Mairis Briedis outboxed Yuniel Dorticos to win a majority decision in the final of WBSS cruiserweight tournament on Saturday night.
For Mairis Briedis, it was worth the wait.
Briedis outboxed Yuniel Dorticos to win a majority decision in the delayed final of the World Boxing Super Series cruiserweight tournament on Saturday night in Munich.
Two judges scored it 117-111; the third somehow had it 114-114. Most observers believe Briedis won clearly.
“It feels like a dream come true,” said Briedis, who also took Dorticos’ IBF 200-pound title.
The principals hadn’t fought since their semifinal matches in June, when Briedis (27-1, 19 KOs) stopped Krzysztof Glowacki and Dorticos (24-2, 22 KOs) did the same against Andrew Tabiti to win the vacant title.
The fight was fairly even for the first half of the fight. However, Briedis began to outwork a fading Dorticos in the second half to pull away on the two 117-111 cards.
The title is Briedis’ second. He was stripped of the WBO belt when he chose to fight Dorticos rather than Glowacki a second time.
Winning the tournament seemed more important than the title to Briedis. The WBSS winners are awarded the Ali Trophy.
“This,” Briedis said, “is the Olympic medal I’ve always wanted.”
Jermall Charlo will face his biggest test at middleweight when he fights Sergiy Derevyanchenko. Andrew Hemingway / Showtime
When: Saturday, Sept. 26 Where: Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, Conn. TV: Pay-per-view Division: Middleweight At stake: Charlo’s WBC title Odds: Charlo 1½-1 Also on the card (Part I of PPV): Brandon Figueroa vs. Damien Vasquez, junior featherweights; John Riel Casimero vs. Duke Micah, bantamweights (for Casimero’s WBO title) Prediction: Charlo UD Background: The main event of the first portion of the pay-per-view card is essentially a 50-50 fight. Charlo has picked up at 160 pounds where he left off at 154 – remaining unbeaten – but he hasn’t faced the same-level of opposition, which changes in this matchup. The complete fighter from Houston beat Austin Trout and Julian Williams at 154, which helped establish him as one of the most-respected fighters in the world. However, since moving up in weight, he has faced Jorge Heiland, Hugo Centeno Jr., Matvey Korobov, Brandon Adams and Dennis Hogan, none of whom provided an adequate test of Charlo’s ability at middleweight. Meanwhile, Derevyanchenko fought the best in the division in two of his last three fights. The Ukrainian pushed both Daniel Jacobs and Gennadiy Golovkin to their limits in losses some believe he did enough to win. In other words, one could argue that he proved more in two losses than Charlo did in five victories at 160. Bottom line: Both fighters are excellent, experienced boxers with power.
Jermell Charlo faces Jeison Rosario in a winner-take-all fight on Saturday. Andrew Hemingway / Showtime
When: Saturday, Sept. 26 Where: Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, Conn. TV: Pay-per-view Division: Junior middleweight At stake: Charlo’s WBC and Rosario’s WBA and IBF titles Odds: Charlo 3½-1 Also on the card: Luis Nery vs. Aaron Alameda, junior featherweights (for vacant WBC title); Daniel Roman vs. Juan Carlos Payano, junior featherweights Prediction: Charlo KO 9 Background: The featured fight in Part II of the pay-per-view show also is a toss-up. Charlo rebounded from a disputed unanimous-decision loss to slick Tony Harrison in December 2018 by stopping Harrison in the 11th round this past December, which allowed him to regain his title. Jermall Charlo’s twin has impressive credentials at 154 pounds, with victories over Vanes Martirosyan, John Jackson, Erickson Lubin, Austin Trout and Harrison, among other notable opponents. Still, Rosario could be his defining fight at the weight. Rosario has blossomed recently under trainer Luis Perez, who introduced the powerful, but raw Domincan to regimentation. The discipline paid off in January, when he stopped talented Julian Williams in five rounds to win two junior middleweight titles. Remember: Williams was coming off a dominating victory over Jarrett Hurd and was considered one of the best in the business. Rosario is big, strong and good. This is an even matchup.
