Press Release: The 2008 U.S. Olympic Boxing Team will compete in their first major international event, October 23-November 3, 2007 at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago. The 2007 AIBA World Championships hold extra importance for the newly crowned team as it will serve as the first international Olympic qualifier for the 2008 OIympic Games in Beijing, China. The 11-man squad has been in training at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., since September 17th in preparation for the event.

The U.S. team hopes to utilize their home ring advantage to qualify Olympic berths with the final eight finishers in the light flyweight – light heavyweight (up to 178 lbs) divisions earning spots and the top four winning slots in the heavyweight and super heavyweight (201 lbs and 201+) classes. The 2007 event is the first World Championships event to serve as an international Olympic qualifier in boxing following the use of continental competitions in 2000 and 2004. The athletes will earn Olympic berths by name not by country at the World Championships. 

Flyweight (112 lbs) Rau’shee Warren (Cincinnati, Ohio) and bantamweight (119 lbs) Gary Russell, Jr. (Capitol Heights, Md.) both won bronze at the 2005 edition and are back for more hardware in 2007. Warren and Russell are the only two U.S. team members to have previously competed in the senior world championships, but several team members possess valuable international experience. Light flyweight (106 lbs) Luis Yanez (Duncanville, Texas) recently claimed gold at the 2007 Pan American Games. He was joined on the medal stand by welterweight (152 lbs) silver medalist Demetrius Andrade (Providence, R.I.) and light heavyweight (178 lbs) bronze medalist Christopher Downs (Fort Carson, Colo.). All three boxers will look to their Pan Am games experience when they take the ring in Chicago.

2006 Junior World Championships super heavyweight (201+ lbs) bronze medalist Michael Hunter (Las Vegas, Nev.) and fellow Junior World championships team member, lightweight (132 lbs) Sadam Ali (Brooklyn, N.Y.) will box in their first senior world championships event with an Olympic berth on the line. Middleweight (165 lbs) Shawn Estrada (Downey, Calif.) has represented the United States in several international competitions, but he will vie for his first World Championships title in Chicago. Featherweight (125 lbs) Raynell Williams (Cleveland, Ohio); light welterweight (141 lbs) Javier Molina (Commerce, Calif.); and heavyweight Deontay Wilder (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) will all compete in their first major international event at the 2007 World Championships.

The United States team will be led by USA Boxing National Director of Coaching Dan Campbell (Colorado Springs, Colo.); Mike Stafford (Cincinnati, Ohio); and Willy Price (Peshtigo, Wis.). Joe Smith (Chattanooga, Tenn.) will serve as team manager with Jim McNally (Severna Park, Md.); Richard Neves (Pleasanton, Calif.) and Spencer Carpenter (West Branch, Mich.) working as the AIBA officials.

The U.S. team will depart the Olympic Training Center for Chicago on Thursday, October 18 to complete final preparations in the Windy City. The 2007 AIBA World Championships action will kick off on October 23 with preliminary round action, which will run through October 31. Quarterfinal competition will be contested on Thursday, November 1, semifinal round boxing will take place on Friday, November 2 and the event will close with championship boxing on Saturday, November 3.

The United States won two bronze medals at the last World Championships in 2005 in Mianyang, China. The U.S. team took home four gold medals at the last domestic World Championships in Houston, Texas in 1999.

2007 AIBA World Championships Schedule

Tuesday, October 23: Event Draw, Preliminaries – 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Wednesday, October 24: Preliminaries – 11 a.m., 2 p.m., and 7 p.m.

Thursday, October 25: Preliminaries – 11 a.m., 2 p.m., and 7 p.m.

Friday, October 26: Preliminaries – 11 a.m., 2 p.m., and 7 p.m.

Saturday, October 27: Preliminaries – 11 a.m., 2 p.m., and 7 p.m.

Sunday, October 28: Preliminaries – 11 a.m., 2 p.m., and 7 p.m.

Monday, October 29: REST DAY

Tuesday, October 30: Preliminaries (Round of 16) – 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Wednesday, October 31: Preliminaries (Round of 16) - 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Thursday, November 1: Quarterfinals – 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Friday, November 2: Semifinals – 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Saturday, November 3: Finals – 2 p.m.

United States Team:

Light flyweight/106 lbs: Luis Yanez, Duncanville, Texas

Flyweight/112 lbs: Rau’shee Warren, Cincinnati, Ohio

Bantamweight/119 lbs: Gary Russell, Jr., Capitol Heights, Md.

Featherweight/125 lbs: Raynell Williams, Cleveland, Ohio

Lightweight/132 lbs: Sadam Ali, Brooklyn, N.Y.

Light welterweight/141 lbs: Javier Molina, Commerce, Calif.

Welterweight/152 lbs: Demetrius Andrade, Providence, R.I.

Middleweight/165 lbs: Shawn Estrada, Downey, Calif.

Light heavyweight/178 lbs: Christopher Downs, Fort Carson, Colo.

Heavyweight/201 lbs: Deontay Wilder, Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Super heavyweight/201+ lbs: Michael Hunter, Las Vegas, Nev.

National Director of Coaching: Dan Campbell, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Coach: Mike Stafford, Cincinnati, Ohio

Coach: Willy Price, Cincinnati, Ohio

Team Manager: Joe Smith, Chattanooga, Tenn.

AIBA Official: Jim McNally, Severna Park, Md.

AIBA Official: Rich Neves, Pleasanton, Calif.

AIBA Official: Spencer Carpenter, West Branch, Mich.