M&S Bank Arena to host World Boxing Championships

Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena has been awarded hosting rights for the inaugural World Boxing Championships, which are being organised by breakaway federation World Boxing.

The event, which will be contested by elite men and women, will take place from September 4-14. It will mark the first elite-level global championships hosted by World Boxing, which launched last year with the aim of preserving the sport’s Olympic status.

The bid to host the event was developed by a group of partners including England Boxing, GB Boxing, Liverpool City Council and M&S Bank Arena, with support from the National Lottery and UK Sport.

Next year’s World Boxing Championships will feature 10 weight classes for men and women, marking the first time that male and female boxers have competed in Olympic-style boxing for the title of world champion at the same event.

The precise weight categories will be finalised in the new edition of World Boxing’s competition rules, which will be published following its Congress meeting in November.

Liverpool hosted the European Boxing Championships in 2008. M&S Bank Arena has hosted several major sporting events over the years, including the 2019 Netball World Cup and 2022 World Gymnastics Championships. It also staged the Eurovision Song Contest in 2023.

World Boxing president Boris van der Vorst said: “Liverpool is a globally famous city with a proud heritage in boxing and it will be a fantastic place to host our first ever Elite World Boxing Championships. This will be a superb showcase for the sport of Olympic boxing, particularly as it will be the first time ever that the men and women’s competition will run alongside each other as part of the same championships.

“I would like to thank all of our partners in Great Britain and the city of Liverpool for their enthusiasm and support in wanting to stage these championships and I look forward to working closely with all of them to deliver what will be a historic event for the boxers and for our sport.”

Ben Williams, commercial and business development director at M&S Bank Arena, added: “We are delighted to be hosting this auspicious event. Liverpool loves boxing and we intend to use our world-class facilities and vast experience of hosting major events to put on the best show for visitors from across the globe. As a venue based on Liverpool’s famous waterfront, in the heart of a city that is immersed in sport, we’re perfectly positioned to provide a fantastic experience.”

In May, World Boxing held its first meeting with the International Olympic Committee, signalling the start of a formal collaboration between the two organisations aimed at establishing a pathway for the sport to remain on the Olympic programme.

World Boxing was launched in response to “persistent issues” surrounding the International Boxing Association (IBA) and it currently has 44 members covering all five continents that compete in international boxing.