THE Jamaica Boxing Board (JBB) and J Wray & Nephew have forged a new partnership with the aim of reviving local boxing.

The Wray & Nephew Fight Nights is a new venture that seeks to have a pro-am night of boxing matches every six weeks, from this summer to 2024.

Both entities say that it is critical to local boxing for a platform to be created that allows amateur and professional fighters to compete regularly without needing to travel overseas for opportunities.

The JBB and Wray & Nephew famously collaborated between 2011 and 2018 on the Wray and Nephew White Overproof Rum Contender series which, although began with the essence of a reality television show, was staged in an elimination tournament format and gave boxers the opportunity to be scouted for a professional contract with major promotions, especially overseas.

Fight Nights, however, will be different. The JBB says it will not be in a tournament format and boxers will not be eliminated. What this means is that boxers will still have opportunities for future matches in spite of losses.

The JBB and J Wray & Nephew will also reunite with past promoters who brought overseas talent to the Contender. Two mentioned are Chris Joy of I Fight Promotions, based in the United States of America, and Tyler Buxton of United Boxing Promotions, based in Canada. These promoters will ensure that the local boxers get to compete against foreign-based counterparts.

JBB President Stephen Jones says not only does he feel proud at the prospect of the local boxing scene returning to the level of activity it had in the previous decade, but he also feels joy about what is to come.

“The joy comes from seeing the boxers, the joy comes from seeing the coaches, and the joy comes because we feel like we’ve gotten to a stage now where it’s not at the end but the beginning again,” Jones told the Jamaica Observer. “Having watched them endure the pandemic and continue training and want the opportunity and not lose heart — that’s the reason the JBB ensured that we get to a point where we could do a platform like this where it’s not a theory, but a shift in the paradigm of boxing in Jamaica. We want boxing to be here to stay in Jamaica, meaning that it is known as a boxing destination.

“The Fight Night series is a platform to showcase our rising stars who have tremendous promise of becoming future champions, from as early as possible in their careers. The more they fight, the more disciplined they become. The sooner we can train them, the more valuable they will be to promoters locally and across the world.”

Equally important, the JBB says, is that each fight night will be staged in a different venue, as it tries to reach new fans in various communities across Jamaica.

Councillor Kelvin Clarke, who was representing the Kingston and St Andrew Municipal Corporation at the launch, on behalf of Mayor Delroy Williams, says this new venture will benefit society as a whole.

“We all can agree that sports have an irreplaceable value in the fabric of the Jamaican society,” he said. “Boxing is one such sport that is very loved by Jamaican society. We believe that boxing can and will contribute significantly, in its own way, to the development of Jamaican society. When this is instilled in our youth it will encapsulate certain core values that, as a society, we embrace and we encourage. We talk about discipline, teamwork, productivity, serving others, caring for and helping others. This is something that we embrace and support wholeheartedly because we believe this adds to the development of our youth, our communities, and our country at large.”

Fights Nights starts at 6 pm on Saturday, July 1 at Cling Cling Oval in Olympic Gardens, St Andrew, with eight bouts — seven amateur undercard fights and a professional main event beginning at four rounds. The JBB promises free admission to the event.

The professional boxers will earn a purse starting at $US150 ($23,000) per round, with a complete match purse of US$600 ($93,000) per bout. The JBB says the judging panel will consist of local officials but says overseas officials will be announced as the series progresses.