The World Boxing Super Series is delighted to present the seventh of eight participants in the cruiserweight division. Dmitry Kudryashov has joined a star-studded tournament line-up that features the four reigning world champions Oleksandr Usyk (WBO), Mairis Briedis (WBC), Murat Gassiev (IBF) and Yunier Dorticos (WBO) as well as former champions Marco Huck and Krzysztof Wlodarczyk. The Russian Hammer (21-1, 21 KOs) enters the Muhammad Ali Trophy with a fearsome KO ratio of 94 %, with all of his 21 victories coming by the way of knockout.
“I am the Russian Hammer and I will hammer my way to four titles and the Muhammad Ali Trophy,” Kudryashov said. “The tournament is loaded with champions and former champions but nobody has a better KO ratio than me. I have a lot of respect for my fellow participants but whoever gets in my way will be knocked out.”
Roberto Dalmiglio, Comosa´s Head of Management Board, believes the stage is set for a great tournament. “Four undefeated world champions, two former champions and a KO king battling it out in a bracket-style elimination tournament – it hardly gets any better than this,” he said. “The World Boxing Super Series will set new standards in terms of quality and entertainment.”
With the addition of Kudryashov, the combined KO ratio of all participants in the cruiserweight division has gone up to 74 percent. “A KO tournament for the KO machines – this is what fans have been dreaming of for a long time,” said Richard Schaefer, Comosa`s Chairman of the Americas. “You wouldn´t want to miss a single second of the tournament, not just because of the fighters` overall quality but especially because of their punching power. With a line-up like this, any fight can be over at any second. The fans will love the Muhammad Ali Trophy.”
In what will be a historic moment, all participants will come face-to-face during the Draft Gala in Monaco on Saturday. The top four seeds will hand-pick their opponents from the unseeded boxers. “The drama begins live on stage at the famed Grimaldi Forum when these warriors will see eye-to-eye with their biggest rivals and try to select the easiest opponent,” said Kalle Sauerland, Comosa`s Chief Boxing Officer. “However, between four world champs, two former champs, a KO king and another high-profile challenger to be announced shortly, there will be no easy opponents. It´s intriguing to debate about who will pick whom. We can´t wait for Saturday.”
Once the quarter-final match-ups have been set, the dates and venues will be announced.
WORLD BOXING SUPER SERIES AT A GLANCE
Participants confirmed: 11 of 16
Number of world champions: 5
Number of former world champions: 3
Number of undefeated fighters: 6
Combined Record of participants: 316 wins, 14 losses, 229 KOs
Confirmed Cruiserweights (7 of 8)
Oleksandr Usyk (12-0, 10 KOs), WBO World Champion
Yunier Dorticos (21-0, 20 KOs), WBA World Champion
Murat Gassiev (24-0, 17 KOs), IBF World Champion
Mairis Briedis (22-0, 18 KOs), WBC World Champion
Krzysztof Wlodarczyk (53-3-1, 37 KOs), former IBF / WBC World Champion & IBF top-ranked challenger
Marco Huck (40-4-1, 27 KOs), former WBO World Champion
Dmitry Kudryashov, (21-1, 21 KOs)
Confirmed Super-Middleweights (4 of 8)
George Groves (26-3, 19 KOs), WBA Super Champion
Juergen Braehmer (48-3, 35 KOs), former WBA & WBO Champion
Erik Skoglund (26-0, 12 KOs)
Jamie Cox (23-0, 13 KOs)
ABOUT THE WORLD BOXING SUPER SERIES
Organised by Comosa AG, the World Boxing Super Series will kick off in September 2017, featuring the Cruiserweight and Super Middleweight divisions. In each weight class, eight elite boxers will battle it out in a bracket-style elimination tournament, with four quarter-finals (fall 2017), two semi-finals (early 2018) and one final (May 2018). This makes for seven top fights per weight class, and a total of 14 fights in Season One to be staged in premier venues around the globe. The winners of the World Boxing Super Series will rightfully receive The Greatest Prize in Boxing, the Muhammad Ali Trophy. Please visit our website www.WorldBoxingSuperSeries.com for more information or follow @WBSuperSeries on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
