Cruiserweight titleholder Mairis Briedis said he’s considering a move up to heavyweight.
Mairis Briedis is thinking big after his victory over Yuniel Dorticos on Saturday in Munich. Literally.
The 35-year-old Latvian says he’s thinking about following in the footsteps of Oleksandr Usyk by moving up to heavyweight after winning his second cruiserweight title by a majority decision in the World Boxing Super Series final.
Usyk handed Briedis his only loss, a close majority decision in January 2018.
“I am considering a move to heavyweight,” Briedis said. “But right now I will rest a bit before I make any decisions.”
He earned a rest. He clearly outboxed his Cuban opponent, which was reflected on the two 117-111 scorecards. The third judge had it 114-114.
Briedis took Dorticos’ 200-pound belt with the victory.
“It feels fantastic to have won the Muhammad Ali Trophy, it feels like a dream,” he said. “Me, my team, my family have been waiting for such a long time for the trophy. Thank God we did it, and I am really happy about it.”
He went on: “In the first rounds I felt how dangerous Dorticos is, but I got used to his style, and in the later rounds we didn’t risk too much, we just boxed what we had prepared. I’m very satisfied with my performance.
“… I hope I produced a fight for the Latvian fans to be proud of me. The fans couldn’t be at the arena, but at least through TV I hopefully brought them emotions.”
The loss to Usyk was an emotional setback for Briedis (27-1, 19 KOs). Who knows? Maybe he’ll get another crack at his rival in the sport’s glamour division.
“I was down after the Usyk fight,” he said. “Usyk was better that night, and it is what it is. But looking back I can see that a lot of things around me and in my team have changed. And everything has gone better since that fight.
“I really don’t know if I would have won that night if my career would have advanced the way it has.”
Cruiserweight titleholder Mairis Briedis said he’s considering a move up to heavyweight.
Mairis Briedis is thinking big after his victory over Yuniel Dorticos on Saturday in Munich. Literally.
The 35-year-old Latvian says he’s thinking about following in the footsteps of Oleksandr Usyk by moving up to heavyweight after winning his second cruiserweight title by a majority decision in the World Boxing Super Series final.
Usyk handed Briedis his only loss, a close majority decision in January 2018.
“I am considering a move to heavyweight,” Briedis said. “But right now I will rest a bit before I make any decisions.”
He earned a rest. He clearly outboxed his Cuban opponent, which was reflected on the two 117-111 scorecards. The third judge had it 114-114.
Briedis took Dorticos’ 200-pound belt with the victory.
“It feels fantastic to have won the Muhammad Ali Trophy, it feels like a dream,” he said. “Me, my team, my family have been waiting for such a long time for the trophy. Thank God we did it, and I am really happy about it.”
He went on: “In the first rounds I felt how dangerous Dorticos is, but I got used to his style, and in the later rounds we didn’t risk too much, we just boxed what we had prepared. I’m very satisfied with my performance.
“… I hope I produced a fight for the Latvian fans to be proud of me. The fans couldn’t be at the arena, but at least through TV I hopefully brought them emotions.”
The loss to Usyk was an emotional setback for Briedis (27-1, 19 KOs). Who knows? Maybe he’ll get another crack at his rival in the sport’s glamour division.
“I was down after the Usyk fight,” he said. “Usyk was better that night, and it is what it is. But looking back I can see that a lot of things around me and in my team have changed. And everything has gone better since that fight.
“I really don’t know if I would have won that night if my career would have advanced the way it has.”
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.”
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.
