The junior welterweight division is about to get a shot in the arm in the form of a new tournament that is set to begin in 2017.
King's Promotion announced earlier in the week "The GREAT EIGHT--140 pound Tournament" with the intent of finding the next big junior welterweight boxer. Below is a press release sent to Fightful.com announcing the tournament rules and details.
In 2017, King's Promotions will present a double-elimination tournament that will feature some of the brightest prospects in the 140 pound division.
"The GREAT EIGHT--140 pound Tournament" will gain exposure to those young fighters who are willing to take a chance to catapult their career's to the next level.
Applicants for the tournament must have double-digit wins and no more than two losses.
Besides the fight purses, there will be a prize of $15,000 for the winner, $10,000 for the runner-up and $5,000 for third place.
"We are looking for the next contenders and champions in the junior welterweight division," said King's Promotions CEO Marshall Kauffman.
"We already have several quality fighters that have expressed a big interest in entering. We feel that there are a lot of fighters out there in this weight class that fit the criteria for what we are looking for and I am eager to hear from some of them."
No names have been confirmed, but the winner of the tournament could be on the fast track to an eventual world title shot. Of the four major governing bodies in boxing, Terence Crawford, Eduard Troyanovsky and Ricky Burns hold world titles.
