CBB President  Mr. Silva



One month before AIBA Pro Boxing's (APB) historic bout is set to shake-up the boxing world (with a liberal dash of samba rhythm), we take a look at the preparations for APB's exhibition event in Rio de Janeiro in this interview with the president of the Brazilian Boxing Confederation (CBB - Confederação Brasileira de Boxe) Mauro Silva.

Mr. Silva, your federation is going to host the first ever AIBA Pro Boxing event - an exhibition bout which will take place in Rio de Janeiro on September 13th. What does this event mean for CBB?
It is certainly a great honour. The challenge is enormous, as is always the case when we are talking about pioneering something of this magnitude. But most of all, it means we demonstrate that we are more than capable of hosting major AIBA events and that our boys at APB finally have a chance of fighting in front of a home crowd.

How are the preparations for the event going and how different will it be from the boxing matches organised by CBB before?
First of all, we have got partners who are assisting us in preparing this event. But the major difference resides in the style of the competition. CBB has only organized AOB tournaments for the last decade, therefore having to switch to full Pro-style has been challenging. It´s a completely different show and we have to make sure everyone understands that: both from the organizational point of view and in a boxing perspective.

Do you expect the venue to be sold-out as the event will feature the Brazilian stars Esquiva and Yamaguchi Florentino?
For sure, there is no reason why not. Both of them are national idols and moreover they have got quite a strong bond with the city of Rio. But everyone will be able to see this with their own eyes when the day comes.

The Falcao brothers are a real treasure for the CBB. Tell us what kind of support they are getting ahead of the event in September.
Certainly; the biggest support has been in terms of training. We have brought two strong Argentineans and two American boxers to São Paulo to spar with Yamaguchi and Esquiva, from an early stage in their training. In addition, a very renowned American coach, with both Professional and Olympic experience, has been working with us since mid-June in order to help with the transition from one style of Boxing to the other. It has been quite a thrill to watch their evolution the last few weeks, both technically and physically. They are now on their way to California, where they will train in both Los Angeles and down in Tijuana, Mexico, until a week or so before the event. This is an experience they have never had before so we are excited to be able to provide such an opportunity for the lads as well.

What about the undercard boxers for the upcoming APB match? Will there be any other big names?
Most certainly! All four Brazilians in the undercard are Olympians. Myke Carvalho is a legend with three Olympics on his CV, while Robson and Robenilson are both really famous athletes in Brazil. Then, of course, there is Everton Lopes, a two-time Olympian and the current World Champion at Light Welterweight (64 kg), so what more is there to say?

Both Esquiva and Yamaguchi head the current CBB Elite boxers ranking in the Middleweight (69-75kg) and Light Heavyweight (75-81kg) categories respectively. What will happen now that Yamaguchi is competing in the same category as his brother?
Well, we are going to see happens. It was his personal choice and we believe he knows what he is doing. He is naturally around 78kg, but has never ever competed weighing 81kg properly. So, for him to box at 75kg is actually pretty normal. He became a Light Heavyweight a long time ago when the opportunity came along to be part of the Brazilian National Team, and you can say he came along pretty well. Every change generates discomfort at some level but, like I said before, we´ll just have to see what happens.

Even though this event will be considered an exhibition and will not therefore affect the 2014 APB Ranking, Esquiva has told us recently that this bout will be historic for Brazil. Do you feel the same about it?
I believe we are making history for both Brazil and for the boxing world. I mean, we are talking about the first ever bouts where Olympic boxers will box as Pro and not lose their Olympic status. Isn't it amazing? We are really glad that this is happening in Brazil!

This event will definitely get International exposure. Where will we be able to watch it outside of Brazil?
Our broadcasting structure will be ready to send out an international signal. So, I am convinced that the show in Rio will be watched in the most parts of the world.