Mairis Briedis had a choice. The once-beaten titleholder could face his mandatory challenger, Krzysztof Glowacki, in a rematch or take on Yunier Dorticos in the final of the World Boxing Super Series.
The Latvian chose the latter, which prompted the WBO to strip him of his belt, according to BoxingScene.com.
Thus, Briedis (26-1, 19 knockouts) is expected to fight Dorticos (24-1, 22 KOs) for the tournament championship and Dorticos’ portion of the 200-pound crown.
Meanwhile, Glowacki is in position to fight for the vacant WBO title. The next-highest-ranked contender is Lawrence Okolie of the U.K.
Briedis stopped Glowacki in the third round of a foul-filled, controversial fight, which was poorly handled by referee Robert Byrd, in June in Riga, Latvia, Briedis’ hometown.
The WBO initially decided to defer to local officials on the legitimacy of the outcome but ordered a rematch within 120 days of the WBSS final, according to BoxingScene.com. The sanctioning body later ordered an immediate rematch after it was learned that neither fighter nor Byrd was licensed by the local commission.
Glowacki (31-2, 19 KOs) is a two-time cruiserweight titleholder.