The Golden Contract is a professional boxing tournament created by boxing management and promotions company MTK Global. The tournament is held across three weight-classes with eight fighters in each class, competing in 10 x 3 minute rounds. The winners of each tournament secure a two-year, five-fight contract with MTK Global that guarantees a six-figure purse for each fight.[1] The tournament is televised live on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom[2] and streamed through ESPN+ in the United States.[3]
The Golden Contract's inaugural tournament is being contested across the featherweight, super-lightweight and light-heavyweight divisions.
Competitors in the featherweight edition are; Britain's Ryan Walsh, Leigh Wood, Jazza Dickens and Tyrone McCullagh; Ireland's David Oliver Joyce; Mexico's Carlos Araujo; Spain's Carlos Ramos; and Hairon Socarras of Cuba. With Britain's Razaq Najib and Jacob Robinson in reserve.[4] The quarter-final bouts took place on 4 October 2019 at the York Hall, London,[5] and the semi-finals on 21 February 2020 at the same venue.[6] The final was originally set to take place in June, however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic the date was pushed back to 30 September.[7]
Competitors in the super-lightweight edition are; Britain's Tyrone McKenna, Ohara Davies, Jeff Ofori, Darren Surtees, Kieran Gething and Mikey Sakyi; America's Logan Yoon; and France's Mohamed Mimoune.[8] The quarter-final bouts took place on 22 November 2019 at the York Hall, London,[9] and the semi-finals on 21 February 2020.[6] The final was originally set to take place in June, however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic the date was pushed back to 30 September.[7]
Competitors in the light-heavyweight edition are; Britain's Hosea Burton, Steven Ward, Liam Conroy, Tommy Philbin, Andre Sterling and Bob Ajisafe; Germany's Serge Michel; and Latvia's Ričards Bolotņiks.[11] The quarter-final bouts took place on 14 December 2019 at the Brentwood Centre, Brentwood.[11] The semi-finals were originally scheduled to take place on 20 March 2020 at the York Hall in London,[12] however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic the event was rescheduled to take place in September, being split over two nights; the first bout, featuring Bolotniks, took place in Bolotniks' hometown of Rīga, Latvia, on 26 September; the second bout will take place on the same card as the featherweight and super-lightweight finals on 30 September at the York Hall in London.[13] [14]