From 2021, International Boxing Day will take place every year on August 27. 

The date ties in with the first edition of the International Boxing Federation (AIBA) World Championships, which were held in Havana, Cuba in 1974.

The competition was held between August 17 and August 30 with 11 champions crowned and the host country topping the medal table.

International Boxing Day first took place in 2017. After that, fans, athletes and stakeholders alike were encouraged to come together to celebrate boxing every year on July 22. 

The new August 27 date was confirmed in July 2021.

International Boxing Day previously took place on July 22 every year, but has now been moved to August 27 ©AIBA
International Boxing Day previously took place on July 22 every year, but has now been moved to August 27 ©AIBA

Russia have hosted a number of significant events to celebrate International Boxing Day. 

The first year of celebration saw a mass boxing training session held in the iconic Red Square in Moscow, attended by around 3,000 people. 

In 2018, teams from Russia and Germany participated in an exciting and competitive boxing show. 

A mass boxing training session took place for the first International Boxing Day in 2017 ©Getty Images
A mass boxing training session took place for the first International Boxing Day in 2017 ©Getty Images

In 2019, another spectacular celebration was held at Red Square in Moscow. 

More than 40,000 young athletes performed for an enthusiastic audience, who were then treated to a series of high-level bouts featuring the likes of Fedor Chudinov, Magomed Madiev and Islam Edisultano.

A cultural programme also took place alongside the boxing action. 

Among the performers was Roy Jones Jr, the former middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight world champion. 

Boxing shows have taken place in Red Square in Moscow for International Boxing Day ©Getty Images
Boxing shows have taken place in Red Square in Moscow for International Boxing Day ©Getty Images

In 2020, more than one million people tuned in to a show celebrating International Boxing Day which was broadcast by the Russian Boxing Federation on VK. 

In lieu of an event in Red Square, which was not possible because of the coronavirus pandemic, the seven-hour broadcast featured interviews with officials and boxers, musical performances and boxing highlights. 

Russia's President Vladimir Putin had earlier given his backing to the digital event and Artur Beterbiev, AIBA's light-heavyweight world champion in 2009, was among those to contact the programme.

AIBA has grown global interest for International Boxing Day by sharing the greatest boxing stories and organising quizzes. AIBA is confident celebrations will soon be spread to countries all around the world.