[kenyan_cheena]

IBL WILL VISIT 21 NATIONS
DURING OPENING SERIES

Sunday 28 July 2002

Yesterday, the International Boxing League released the list of venues for the first series of bouts in their World Championship regional qualifying tournaments. With a grand total of 21 nations involved, the global sweep of the league's first five weeks of competition is staggering. It's a deliberate, calculated attempt to introduce the league to the world with a bang, one that IBL Chief Director James Molk is confident will be successful.

"It's going to be an absolutely fantastic first five weeks," said Molk today from his Las Vegas headquarters. "Looking at the list it amazes even me. The extent of it is just mind blowing and it doesn't even take into account our Future Contender series. I think that boxing fans the world over are really going to warm to the IBL pretty quickly."

The first series of bouts will kick off during the final week of stage one in the Heavyweight Boxing Federation's World Championship and 1st Defense tournaments and so from the second week onwards the IBL will enjoy almost exclusive exposure, something that Molk is exceedingly happy about.

"It's all been timed out almost perfectly," he said. "With the exception of their Qualifying League bouts the HBF will be on hiatus for a few weeks after stage one concludes so that will give all boxing fans a chance to focus on our competitors. They've been following the fortunes of guys like Gene Tunney and Elmer Ray but there'll be a window there for us and we plan to make the most of it."

Following is the full list of venues for the league's opening series:

WEEK ONE

* MONDAY 26/08/02
MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISION: REGION - NORTH AMERICA CENTRAL
VENUE: MELLON ARENA, PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, USA

* TUESDAY 27/08/02
MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISION: REGION - EUROPE
VENUE: CASINO DI CAMPIONE, LECCO, LOMBARDIA, ITALY

* WEDNESDAY 28/08/02
MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISION: REGION - NORTH AMERICA WEST
VENUE: MGM GRAND HOTEL & CASINO, LAS VEGAS, NEVADA, USA

* THURSDAY 29/08/02
MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISION: REGION - NORTH AMERICA EAST/CARIBBEAN
VENUE: BOARDWALK HALL, ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY, USA

* FRIDAY 30/08/02
MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISION: REGION - ASIA/OCEANIA/AFRICA
VENUE: ARIAKE COLISEUM, TOKYO, JAPAN

* SATURDAY 31/08/02
MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISION: REGION - SOUTH AMERICA
VENUE: OLYMPIA STADIUM, PANAMA CITY, PANAMA

WEEK TWO

* MONDAY 02/09/02
LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION: REGION - OCEANIA
VENUE: SYDNEY ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE, SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA

* TUESDAY 03/09/02
LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION: REGION - SOUTH AMERICA
VENUE: LUNA PARK, BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA

* WEDNESDAY 04/09/02
LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION: REGION - USA WEST
VENUE: STAPLES CENTER, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA

* THURSDAY 05/09/02
LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION: REGION - EUROPE/AFRICA
VENUE: PALAIS DES SPORTS, CANNES, FRANCE

* FRIDAY 06/09/02
LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION: REGION - USA ATLANTIC/CARIBBEAN
VENUE: AMAZURA BALLROOM, QUEENS, NEW YORK, USA

* SATURDAY 07/09/02
LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION: REGION - USA CENTRAL
VENUE: THE PYRAMID, MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, USA

WEEK THREE

* MONDAY 09/09/02
WELTERWEIGHT DIVISION: REGION - CARIBBEAN
VENUE: ESCOBAR STADIUM, SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO

* TUESDAY 10/09/02
WELTERWEIGHT DIVISION: REGION - NORTH AMERICA WEST
VENUE: SILVER LEGACY CASINO, RENO, NEVADA, USA

* WEDNESDAY 11/09/02
WELTERWEIGHT DIVISION: REGION - EUROPE/AFRICA
VENUE: SURELERE STADIUM, LAGOS, NIGERIA

* THURSDAY 12/09/02
WELTERWEIGHT DIVISION: REGION - NORTH AMERICA EAST
VENUE: FOXWOODS RESORT CASINO, LEDYARD, CONNECTICUT, USA

* FRIDAY 13/09/02
WELTERWEIGHT DIVISION: REGION - SOUTH AMERICA
VENUE: PACAEMBU STADIUM, SAO PAULO, BRAZIL

* SATURDAY 14/09/02
WELTERWEIGHT DIVISION: REGION - ASIA/OCEANIA
VENUE: ARANETA COLISEUM, QUEZON CITY, PHILIPPINES

WEEK FOUR

* MONDAY 16/09/02
LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION: REGION - AFRICA
VENUE: CARNIVAL CITY BIG TOP ARENA, JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA

* TUESDAY 17/09/02
LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION: REGION - EUROPE
VENUE: MEN ARENA, MANCHESTER, ENGLAND

* WEDNESDAY 18/09/02
LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION: REGION - CARIBBEAN
VENUE: GRAN STADIUM, HAVANA, CUBA

* THURSDAY 19/09/02
LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION: REGION - SOUTH AMERICA
VENUE: LA MACARENA, PANAMA CITY, PANAMA

* FRIDAY 20/09/02
LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION: REGION - NORTH AMERICA
VENUE: MOUNTAINEER RACE TRACK & RESORT, CHESTER, WEST VIRGINIA, USA

* SATURDAY 21/09/02
LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION: REGION - ASIA/OCEANIA
VENUE: AMBASSADOR CITY JOMTIEN HOTEL, CHOLBURI, THAILAND

WEEK FIVE

* MONDAY 23/09/02
FEATHERWEIGHT DIVISION: REGION - CARIBBEAN
VENUE: TRUJILLO STADIUM, TRUJILLO, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

* TUESDAY 24/09/02
FEATHERWEIGHT DIVISION: REGION - ASIA/OCEANIA
VENUE: BUSAN ASIAD STADIUM, BUSAN, REPUBLIC OF KOREA

* WEDNESDAY 25/09/02
FEATHERWEIGHT DIVISION: REGION - SOUTH AMERICA
VENUE: STADIO OLYMPIC, CARACAS, VENEZUELA

* THURSDAY 26/09/02
FEATHERWEIGHT DIVISION: REGION - USA/CANADA
VENUE: BELL CENTRE, MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA

* FRIDAY 27/09/02
FEATHERWEIGHT DIVISION: REGION - MEXICO
VENUE: ESTADIO SALTILLO, SALTILLO, MEXICO

* SATURDAY 28/09/02
FEATHERWEIGHT DIVISION: REGION - EUROPE/AFRICA
VENUE: CARDIFF INTERNATIONAL ARENA, CARDIFF, WALES

"It gets more exciting the closer we get," said Molk. "Each week we're reaching a new landmark and before long the fights will be upon us."