Exclusive: 'Police Gazette Belt' To Represent BYB World Championship Status

BYB is adding a new championship belt to its repertoire.

BYB Extreme

The legendary Police Gazette Diamond Belt has a new meaning in combat sports, as BYB announced Thursday morning that it will serve as the traditional lineal championship belt for all major world title fights and title defenses for the promotion's champions.

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BYB Unveils "Police Gazette Diamond Belt"

The origins of the Police Gazette Diamond Belt date back to the late 19th century and John L. Sullivan, with roots in Belfast, New York. According to a press release from the promotion, it is known as the first belt ever in combat sports, pre-dating what is known in today's climate as professional boxing.

Given BYB's recent acquisition of BKB, the belt's symbolism reminds BYB CEO Greg Bloom of how far the sport has come, which makes him jubilant.

BYB CEO Greg Bloom. / (BYB Extreme)

"From John L. Sullivan capturing the Police Gazette title in 1882 to his legendary 75-
round, battle against Jake Kilrain in 1889, to Dada 5000’s backyard in West Perrine in the
early 2000s in Miami, to BYB’s monumental global expansion through the acquisition of BKB, the history of not just bare-knuckle, but of championship prizefighting, is undeniably infused in BYB," Bloom said in a promotional release. "Fighters looking to make their name in bare-knuckle fighting now only have one place to go to fight for the oldest championship belt in all of the combat sports, and it’s for the largest bare-knuckle fighting organization on the planet, BYB. The past, present, and future of this sport runs through one bare-knuckle fighting promotion, and that is BYB Extreme.”

BKB Hall of Fame President Scott Burt also added his sentiments about what the belt truly means and what it will showcase when fighters win the the biggest bouts of their careers.

BYB 25: Brawl on the Bay. / (BYB Extreme)

"This has been Richard K. Fox's dream, and my dream, for all these years, to have the best
fighters in the world fight under one roof, and have the Police Gazette, the umbrella over everything. The Police Gazette Diamond Belt is, by far, the best - the number one award in
bare knuckle boxing, there is no second whatsoever. In fact, every single combat sport
that you've ever seen where the winner has raised a belt, that belt originates from our
Police Gazette Diamond Belt.”

The belt's presentation will begin in September, and BYB's next event takes place this Saturday. It will feature Chicago's Cub Hawkins (5-0, 5 KOs) against Venezuela's Gregoris Cisneros (3-1, 2 KOs) from Pembroke Pines, Fla., for Hawkins' light heavyweight title in the main event. The fights will take place at the Charles F. Dodge Center.

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