two-time Olympian Rau'shee Warren (Cincinnati, Ohio) leads a talented group of boxers into the career defining event. Warren, a 2007 World Champion, can become the first U.S. boxer in history to compete in three Olympic Games should he win his flyweight division in Mobile and qualify internationally for London. Fellow U.S. Olympic Team Trials champion Michael Hunter (Las Vegas, Nev.) will look to finish what he started in 2008 in a new weight class with a second run at the Olympic Games. Yet Hunter could face 2010 USA Boxing Athlete of the Year Steve Geffrard (Boca Raton, Fla.) as the two both vie for the heavyweight berth in London.
Three-time National Champion Louie Byrd (Denver, Colo.) was just four days too young to compete in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials leading into the Beijing Olympics, but he heads into the upcoming Olympic Trials as the favorite in the light flyweight division. The welterweight division boasts a three-time national champion as well with Errol Spence (Desoto, Texas) taking gold at the past three USA Boxing National Championships.
2008 Olympian Raynell Williams (Cleveland, Ohio) earned a berth in his second straight U.S. Olympic Team Trials just last week at the Last Chance Qualifier tournament in Cincinnati, and will vie for another Olympic berth at the lightweight division. Williams qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in his last opportunity leading into the 2008 event as well.
The U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Men's Boxing is a double elimination tournament with the champion from the winners' bracket meeting the victor from the challengers' bracket in the finals. The challenger's bracket representative must beat the champion's bracket winner twice in order to win the U.S. Olympic Team Trials.
U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Men's Boxing will commence on Sunday, July 31 with quarterfinal action in all 10 weight divisions. Challengers bracket boxing will begin on August 1 and the event will culminate with the final round contests between the champions bracket winner and the challengers bracket titlist on Friday, August 5 and Saturday, August 6 if necessary.
The 10 winners at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Men's Boxing will represent the United States at the first international Olympic qualifier, 2011 AIBA Men's World Boxing Championships, September 22-October 10, in Baku, Azerbaijan.
To obtain a press credential for the event, fill out the attached media credential request form and return it to julie@goldstickerpr.com or fax it to (719) 866-2132 by Friday, July 29.
The event in Mobile will mark the fourth straight Olympic Team Trials for Boxing event in the southern section of the United States with the previous three events taking place in Tampa, Fla., Tunica, Miss., and Houston, Texas respectively.
USA Boxing, as the national governing body for Olympic-style boxing, is the United States' member organization of the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) and a member of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).