The city hosted the inaugural bouts under the new governing body last September
Odel Kamara in action at the World Boxing Championships(Image: )
Hosting the inaugural World Boxing Championships added £4m to Liverpool’s economy, a new study has revealed. Over 10 days in September last year, elite fighters took part in the first event of its kind to be staged by World Boxing.
It was the first event to be set up by the new federation which has been formed to negate the concerns over integrity, governance and financial management and aims to receive IOC backing to manage future Olympic boxing competitions. The championships became the latest in a long list of major boxing events held in Liverpool, with the city hosting the European Championships in 2008.
More than half of the 8,000 ticket sales during the week and a half of bouts came from outside the Liverpool City Region according to a new report by Quantum Consultancy. Liverpool’s hosting of the inaugural event also drew praise from the president of World Boxing, former middleweight champion Gennadiy Golovkin.
The world bouts featured competition in 10 weight classes for both men and women, marking the first time ever that male and female boxers have competed in Olympic-style boxing for the title of world champion at the same event. Analysis found hotels, shops and business benefitted from hosting with visitors spending £1.8m in the city.
According to the report by Quantum, 955 hours of action were broadcast around the world. Following their stays, 94% of out-of-town spectators said they would recommend visiting Liverpool to friends and family.
Civic pride also shone through, with 95% of those asked saying they would back hosting similar events again. Cllr Harry Doyle, Liverpool Council cabinet member for health, wellbeing and culture, said: “As a city, we are well known for delivering huge, world-class events and we are always delighted to host prestigious competitions like the World Boxing Championships.
Odel Kamara after he beat Kuwardeep Manu at the World Boxing Championships (Image: )
“Not only did it generate a £4m boost to our economy, it also supported local businesses and our hospitality sector, and created lasting benefits for our people and our communities. As this report shows, the championships brought multiple economic and social benefits to thousands of people across our city through wrap-around cultural activities, social impact programmes, and volunteering opportunities.”
Gennadiy Golovkin, president of World Boxing, added: “The World Boxing Championships 2025 was a great event for Olympic style boxing and a fantastic platform for our male and female boxers to showcase their skills and abilities to a huge global audience.
“I know from speaking personally to many of the boxers at the championships that they were very impressed with the staging and organisation of the competition and I would like to thank the Local Organising Committee and all of their partners for hosting and delivering a world class event that has delivered a wide range of benefits to both the sport of boxing and the host city of Liverpool.”
More than £50,000 worth of boxing equipment was distributed post-event to clubs across the city region as part of a social outreach programme, with more than 1,000 tickets distributed to schools and clubs. An “Unsung Heroes” project recognised 19 people from boxing clubs for their contributions to the grassroots of the sport with a series of portraits, photographs and stories that were exhibited at St George’s Hall for the duration of the championships.
Rami Kiwan takes on Callum Makin(Image: (Peter Byrne/PA Wire))
A bespoke literacy programme, “Literacy Kicks”, created learning opportunities for more than 1,200 primary school children in Liverpool and 2,700 people in the boxing community participated in a series of Mental Health Fitness workshops, delivered in partnership with the charity, Movember. Matt Holt, chief executive of GB Boxing, said: “It was great for the boxers in our squad to be able to compete in a major championship at home where they performed very well, winning four medals, and really appreciated the support of the home crowd and the chance to box in front of family and friends.
“The championships were a superb experience for our boxers who enjoyed the opportunity to compete in Great Britain, and it is great to see that the event was so well received by people in Liverpool and that hosting it has delivered so many wider benefits to people and communities across the city.”