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kenyan_cheena · 10-09-2006, 10:31 PM

INTERNATIONAL BOXING LEAGUE
SELECTION PROCESS REACHES HALFTIME

Saturday 1 June 2002

While most of the boxing-following public has spent today analysing last night's exciting Jimmy Young-Elmer Ray HBF bout, the International Boxing League have been busy finishing up the latest round of selection trials for their World Championship regional qualifying tournaments. It's now four weeks since the process of determining their inaugural contestants began, meaning they've now reached the midpoint, with four more weeks to come before the trials are complete.

***

A dynamic 17 year-old Middleweight has been the major standout at the Colombian trials. Rodrigo Valdez has impressed with his aggression and power at Bogota's Estadio El Campin, with some of the scouts already touting him as an early favourite to be crowned the IBL's first World Middleweight Champion.

"He's a wrecking machine," said IBL scout Michael Jacobs. "That right hand is as lethal a punch as I've seen in these trials. The kid doesn't stop. He just keeps coming forward, keeps throwing."

Valdez stands 5'8" and displayed a ripped, muscular frame, showing that he's ready to go whenever the tournaments get underway.

***

The Heavyweight Boxing Federation may not have been a big success in Italy, but it's been an entirely different story as far as the International Boxing League is concerned. Some 150 hopefuls showed up at this week's trials, which were also attended by Olympic Gold medallist Nino Benvenuti and Bronze medallist Duilio Loi.

A tough, aggressive Welterweight named Bruno Arcari dazzled observers during his trial bouts. The 22 year-old possesses a potent jab and will surely be one to watch during the European qualifiers.

"He has a lot of mongrel in him," said the IBL's European representative Malcolm North. "He loves to mix it up on the inside, loves going toe-to-toe with his opponents. I can say without a shadow of a doubt that he's going to be one of the more entertaining competitors we see during the tournaments."

***

Korea has embraced the sport of boxing with almost the same enthusiasm as their regional neighbours Japan and this week's trials at the Busan Asiad Stadium have drawn big crowds.

There have been a number of promising trialists on display, but none moreso than the 5'10" Light-Heavyweight Chong-Pal Park. The 17 year-old's stature stands him out from the rest of the Korean hopefuls, most of whom will occupy the Featherweight and Lightweight divisions.

"I guess you could say it's unusual," said IBL scout David Goward. "But the kid has some talent, that's for sure. He's a good all-round puncher, but we are a bit cautious about putting him straight into the regional qualifying tourney. It's likely he'll be placed in the Future Contender series."

There was, understandably, not a big supply of suitable opponents for Park to trial against this week, leading to him going in against some Middleweights and even some of the bigger IBL staffers, who were more than willing to take a punch to allow the teenager to show his ability.

"If that's what we have to do to help the kid succeed, so be it," laughed Goward. "I'm looking forward to seeing him in action."

10-09-2006, 10:31 PM	#85 (permalink)
kenyan_cheena Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia Posts: 4,146	INTERNATIONAL BOXING LEAGUE SELECTION PROCESS REACHES HALFTIME Saturday 1 June 2002 While most of the boxing-following public has spent today analysing last night's exciting Jimmy Young-Elmer Ray HBF bout, the International Boxing League have been busy finishing up the latest round of selection trials for their World Championship regional qualifying tournaments. It's now four weeks since the process of determining their inaugural contestants began, meaning they've now reached the midpoint, with four more weeks to come before the trials are complete. * A dynamic 17 year-old Middleweight has been the major standout at the Colombian trials. Rodrigo Valdez has impressed with his aggression and power at Bogota's Estadio El Campin, with some of the scouts already touting him as an early favourite to be crowned the IBL's first World Middleweight Champion. "He's a wrecking machine," said IBL scout Michael Jacobs. "That right hand is as lethal a punch as I've seen in these trials. The kid doesn't stop. He just keeps coming forward, keeps throwing." Valdez stands 5'8" and displayed a ripped, muscular frame, showing that he's ready to go whenever the tournaments get underway. * The Heavyweight Boxing Federation may not have been a big success in Italy, but it's been an entirely different story as far as the International Boxing League is concerned. Some 150 hopefuls showed up at this week's trials, which were also attended by Olympic Gold medallist Nino Benvenuti and Bronze medallist Duilio Loi. A tough, aggressive Welterweight named Bruno Arcari dazzled observers during his trial bouts. The 22 year-old possesses a potent jab and will surely be one to watch during the European qualifiers. "He has a lot of mongrel in him," said the IBL's European representative Malcolm North. "He loves to mix it up on the inside, loves going toe-to-toe with his opponents. I can say without a shadow of a doubt that he's going to be one of the more entertaining competitors we see during the tournaments." * Korea has embraced the sport of boxing with almost the same enthusiasm as their regional neighbours Japan and this week's trials at the Busan Asiad Stadium have drawn big crowds. There have been a number of promising trialists on display, but none moreso than the 5'10" Light-Heavyweight Chong-Pal Park. The 17 year-old's stature stands him out from the rest of the Korean hopefuls, most of whom will occupy the Featherweight and Lightweight divisions. "I guess you could say it's unusual," said IBL scout David Goward. "But the kid has some talent, that's for sure. He's a good all-round puncher, but we are a bit cautious about putting him straight into the regional qualifying tourney. It's likely he'll be placed in the Future Contender series." There was, understandably, not a big supply of suitable opponents for Park to trial against this week, leading to him going in against some Middleweights and even some of the bigger IBL staffers, who were more than willing to take a punch to allow the teenager to show his ability. "If that's what we have to do to help the kid succeed, so be it," laughed Goward. "I'm looking forward to seeing him in action." __________________ The Heavyweight Boxing Federation The Heavyweight Boxing Federation: Tournament Group Standings The International Boxing League MLB: 1958 and Beyond...** Last edited by kenyan_cheena : 11-02-2006 at 05:34 PM.