A Closer Look at the World Boxing Super Series (WBSS)

By Joshua “City” Brewer

Quietly, a group of individuals are putting together a boxing tournament that could turn out to be very special. The last major tournament of note was the Showtime Super Six. I must point out that ESPN also played host to the Boxcino tournament a couple of a few years back though it didn’t get as much noteworthy exposure as the Super Six. The World Boxing Super Series (WBSS) seemingly picks up where the Super Six left off. Additionally, they seem to have taken into account some of the issues that plagued the Super Six. The winner of the WBSS will take home the Muhammad Ali Trophy, a prize blessed by the late boxing legend prior to his death. In addition, the World Boxing Council (WBC) will be awarding a commemorative diamond title to each winner.

The tournament features two weight classes eight boxers participating in each. All of the action is expected to take place over 14 fight nights. Unlike the Super Six, this tournament is single elimination. When it’s all said and done there will be a newly crowned cruiserweight and super middleweight champion.

The cruiserweight bracket is without a doubt the standout division in this tournament as they’ve essentially got every big name and top level fighter available in that division to sign on. Cruiserweight hasn’t been much of a glamour division over the last several year years but there are some good fighters that many casual fans don’t know about who will be participating and they are sure turn heads. The quarterfinals of the cruiserweight bracket is set as follows:

Oleksandr Usyk, 12-0, 10 KO’s Vs Marco Huck, 40-4-1, 27 KO’s

Mairis Briedis, 22-0, 18 KO’s Vs Mike Perez, 22-2-1, 14 KO’s

Murat Gassiev, 24-0, 17 KO’s Vs Krzysztof Wlodarczyk, 53-3-1, 37 KO’s

Yunier Dorticos, 21-0, 20 KO’s Vs Dimitry Kudryashov, 21-1, 21 KO’s

Based on how the brackets line up, I like the odds of Usyk and Gassiev meeting up in the finals of the cruiserweight bracket. I feel as though these two are the best of the cruiserweight crop. I think the potential for the best fight could be Dorticos Vs Kudryashov. Each of these fighters have power and will surely bring the fireworks early in their matchup. When it’s all said and done, I believe Murat Gassiev will come out on top for the cruiserweights. It won’t be easy as Usyk is probably one of the finest boxers in the sport and has the tools to beat Gassiev without question. As we all know, anything can happen in the sport of boxing.

The super middleweight tournament isn’t too shabby either. The super middleweight division has been in need of a spark since it was cleaned out by current #1 pound for pound light heavyweight champion Andre Ward during the Super Six. Enter WBSS. No, I must digress, there are two top notch super middleweights who aren’t in the tournament. These individuals are Gilberto Ramirez, 35-0, 24 KO’s, and Jesse Hart, 22-0, 18 KO’s. The fans should know that these two undefeated fighters are scheduled to face each other on September 22, 2017. The winner may be in play to take on the winner of the WBSS later down the road. The quarterfinals of the super middleweight bracket is set as follows:

George Groves, 26-3, 19 KO’s Vs Jamie Cox, 23-0, 13 KO’s

Chris Eubank, JR., 25-1, 19 KO’s Vs Avni Yildirim, 16-0, 10 KO’s

Callum Smith, 22-0, 17 KO’s Vs Erik Skoglund, 26-0, 12 KO’s

Juergen Braehmer, 48-3, 35 KO’s Vs Rob Brant, 22-0, 15 KO’s

I don’t believe there is a clear cut winner in the super middleweight bracket. Each of these individuals bring their own mix of skill to the table. In my eyes, the favorite would be Groves. That said, I think we could be in for a shocker as Rob Brant may rise to the occasion in similar fashion to when Andre Ward won the Super Six tournament. Andre Ward has gone on to prove that he’s the best fighter in the world so Rob Brant will certainly have to prove he’s on the world class level. Given the bracket layout, I think that the finals will come down to Brant Vs Groves. In this matchup, I pick Brant to somehow rock the boxing foundation and come away with the win over the more battle tested Groves. Eubank, JR., facing off against Groves in the semi finals, should each win in the quarterfinals, may very well be the most exciting matchup of the middleweights.

No matter how you slice it, the WBSS is something that is good for boxing and the fans will be on the receiving end of great action. Former Golden Boy Promotions CEO, Richard Schaefer played an big part along with Sauerland Promotions in bringing everything together for this tournament. There was a $50 Million prize money investment to be shared amongst the participant based on agreed upon terms. This is a win for all in this situation. I’ve said it many times but this tournament proves, undoubtedly, that boxing is back in a major way in 2017.

Stay tuned…

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