The tournament will open on Saturday, July 16, at 2 p.m., at Kasberger Sports Complex, located at North 5th Street. The tournament will continue on Saturday, July 30, Sunday, August 7, and conclude on Sunday, August 14.

Boxers from all over the state will converge on Newark for this historic event, which will feature competitors from the age of eight on up. Newark has been a mecca of boxing for years, celebrating the achievements of many famous professional boxers, and currently home to Olympian Boxer Shakur Stevenson. “The City of Newark has always striven to inspire its youth to new heights. As a lifelong educator, I am certain that the Mayor’s Belt Boxing Tournament teaches exactly the kind of discipline, sportsmanship, and healthy living that our citizens and our children most keenly depend upon. It is events like this that keep Newark a City we can all believe in,” said Mayor Baraka. The tournament is elimination-style, and will feature male competitors, but only due to a lack of female applicants. The final bout, scheduled for August 14, will be at an outdoor boxing ring constructed at City Hall. 

The winner will receive the Newark Mayor’s Championship Belt. “Boxing has always been an inner-city sport,” said State Boxing Commissioner Larry Hazzard. “That’s exactly why this is an excellent idea for the City, and why I’ll be doing everything in my power to support it.”  “The City of Newark has always been a Mecca of boxing. This event gives us an opportunity to highlight the dedication and tremendous boxing talent that have always been here in the City,” said Director of Recreation and Cultural Affairs and Senior Services Pat Council.