***
JOSH TAYLOR (16-0, 12 KOs)
VS. APINUN KHONGSONG (16-0, 13 KOs)
Josh Taylor took a giant step in his career when he defeated Regis Prograis. Stephen Pond / Getty Images
When: Saturday, Sept. 26 Where: York Hall, London TV: ESPN+ (U.S.), BT Sport (U.K.) Division: Junior welterweight At stake: Taylor’s IBF and WBA titles Odds: Taylor 17-1 Also on the card: Charlie Edwards vs. Kyle Williams, bantamweights; David Oliver Joyce vs. Ionut Baluta, junior featherweights Prediction: Taylor KO 7 Background: Taylor has emerged as a major star the past few years, with victories over Viktor Postol, Ryan Martin, Ivan Baranchyk and, most significantly, Regis Prograis. The victory over Prograis in October, which unified two 140-pound titles, lifted Taylor onto some pound-for-pound lists. The Scot is a superb boxer with good power and sharp ring intelligence. He’s expected to face Jose Ramirez in a massive showdown to unify all four major titles early next year, assuming he wins on Saturday. Khongsong is largely unknown to those in the west. The 24-year-old native of Thailand has fought outside his country only once and that was in Japan. He appears to be a solid, aggressive boxer with heavy hands. His knockout of Akihiro Kondo was particularly striking. Khongsong isn’t shy about engaging with his opponents, which could lead to his demise against a fighter of Taylor’s ability.
Mairis Briedis faces Yuniel Dorticos for the WBSS championship and a cruiserweight title.
When: Saturday, Sept. 26 Where: Plazamedia Broadcasting Center, Munich TV: Pay-per-view Division: Cruiserweight At stake: Dorticos’ IBF title Odds: Briedis 1½-1 Also on the card: Denis Radovan vs. Robert Talarek, middleweights; Leon Bunn vs. Timo Laine, super middleweights. Prediction: Briedis UD Background: The final of the cruiserweight portion of the World Boxing Super Series, which was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic, is finally here. Dorticos, a big puncher from Cuba, bounced back from a knockout loss to Murat Gassiev in 2018 to outpoint Mateusz Masternak in the first round of the tournament and stop Andrew Tabiti in 10 rounds in the semis to win the vacant IBF title in June of last year. Briedis, a polished boxer with power, is Dorticos’ toughest test since Gassiev. The Latvian proved his mettle by fighting Oleksandr Usyk on even terms in a majority-decision loss in 2018. He outpointed Noel Gevor in the first round of the WBSS and stopped Krzysztof Glowacki in three rounds in the semis to win the WBO title. He lost his belt when he chose to face Dorticos rather than Glowacki, his mandatory challenger, in a rematch.
Jermall Charlo will face his biggest test at middleweight when he fights Sergiy Derevyanchenko. Andrew Hemingway / Showtime
When: Saturday, Sept. 26 Where: Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, Conn. TV: Pay-per-view Division: Middleweight At stake: Charlo’s WBC title Odds: Charlo 1½-1 Also on the card (Part I of PPV): Brandon Figueroa vs. Damien Vasquez, junior featherweights; John Riel Casimero vs. Duke Micah, bantamweights (for Casimero’s WBO title) Prediction: Charlo UD Background: The main event of the first portion of the pay-per-view card is essentially a 50-50 fight. Charlo has picked up at 160 pounds where he left off at 154 – remaining unbeaten – but he hasn’t faced the same-level of opposition, which changes in this matchup. The complete fighter from Houston beat Austin Trout and Julian Williams at 154, which helped establish him as one of the most-respected fighters in the world. However, since moving up in weight, he has faced Jorge Heiland, Hugo Centeno Jr., Matvey Korobov, Brandon Adams and Dennis Hogan, none of whom provided an adequate test of Charlo’s ability at middleweight. Meanwhile, Derevyanchenko fought the best in the division in two of his last three fights. The Ukrainian pushed both Daniel Jacobs and Gennadiy Golovkin to their limits in losses some believe he did enough to win. In other words, one could argue that he proved more in two losses than Charlo did in five victories at 160. Bottom line: Both fighters are excellent, experienced boxers with power.
Jermell Charlo faces Jeison Rosario in a winner-take-all fight on Saturday. Andrew Hemingway / Showtime
When: Saturday, Sept. 26 Where: Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, Conn. TV: Pay-per-view Division: Junior middleweight At stake: Charlo’s WBC and Rosario’s WBA and IBF titles Odds: Charlo 3½-1 Also on the card: Luis Nery vs. Aaron Alameda, junior featherweights (for vacant WBC title); Daniel Roman vs. Juan Carlos Payano, junior featherweights Prediction: Charlo KO 9 Background: The featured fight in Part II of the pay-per-view show also is a toss-up. Charlo rebounded from a disputed unanimous-decision loss to slick Tony Harrison in December 2018 by stopping Harrison in the 11th round this past December, which allowed him to regain his title. Jermall Charlo’s twin has impressive credentials at 154 pounds, with victories over Vanes Martirosyan, John Jackson, Erickson Lubin, Austin Trout and Harrison, among other notable opponents. Still, Rosario could be his defining fight at the weight. Rosario has blossomed recently under trainer Luis Perez, who introduced the powerful, but raw Domincan to regimentation. The discipline paid off in January, when he stopped talented Julian Williams in five rounds to win two junior middleweight titles. Remember: Williams was coming off a dominating victory over Jarrett Hurd and was considered one of the best in the business. Rosario is big, strong and good. This is an even matchup.
