THE Chinese Benevolent Association on Old Hope Road in Kingston should be rocking today when the third staging of the Wray & Nephew Contender Series sounds off with what is expected to be some intriguing bouts starting at 9:30 pm.

The middleweight division, which was the highlight of the inaugural season, returns this year after the welterweight category was featured last year. The local governing body, Jamaica Boxing Board of Control (JBBC), is endorsing and helping to organise the event.

JBBC President Stephen ‘Bomber’ Jones told the Jamaica Observer that this event is putting boxing back in the homes of individuals, and taking it to the viewing public at the same time.

“The fact of the matter is every cooler the conversation is about the show. Right now we are having calls from other boxing boards around the islands that want to get their teams matching us,” he revealed.

Thursday morning at every water

“We all have the same goals to get boxing back in this region of the world,” he added.

There will be 16 featured fighters that are divided into two equal teams — labelled, yellow and green — for the opening stage of the boxing challenge.

Thereafter, the team concept will be abandoned and the eight contenders who progress will be seeded to arrange the remaining clashes.

The Jamaican-born pair of Richard Reittie and Alan Cann — both in the green corner — are two persons with close ties overseas who are featuring this year. Reittie, 34, lives in Toronto, Canada, and 28-year-old Cann, resides in Arizona, United States. Both fighters are seen as real threats to the local boxers.

The top prize will again be $1 million, while the runnerup will pocket $500,000, and the third and fourth-placed fighters will receive $250,000 and $200,000, respectively.

Teams: Yellow —Tsetsi Davis, Devon Moncriffe, Glenroy Beckford, Kevin Hylton, Lloyd Smith, Dean Palmer, Jermaine Bowen, Lensworth McNaughton.

Green — Ramel Lewis, Derrick Spencer, Richard Holmes, Miguel Ray, Everton Eccleston, Marvin McKay, Richard Reittie, Alan Cann. Rikardo Smith won the middleweight challenge in 2011, and Donovan Campbell topped the welterweight category last season.