AIBA's most ambitious project to date, APB is looking to roll back decades of tradition by offering contracts that allow fighters to box professionally in the tournament but also retain their Olympic eligibility.

The event in South Korea will be one of a number of APB exhibition bouts staged across the world this year before the official launch next January, with each bout to consist of eight rounds of three minutes.

The first APB exhibition bout in July will be followed by a second in Rio de Janeiro, the host city of the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games, in August.

There are additional exhibition bouts being planned for September with France, Italy, Mexico and Ukraine having all expressed an interest in hosting the event.

The APB exhibition fights will feature the best APB boxers including Britain's Andrew Selby, Brazil's Falcao brothers, Italian poster-boys Clemente Russo and Domenico Valentino, German powerhouse Erik Pfeifer, Mexican superstars Juan Romero and Elias Emigdio, rising South Korean star Jonghun Shin and many others.

"My goal is to become APB world champion," said Selby.

"APB gives me the chance to box professionally, whilst remaining on Team GB and hopefully representing Britain in the next Olympic Games."


Once launched, the APB will link to AIBA's other major competition, the World Series of Boxing (WSB) in a new structure that will see the governing body take control of professional boxing.

"We are convinced that it is the right time to provide something different for our top boxers," said AIBA President and APB chairman C K Wu.

"With APB, we will revolutionise the world of boxing and establish a blueprint for its development.

"Finally our athletes won't have to jump into the unknown while embracing a professional career."

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