WBC night of champions - Cardiff 2010

Date posted: 2 August 2010

This year WBC held the "Night of champions" in Cardiff, Wales. A number of WBC champions descended on the town for three days to celebrate World Boxing and create boxing history. This included touring around the town and meeting with most of the local people. 

Photograph of WBC champions, Welsh troops from Afghanistan and Cardiff Castle

The champions who have already arrived in Cardiff gathered at the Cardiff fortress, which is over 400 years old and in exceptional conditions, to enjoy its facilities and get pictures taken at the most representative places of the castle, and they even had the opportunity to get a photograph taken with soldiers of the Welsh troops that had just arrived from Afghanistan.

Photograph of Shannon Briggs jokes with Humberto GonzalezPhotograph of Shannon Briggs jokes with Humberto Gonzalez

Former Heavyweight champion, Shannon Briggs jokes with Humberto Gonzalez and lifts him.

Photograph of WBC champions at Cardiff´s Hospital for Children

Cardiff´s Hospital for Children was the perfect place for the celebrities to wear the champion T-shirts that have already become traditional.

Photograph of WBC champions with the kids

By taking a WBC championship belt, the champions made the kids who are there feel excited, talked to them, signed autographs and gave toys away (they were even punched by some of the children).

Photograph of WBC champions visiting a Cardiff Boxing gym

Another WBC group went to visit two different local gyms where the champions talked to the kids that train there and gave short boxing lessons to them. The age of the children varied.

Photograph of the red carpet to the premiere of 'Risen'Photograph of Stewart Brennan, actor plays Winstone, as well as Winstone's son

Hundreds of people gathered at Cardiff International Arena as the champions walked on the red carpet to get into the Arena; they gave autographs and then attended the premiere of the movie “Risen”, on the life of Howard Winstone. At the end after being given a standing ovation, Stewart Brennan, the actor who plays Winstone, as well as Winstone´s son were both presented with a WBC championship belt each. 

Cardiff – Day 2 tour a round Cardiff and Vitali Klitschko presents the trophy to the winning team of the amateur tournament “UK vs. Rest of the World”.

On the second day of the “WBC night of champions II” that is being held in Cardiff, Wales, the action started early in the morning… All the champions boarded double-decker buses that took them sightseeing around the city, and listened to the explanation on the mixture of ancient buildings and modern ones for entertainment and others of complex structures.

Photograph of Fragomeni, Wlodarzsyk, Humberto Gonzalez, Shannon BriggsPhotograph of Takahiro Aoh and Shiaki NishiokaPhotograph of Roberto Duran Photograph of Sergio 'Maravilla' Martinez
After the tour the champions gathered at the luxurious St. David Hotel to have lunch (the place where Madonna hired 5 floors when she gave a concert in that city, spending 3.8 million dollars when she stayed there) and subsequently were invited to sign several giant gloves by David Walker, one of the organisers of the event; such gloves will be used for different charity deeds and as memorabilia. 
Photograph of a boxer
in the evening, the boxing tournament “UK vs. Rest of the World was held as a rock band played live and delighted the audience; later on there was an incredibly pleasant surprise, as WBC Heavyweight World Champion, Vitali Klitschko presented the trophy to the winners. the competition was being led by the UK team (there were 12 ten-round bouts), however “the rest of the world team” started to get closer little by little, and in the final bout, in the heavyweight division, the fighter who did not seem to be the favourite one (of the “rest of the world” team) won the fight by a big difference and the outcome of the tournament was a draw.
Photograph of the band from the night of championsPhotograph of a boxer with his winning commemorative medal
All the fighters who won a bout were presented with a unique commemorative medal of the event, the historic “WBC night of champions 2010”.

 

 
 
Day 3, Night of champions 
At last the second Edition of night of champions, starting with a dinning service at the city hall in a very happy day for the city with live music of Cardiff free for all the family.  Wales, before just a couple of hours of the event, with the meeting of champions like Mikkel Kessler, Vitali Klitschko, Joe Calzaghe, “BoneCrusher”, etc.
Photograph of a festival in CardiffPhotograph of a festival in Cardiff
Photograph of WBC champions
All the champions received a commemorative medal and a plaque to commemorate the event.
Photograph of WBC champions
Some of the 2009 awards were given, also there was a bid of great memorabilia of box and music, for charity causes.

Photograph of WBC champions with their trophies

Photograph of WBC champions with their trophies

This was a story to remember, where will be in 4 years more?