(SEPT 21)  (MIAMI, FLA.) – The city of Miami has been selected as a host city for one of the 12 World Series of Boxing (WSB) global franchises, WSB Chairman and International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) President, Dr. Ching-Kuo Wu, announced Monday. The Miami-Dade Sports Commission will serve as the management group for the Miami franchise, which will be one of three WSB squads based in the United States.

"I am delighted to officially announce Miami as one of the 12 global World Series of Boxing franchise teams,” said President Wu. “I believe that we have found an excellent partner in the Miami-Dade Sports Commission, as well as a world-class venue in the AmericanAirlines Arena. Put together with the top athletes who have committed to the Miami team, this means that the revolutionary new World Series of Boxing competition has an excellent foundation for its first season in Miami."

Miami-Dade Sports Commission Executive Director Mike Sophia will lead the organization as the General Manager of the Miami franchise, and he has already secured a top-level venue for the Miami squad. The AmericanAirlines Arena, home of the NBA’s Miami Heat, will host all of the Miami franchise home contests.

“The Miami-Dade Sports Commission will be an outstanding partner as we work to create a home for the World Series of Boxing and our athletes in Miami,” said WSB Americas Managing Director Eric Parthen. “Mike Sophia and the commission staff possess valuable knowledge and experience in promoting and executing high-level sporting events in this area, and we look forward to creating a top notch sports franchise in Miami.”

The Miami-Dade Sports Commission opened its doors in 2004 and has secured over 50 major events and created $150 million in economic impact since that time. “We are thrilled to bring this revolutionary boxing concept to Miami,” Sophia said. “Miami boasts a long and storied boxing tradition and hosting a World Series of Boxing franchise will add a new and exciting chapter to Miami sports history. I am excited to work with the WSB staff, our athletes and coaches to develop a fresh and unique fan experience in the Miami sports scene.”

The Miami franchise will enjoy high level leadership in the corner as well. 1996 Olympic Coach Pat Burns will serve as the franchise head coach following an illustrious career in both amateur and professional boxing. Burns is a familiar figure in the Miami area, having held numerous training camps in Miami.

Burns will lead a strong squad of 14 talented athletes into action at the AmericanAirlines Arena. The Miami roster includes a diverse mix of decorated American and foreign boxers that will be publicly announced within the next 2 weeks.

The World Series of Boxing is a unique professional boxing league created by AIBA to will reunite the broader boxing world and its grassroots foundation, provide a bridge between Olympic boxing and professional boxing, and grow the sport’s fan base in the United States and throughout the world. All of the World Series of Boxing athletes will maintain their amateur eligibility.

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Julie Goldsticker
President, Goldsticker Public Relations

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