George Foreman Announces New Heavyweight Tournament
By Michael Woods May 23rd, 2006Big George and the heavyweight Superfighter tourney
A one-day heavyweight elimination tournament featuring a world-class roster of boxers will take place during the fall in Melbourne, Australia, former heavyweight champion/grillmaster George Foreman announced yesterday.
Organizers released the names of seven fighters who will take part in the first Superfighter tourney. They will be competing for the $5 million first prize.
Superfighter participants are to include: Chris Byrd, Former IBF World Champion 39-3 (20 KO); O’Neil Bell, WBC & IBF Cruiserweight No 1, 26-1 (24 KO); Steve Cunningham, WBC Cruiserweight No 1, 19-0 (10 KO); Samuel Peter, WBC No 3, 25-1 (21 KO); Shannon Briggs, WBC No 7, 45-4 (40 KO); Alexander Povetkin, 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist, 7-0 (5 KO); Tye Fields, 36-1 (33 KO).
A second Superfighter event – eight fighters competing in one day in the “red hot middleweight divisionâ€? – is being planned for New York City in 2007, the planners said.
Superfighter is a branded series of elimination short format tournaments featuring four three minute rounds with only the winner of each bout progressing to the semi finals and finals. The winner of the first event this fall will have fought 3 bouts and defeated 3 opponents to become the first World Superfighter Heavyweight Champion and claim the $5 million (US) prize.
George Foreman is on board to act as commentator for the event.
(Email news tips to Michael Woods at Fightwrite@gmail.com)
May 23rd, 2006 at 12:32 pm
If that list of participants is still the same when the fighters enter the ring, I will eat my hat…
May 23rd, 2006 at 8:04 pm
well it depends how much they are paying sam peter and oneil bell are the suspect ones to me
May 23rd, 2006 at 9:41 pm
O’Neil Bell Should Fight James Lights Out Toney. Its Time for Bell to get the respect he deserves. Bell is a good solid champion who needs to be Reconized as a Great Boxing Warrior.
Its SUPERNOVA TIME
May 24th, 2006 at 2:01 am
Hmm this format looks extremely close to the way K1 rournaments are put together. As long as K1 creator’s have no worries, it should be an entertaining evenings entertainment. Best of luck
May 24th, 2006 at 7:34 am
Why in the blue hell is there a guy with only seven fights in this tournament? If you honestly want any clarity in the heavyweight division the way to do it is not to have an amateur style tournament!!!! This all can’t just happen in one day. You need to get sixteen heavyweights together, four of them must, and I mean must, be Wladamir Klitchsko (IBF Champion), Hasim Rahman (WBC Champion), Nikolay Valuev (WBA Champion), and Sergei Liakovich (WBO Champion). The next four need to be the men that they have defeated to earn those titles, Chris Byrd, James Toney, John Ruiz, and Lamon Brewster. Put this type of match up in bracket form, NCAA Basketball style with the champions as the 1 seeds in each bracket, and the men they defeated as the number 2 seeds. The final eight should consist of any of these men… Sam Peter, Calvin Brock, Danny Williams, Shannon Briggs, Oleg Maskaev, Sultan Imbragimov, and Dominick Guinn. Have they face off in bracket form, then 3 months later fight again.
May 24th, 2006 at 12:04 pm
The winner of each round moves on, all titles will be on the line whenever the champion is fighting. The losers fight each other to figure out a credible ranking system for challengers. In the end the final two competitiors will each have 2 of the 4 major championships. They duke it out to determine the first real undisputed heavyweight champion in almost 20 years.
May 24th, 2006 at 5:36 pm
I agree with Superman!
May 31st, 2006 at 2:24 am
this actually didn’t happen. the press conference was cancelled, on may 22nd a note went up saying it was cancelled cuz they didnt have the fighters. (it was supposed to be in july first) here is their website http://www.superfighter.tv/?/Home/. whoever wrote this is misinformed. look at the list of contestants….byrd has been considering dropping down to cruiser, and recently said he hasnt planned his next fight….povetkin, come on, the guy is building his way to a legit championship….2 cruiserweights? sam peter on the brink of a title eliminator…not to mention how these fighters managers could ever agree on this. (its no guaruntee they’d get the 5 million..) also, televised world wide from australia….um, why would you pick something that is no where near the right time zone for most of the boxing world?
June 7th, 2006 at 10:37 pm
The majority of comments have been negative toward this event. Rich should get a life and realise that it is he that is giving the wrong information. The press conference was rescheduled to August, a media briefing was still held (with Foreman) and a new website is up and running.
If you don’t like it, don’t watch it and those of you that feel you are boxing enthusiasts can watch this great sport go down the toilet.
By the way, a recent article explains the event is on in Australia at 10am which at that time of year makes it perfect viewing time in the USA.
I personally love the format and the fact that a few cruiser weights (in shape heavyweights) are in the tournament. (think Joe Louis and Marciano). I also like that a young Povetkin is named in the tourny. This shows that a Gold Medalist like Foreman and Lewis is prepared to take it to some more experienced guys.
Rich, how about you go to the revised site at www.superfighter.tv and shut up.