***
JOSH TAYLOR (16-0, 12 KOs)
VS. APINUN KHONGSONG (16-0, 13 KOs)
Josh Taylor took a giant step in his career when he defeated Regis Prograis. Stephen Pond / Getty Images
When: Saturday, Sept. 26 Where: York Hall, London TV: ESPN+ (U.S.), BT Sport (U.K.) Division: Junior welterweight At stake: Taylor’s IBF and WBA titles Odds: Taylor 17-1 Also on the card: Charlie Edwards vs. Kyle Williams, bantamweights; David Oliver Joyce vs. Ionut Baluta, junior featherweights Prediction: Taylor KO 7 Background: Taylor has emerged as a major star the past few years, with victories over Viktor Postol, Ryan Martin, Ivan Baranchyk and, most significantly, Regis Prograis. The victory over Prograis in October, which unified two 140-pound titles, lifted Taylor onto some pound-for-pound lists. The Scot is a superb boxer with good power and sharp ring intelligence. He’s expected to face Jose Ramirez in a massive showdown to unify all four major titles early next year, assuming he wins on Saturday. Khongsong is largely unknown to those in the west. The 24-year-old native of Thailand has fought outside his country only once and that was in Japan. He appears to be a solid, aggressive boxer with heavy hands. His knockout of Akihiro Kondo was particularly striking. Khongsong isn’t shy about engaging with his opponents, which could lead to his demise against a fighter of Taylor’s ability.
Mairis Briedis faces Yuniel Dorticos for the WBSS championship and a cruiserweight title.
When: Saturday, Sept. 26 Where: Plazamedia Broadcasting Center, Munich TV: Pay-per-view Division: Cruiserweight At stake: Dorticos’ IBF title Odds: Briedis 1½-1 Also on the card: Denis Radovan vs. Robert Talarek, middleweights; Leon Bunn vs. Timo Laine, super middleweights. Prediction: Briedis UD Background: The final of the cruiserweight portion of the World Boxing Super Series, which was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic, is finally here. Dorticos, a big puncher from Cuba, bounced back from a knockout loss to Murat Gassiev in 2018 to outpoint Mateusz Masternak in the first round of the tournament and stop Andrew Tabiti in 10 rounds in the semis to win the vacant IBF title in June of last year. Briedis, a polished boxer with power, is Dorticos’ toughest test since Gassiev. The Latvian proved his mettle by fighting Oleksandr Usyk on even terms in a majority-decision loss in 2018. He outpointed Noel Gevor in the first round of the WBSS and stopped Krzysztof Glowacki in three rounds in the semis to win the WBO title. He lost his belt when he chose to face Dorticos rather than Glowacki, his mandatory challenger, in a rematch.
The World Boxing Super Series cruiserweight final between Mairis Briedis and Yuniel Dorticos will take place on Sept. 26 in Munich.
The World Boxing Super Series cruiserweight final between Mairis Briedis and Yuniel Dorticos will take place behind closed doors at a television studio on Sept. 26 in Munich.
Maris Briedis, the No. 1 seed in the tournament, qualified for the championship match by defeating Noel Mikaelian (UD) and Krzysztof Glowacki (TKO 3). Dorticos, seeded No. 2, beat Mateusz Masternak (UD) and Andrew Tabiti (KO10).
The latter fights took place in June of last year, meaning Briedis (26-1, 19 KOs) and Dorticos (24-1, 22 KOs) will have been out of the ring for more than 15 months.
The Briedis-Dorticos fight was originally scheduled for March 21 but it pushed back to May 16 because of COVID-19. It was then postponed a second time.
“We are very happy about the announcement of the final,” said Briedis, who is from Latvia. “I love the fact that it will be in Munich as it reminds me of every time I went to train with the Klitschko brothers in Germany and the flights were always via Munich. Those are some great memories of the time spent with them there.”
