A complex legal situation has halted Matchroom Boxing’s ambitious reboot of the Prizefighter tournament in Japan, according to the company’s CEO, Frank Smith. Launched last year with a significantly larger prize pot of $1 million and a promise that the winner would receive a world title shot, the reinvented tournament seemed poised for success. Quarterfinal matchups even took place this past July in Osaka, producing four semifinalists: Kieron Conway, Aaron McKenna, Kazuto Takesako, and Riku Kunimoto. Yet, no date has been announced for the semifinal stage.
"We’re in the middle of a legal matter," Smith told to BoxingScene. "It’s not something I can really discuss at this moment. Obviously, it’s not where we hoped to be, but we’ll let the process run its course."
Matchroom’s Prizefighter format was originally a mainstay from 2008 to 2015 before the company took a hiatus from the concept. When they decided to bring it back in Japan, they went all in - enhanced prize money and a world title shot for the winner were big draws for fighters and fans alike. However, with the legal standstill, Conway found a new bout and captured the Commonwealth title in November, underlining just how delayed the tournament has become.
Despite that, Smith remains optimistic about Prizefighter’s future. "It’s something we want to keep building, both in Britain and globally," he said. "Once we get past this, my hope is that we can move forward with our original plans and see the semifinals - and ultimately a champion - crowned in this new Japanese edition."
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