World Boxing Super Series: Which Cruiserweight Will Win the Muhammad Ali Trophy?
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
Riga, Latvia (January 26th, 2017)– The best four cruiserweights in the world are in the semifinals of the inaugural World Boxing Super Series. Who will win the Muhammad Ali tournament trophy? Mairis Briedis, 23-0 with 18 knockouts, Riga, Latvia, Latvia’s first world champion boxer and the current World Boxing Council Cruiserweight world title holder, will face Oleksandr Usyk, 13-0 with eleven knockouts, Kiev, Ukraine, the southpaw World Boxing Organization World Cruiserweight champion and the BoxRec worldwide number one ranked fighter at cruiserweight, will face off on January 27, 2018, at Arena Riga in Riga, Latvia, ina WBC and WBO titular cruiserweight unification title matchup. Breidis seemingly has the edge in professional experience and the hometown advantage. However, Usyk beat the more experienced champion Marco Huck in Germany, and Krzysztof Glowacki in Poland. The bout will go to 12 rounds with the contest being decided by three international judges. Both fighters are hard hitters. Usyk also wants to fight heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua.
Prediction: Briedis by unanimous 12 round decision if the 12 round unification bout goes the distance, or Usyk by knockout if does not. Usyk beat two of the world’s best cruiserweight on the road in their home countries. This is a serious unification match, but Usyk will have to take Briedis out as he will probably not get the decision in Latvia, unless he scores several knockdowns and the fight resulting is not close to score as a result.
On February 3, 2018, at Bolshoi Ice Dome in Adler, Russia, Murat Gassiev, 25-0 with 18 knockouts, Vladikavkaz, Russia, now out of Big Bear, California, the International Boxing Federation World Cruiserweight champion, will fight a titular unification match against the World Boxing Association World Cruiserweight champion Yunier Dorticos, 22-0 with 21 knockouts, Havana, Cuba, now living in Miami, Florida. The Russian has the edge in Russia by 12 round decision, Dorticos has the edge by knockout. 18 of Dorticos’ bouts have ended by knockout in four rounds or less.
Stamina may prove a key factor in both of the atomic bomb cruiserweight world title bouts.
Meanwhile, the remaining ‘other’ cruiserweight champion, International Boxing Organization World Cruiserweight champion Kevin Lerena, a 19-1 South African southpaw, who will defend his IBO world title in Emperors Palace, Kempton Park, South Africa, against 24-2-1 European Cruiserweight champion Dmytro Kucher of Kiev, Ukraine, on March 3, 2018. Lerena has the hometown edge, and should win by 12 round decision over Kucher. The IBO champion could get a shot at the winner of the tournament.
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