Dorticos a Miami-based Cuban, won a vacant 200-pound title in the Tabiti fight.
“To all my fans worldwide, in Europe and especially in Munich, Germany: I am super happy the World Boxing Super Series final will take place in Munich, Germany, and I will see you all on Saturday, September 26th,” he said.
“The KO Doctor is back and ready to prescribe another dose of pain and take the Muhammad Ali Trophy back to Miami.”
The final will be streamed live on DAZN in the U.S.
The World Boxing Super Series cruiserweight final between Mairis Briedis and Yuniel Dorticos will take place on Sept. 26 in Munich.
The World Boxing Super Series cruiserweight final between Mairis Briedis and Yuniel Dorticos will take place behind closed doors at a television studio on Sept. 26 in Munich.
Maris Briedis, the No. 1 seed in the tournament, qualified for the championship match by defeating Noel Mikaelian (UD) and Krzysztof Glowacki (TKO 3). Dorticos, seeded No. 2, beat Mateusz Masternak (UD) and Andrew Tabiti (KO10).
The latter fights took place in June of last year, meaning Briedis (26-1, 19 KOs) and Dorticos (24-1, 22 KOs) will have been out of the ring for more than 15 months.
The Briedis-Dorticos fight was originally scheduled for March 21 but it pushed back to May 16 because of COVID-19. It was then postponed a second time.
“We are very happy about the announcement of the final,” said Briedis, who is from Latvia. “I love the fact that it will be in Munich as it reminds me of every time I went to train with the Klitschko brothers in Germany and the flights were always via Munich. Those are some great memories of the time spent with them there.”
Dorticos a Miami-based Cuban, won a vacant 200-pound title in the Tabiti fight.
“To all my fans worldwide, in Europe and especially in Munich, Germany: I am super happy the World Boxing Super Series final will take place in Munich, Germany, and I will see you all on Saturday, September 26th,” he said.
“The KO Doctor is back and ready to prescribe another dose of pain and take the Muhammad Ali Trophy back to Miami.”
The final will be streamed live on DAZN in the U.S.
Marco Huck says he wants to experience the feeling of being champion again, this time at heavyweight.
Marco Huck came within a whisker of defeating Alexander Povetkin in a 2012 fight that could’ve led to a shot at a heavyweight title. Eight years later he wants to give it another try.
Huck, a dominating cruiserweight champion from 2009 to 2015, went back down to 200 pounds after the Povetkin fight, had mixed results and took a long break from boxing after a knockout loss to Oleksandr Usyk in the World Boxing Super Series in September 2017.
The 35-year-old Serbian-German has had two nondescript heavyweight fights over the subsequent two-plus years but now, hungry and fit again, he seems serious about giving it a genuine go.
And he would like to pursue a heavyweight title in the United States if that’s possible amid the coronavirus pandemic. He had been working with trainer Andre Rozier in Brooklyn but is currently in Germany.
“I am excited about getting back in the ring soon,” Huck told BoxingScene.com. “I hopefully will be back in action in the coming months. That may be in Germany. We are just waiting for confirmation on this, but it could also be in the United States.
“I feel fresh and healthy. I have put my injuries and other issues behind me now and I am ready to make a charge at the heavyweight division. Everybody knows I am never in a bad fight, so I want to launch an assault on the heavyweight division and be involved in fights with some of the big names at heavyweight.
“If I have to fight in Germany because of the COVID-19 crisis, that is fine with me. I am excited to get back in the ring in the near future, but my plan is to head back to the United States this year to fight over there.”
Huck (41-5-1, 28 KOs) had a rough time when we last saw him on a big stage, losing three times in five cruiserweight fights.
He lost his 200-pound title to Krzysztof Glowacki by 11th-round knockout in a close fight he was winning in August 2015, won a fringe title when he stopped Ola Afolabi in the 10th round six months later, outpointed Dmytro Kucher and then lost back-to-back title fights against Mairis Briedis (unanimous decision) and Usyk.
He says he wants to experience the feeling of being champion again, this time at heavyweight.
“I know how it feels to be a world champion and have to win the belt back,” he said. “I did that in 2016 when I lost the WBO title but then I won back the IBO title. I know I had to dig deep to become a champion again and I did it, so I believe I can do it again.
“Becoming a world champion is amazing but you have to work hard to stay there. When I regained the world title against Ofalabi it was a different feeling, but it was incredible. Training with trainer Andre and trainer Terrence is really fun.
