Tag: WBSS

Mairis Briedis-Yuniel Dorticos WBSS final set for March 21 in Latvia

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

Regis Prograis buys mother new house for Christmas

Some fighters buy jewelry after a big fight. Some, like Regis Prograis, buy their mother a new house.

Regis Prograis had a special surprise for Mom on Christmas Day.

The junior welterweight contender gave his mother a key to a new home.

“Just bought my momma a brand new house from the ground up,” Prograis wrote on Twitter. “She had no idea what kind of Christmas gift she was getting. We made her go through a few loops but she finally got her key.”

The New Orleans native is coming off a close decision loss to Josh Taylor in a thrilling World Boxing Super Series final in London. Despite the loss, which also cost him his title, Prograis significantly raised his profile and earned a career payday.

He is expected to be back in the ring in the spring, according to his handlers. 

Mairis Briedis stripped of title for choosing Dorticos over Glowacki: report

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.