The city of Liverpool in England has been selected as the host city for the inaugural World Boxing Championships 2025 for Elite men and women.

The championships will take place between September 4 and September 14 at the M&S Bank Arena, marking the first Elite-level global championships hosted by World Boxing, the new International Federation which has been set up to ensure that boxing remains an Olympic sport.

There will be action in 10 weight classes for both men and women and it will represent the first time male and female boxers have competed in Olympic-style boxing for the title of world champion at the same event.

The weight categories will be finalized in the new edition of World Boxing’s Competition Rules, which will be published following its forthcoming Congress in November.

The bid to host the World Boxing Championships 2025 was developed by a group of partners including England Boxing, GB Boxing, Liverpool City Council and the M&S Bank Arena and is supported by the National Lottery and UK Sport.

The President of World Boxing, Boris van der Vorst said: “Liverpool is a globally famous city with a proud heritage in boxing and it will be a fantastic place to host our first ever Elite World Boxing Championships. This will be a superb showcase for the sport of Olympic boxing, particularly as it will be the first time ever that the men and women’s competition will run alongside each other as part of the same Championships.

Speaking on behalf of England Boxing, Jerome Pels, added: “The World Boxing Championships is not just another big sporting event– it is a game-changer for us. It is a strategic initiative that aligns with our goals of establishing a unified international governing body, inspiring the next generation of boxers, boosting participation, and strengthening communities through boxing. We are thrilled to host this event and confident it will have a huge, lasting impact on both our organization and the future of the sport itself."

World Boxing was launched in April 2023 and aims to ensure that boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic movement. On 7May 2024 it held its first meeting with the IOC which signaled the start of formal collaboration between the two organizations aimed at establishing a pathway for boxing to remain in the Olympic Games.

World Boxing currently has 44 members covering all five Continents that compete in international boxing. Its membership is expected to have grown significantly by September 2025.

Further information on World Boxing is available at www.worldboxing.org.