“I love training with Team Havoc in Brooklyn, and I plan to go back there to train with the team and fight in the United States. I am happy to fight any of the big names over there. I know Top Rank has lots of heavyweights, and if I have to beat them to get to the world title, I am happy to do that.
“I want to fight the likes of Tyson Fury. I am still getting better, I know that myself. So if I have to work my way to that fight, I am prepared to do that. It would be a massive fight all over the world. So I want to get the ball rolling to make these big fights happen.”
The World Boxing Super Series will return for a third season later this fall, according to WBSS organizer Nisse Sauerland.
The third season of the World Boxing Super Series has a working date, but the weight classes are still up in the air.
Nisse Sauerland, who runs the WBSS with his brother Kalle, told FightHubTV at the Caleb Plant-Vincent Feigenbutz post-fight press conference in Nashville that he expects the next installment of the tournament will begin in the last quarter of the year.
“We’re gearing up for season three, which will start September, October time,” Sauerland said.
The season two cruiserweight finals between Yunier Dorticos and Mairis Briedis has been set for March 21 in Riga, Latvia.
Sauerland, however, wouldn’t tip his hand as to which weight classes they would be concentrating on for their next installment.
“Me and my brother have sort of given up calling weights,” Sauerland said. “Because whenever (somebody says), ‘ah, that would be a great weight, middleweights,’ then suddenly loads of things happens and it just doesn’t become possible. It’s just like a dream that doesn’t come true.We’ll start calling that closer to the time. Boxing can change very quickly.”
Sauerland says he expects to finalize which weight classes will be featured in the next season by “May, June time.”
As for the weight classes that he’s most personally keen on, Sauerland cited a few.
“Lightweights would be great. There’s a lot of weight classes I like at the moment,” he said. “Middleweight, super middles again. Lots of interesting weights out there.”
Since its inception in 2017, the WBSS has been heavily lauded for finding a way to get the best fighters to face each other in an otherwise fragmented sport beleaguered by internal politics. Cruiserweight Oleksandr Usyk and super middleweight Callum Smith were anointed as the winners of the first season. Last year, the WBSS crowned Josh Taylor and Naoya Inoue as (partially) unified titleholders in the junior welterweight and bantamweight tournaments, respectively.
Mairis Briedis will face Yuniel Dorticos in the final of the WBSS on March 21 at the Arena Riga in Riga, Latvia, Briedis’ hometown.
Mairis Briedis will vie for the World Boxing Super Series cruiserweight championship in a familiar locale.
Briedis will face Yuniel Dorticos in the final of the tournament on March 21 at the Arena Riga in Riga, Latvia, Briedis’ hometown. The fight will be streamed on DAZN.
Briedis (26-1, 19 KOs) defeated Noel Gevor by a unanimous decision in the quarterfinals and then stopped Krzysztof Glowacki in three rounds in the semis to reach the WBSS championship match. Dorticos (24-1, 22 KOs) beat Mateusz Masternak by a unanimous decision and knocked out Andrew Tabiti in 10 rounds.
“I’m really looking forward to the final,” said Briedis, the tournament’s No. 1 seed. “It is fantastic for Latvia to be able to host an event of such magnitude. Millions and millions of eyes worldwide will be watching what’s happening at the Arena Riga on fight night.
“It is going to be a thrilling fight as I’m facing one of the very best cruiserweights on the planet. The stake is so high and both of us are only looking for one thing – to win it all.”
Dorticos, a Cuban emigre, is known for his punching power.
“Briedis, you better prepare yourself for war,” said Dorticos, the No. 2 seed. “Let’s give all the fans around the world a spectacular all-time classic. Come fight night you will know why I’m called the ‘KO Doctor’. The Muhammad Ali Trophy has my name engraved already.”
Oleksander Usyk won the inaugural WBSS cruiserweight tournament to establish himself as the top 200-pounder and then moved up to heavyweight. The winner of the March 21 fight also will be seen as the No. 1 cruiserweight.
Briedis lost a majority decision to Usyk in January 2018, which arguably was the toughest fight of Usyk’s career.
Here are the previous winners of the Muhammad Ali Trophy, signifying the tournament champion:
2018-19: Naoya Inoue, bantamweight 2018-19: Josh Taylor, junior welterweight 2017-18: Aleksandr Usyk, cruiserweight 2017-18: Callum Smith, super middleweight
Mairis Briedis was stripped of his WBO title for refusing to defend against Krzysztof Glowacki in favor of fighting for the WBSS title.
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.
