[kenyan_cheena]

(continuation)

"Ray is going to say a few words on behalf of the Sydney Olympians who will be competing in the International Boxing League," said Molk.

He stepped aside to allow Ray Leonard to take position at the dias. Some in the audience gave the Light-Welterweight champion a brief applause. 20 years old, Leonard sported a healthy afro and eyes that blazed with intensity and confidence.

"Thank you, Mr. Molk," said Leonard. "Hello, everyone. I guess the main thing that I want to convey to you all is how much of a great thing this is, what Mr. Molk and his associates have done by forming the International Boxing League. What he said earlier about the HBF excluding the lower weight divisions is entirely true. I can't tell you how many of us felt disappointed when President Vincennes said that the federation was not planning to expand. But, thankfully, that doesn't matter anymore. This league is going to take the sport of boxing into the stratosphere, I guarantee it. Just wait and see. Thank you."

Leonard waved and smiled, shaking Molk's hand before returning to stand next to Whitaker and Spinks. The audience clapped.

"Thank you, Ray," said Molk, moving back to the dias. "Ladies and gentlemen, Michael, Pernell and Ray are just three of the Olympians who will be taking part in the IBL's regional World Championship qualifiers," said Molk. The three fighters flanked him as he spoke. "During the coming months, we will be holding worldwide selection trials. These trials will determine the remaining contestants for the qualifiers. For each of our five weight divisions, we will be holding a 72-man tournament to determine the World Champion. These 72 fighters will be divided into six regions, or groups, which will be based on geographical lines. Each group will feature twelve fighters, who will fight each other once each for a total of eleven bouts, all of which will be six rounds in length. After these bouts have concluded, the top four in each group, a total of twenty-four fighters, will qualify for the World Championship tournament. These twenty-four fighters will be divided into four groups of six. As in the regional stage, the fighters in each group will clash with each other once each, making another five bouts. Those fights will be ten rounders. The first-placed competitors in each group will qualify for the tournament's semi-finals, which will be 12 round bouts. The semi-final winners will meet in a fifteen round bout for the World Championship."

"I will now read out a list of the Sydney Olympic medallists who have accepted the International Boxing League's invitation to fight as professional boxers in our World Championship qualifiers," said Molk.

The list:

Bantamweight division

(will both fight at Featherweight in IBL)
Gold medallist Vicente Saldivar (Mexico)
Bronze medallist Freddie Miller (USA)

Featherweight division

(all will fight at Featherweight in IBL)
Gold medallist Salvador Sanchez (Mexico)
Silver medallist George Dixon (Canada)
Bronze medallist Jeff Fenech (Australia)
Bronze medallist Sergio Palma (Argentina)

Lightweight division

(all will fight at Lightweight in IBL)
Gold medallist Pernell Whitaker (USA)
Silver medallist Orlando Zulueta (Cuba)
Bronze medallist Freddie Welsh (Wales)

Light-Welterweight division

(all will fight at Welterweight in IBL)
Gold medallist Ray Leonard (USA)
Silver medallist Jose Napoles (Cuba)
Bronze medallist Duilio Loi (Italy)
Bronze medallist Antonio Cervantes (Colombia)

Welterweight division

Gold medallist Nino Benvenuti (Italy)
(will fight at Middleweight in IBL)
Silver medallist Felix Trinidad (Puerto Rico)
(will fight at Welterweight in IBL)
Bronze medallist Billy Graham (USA)
(will fight at Welterweight in IBL)

Light-Middleweight division

(all will fight at Middleweight in IBL)
Gold medallist Mike McCallum (Jamaica)
Silver medallist Les Darcy (Australia)
Bronze medallist Tony Zale (USA)
Bronze medallist Dick Tiger (Nigeria)

Middleweight division

Gold medallist Michael Spinks (USA)
(will fight at Light-Heavyweight in IBL)
Silver medallist Joe Gans (Panama)
(will fight at Middleweight in IBL)
Bronze medallist Marcel Cerdan (France)
(will fight at Middleweight in IBL)
Bronze medallist Koichi Wajima (Japan)
(will fight at Middleweight in IBL)

Light-Heavyweight division

(all will fight at Light-Heavyweight in IBL)
Gold medallist Mauro Mina (Peru)
Silver medallist Bob Foster (USA)
Bronze medallist Graciano Rocchigiani (Germany)

"I'm sure you would all agree, that's an impressive, talented group of boxers," said Molk.

(to be continued)