The highly-anticipated World Boxing Super Series (WBSS) opens its semifinals-round action this Saturday, when undefeated world champions Oleksandr Usyk and Mairis Briedis battle in a title unification this Saturday, airing live from Latvia, starting at 2 p.m. ET, exclusively on Super Channel in Canada.
Super Channel acquired the exclusive rights in Canada to broadcast the World Boxing Super Series from MP & Silva, a leading international media company that provides media rights, digital, technology and sponsorship services.
Usyk (13-0, 11 KOs), the World Boxing Organization (WBO) Cruiserweight World Champion stopped former world cruiserweight champion Marco “Kapt’n” Huck (40-5-1, 27 KOs) in the 11th round of their WBSS quarterfinals fight.
A two-time Ukrainian Olympian, Usyk captured gold medals at the 2012 Olympics and 2011 World Championships, in the process twice defeating current International Boxing Federation (IBF) Light Heavyweight World Champion Artur Beterbiev, the two-time Russian Olympian now based in Montreal.
“Briedis is a good fighter,” WBSS No. 1- seeded Usyk said, “but the only thing is he has what I want, his belt. I am looking forward to fighting in Riga (Latvia). It’s going to be a great event. I am sure there will be a lot of people coming from Ukraine to support me. People can look forward to an entertaining fight between two world champions, both eager to qualify for the final and win the Muhammad Ali Trophy.”
Briedis, the World Boxing Council (WBC) Cruiserweight World Champion, will be fighting in his hometown just like he did in the WBSS quarterfinals, when he won a unanimous 12-round decision over Mike Perez (22-2-1). A former kickboxer, Briedis defeated Huck last April to become the WBC champion.
“It is one of my dreams as a fighter to be part of one of the greatest fights of all time,” Briedis commented. “I hope this fight will be a Hall of Fame fight. It has all the ingredients to become a classic. Usyk was excellent as an amateur and he has been great as a professional. It will be a tough challenge but, I believe, that I have what it takes to beat him.”
The Usyk-Briedis winner will advance to the WBSS championship final in May to fight the winner of the other WBSS semifinals match, Feb. 3 in Russia, between IBF World Champion Murat “Iron” Gassiev (25-0, 18 KOs) and WBA World Champion Yunier “The KO Doctor” Dorticos (21-0, 20 KOs).
Five exciting fights on the “Usyk vs. Briedis” card, promoted by Sauerland Event, will air exclusively in Canada on Super Channel.
In the co-featured event, Armenian-native Noel Gevor (23-1, 10 KOs), fighting out of Germany, faces 2008 Nigerian Olympian Olanrewaju Durodola (27-4, 25 KOs) in the WBSS Cruiserweight Substitute fight. Undercard matches also scheduled to air live on Super Channel include Swiss light heavyweight Yoann Kongolo (10-0, 4 KOs) in his WBC International Silver title defense against local Latvian favorite Andreis Pokumeiko (15-12-1, 11 KOs) in a 10-round bout, and Croatian heavyweight prospect Filip Hrgovic (2-0, 2 KOs), a 2016 Olympic bronze medalist, faces the United Kingdom’s Tom Little (10-4, 3 KOs) in an eight-round match to open the Super Channel broadcast. An eight-round match between Latvian cruiserweight Nikolais Grisunins (6-0-1, 3 KOs) and Jozsef Darmos (8-1-1, 7 KOs), of Hungary, is the swing bout.
MAIRIS BRIEDIS (Latvia)
WBC Cruiserweight World Champion / 2nd Title Defense
Age: 33 / Date of birth: January 13, 1985
Residence, birthplace: Riga, Latvia
Record: 23-0, 18 KOs / Total rounds: 103 / World championship fights: 2-0, 0 KOs
Height: 6’1” – 185cm / Reach: 80” – 203cm – Stance: Right-handed
Manager: Al Siesta / Trainer: Sandis Kleins
ALEKSANDR USYK (Ukraine)
WBO Cruiserweight World Champion, 4th Title Defense
Age: 31 / Date of birth: January 17, 1987
Residence, birthplace: Simferopol, Ukraine
Record: 13-0, 11 KOs / Total rounds: 93 / World championship fights: 4-0, 2 KOs
Height: 6’3″ – 190cm / Reach: 78″ – 198cm / Stance: Left-handed
Manager: Egis Klimas / Trainer: Sergei Vatamanyuk
WBC CRUISERWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONS
1. Marvin Camel (US) 1980
2. Carlos de Leon (P. Rico) 1980 – 1982
3. S.T. Gordon (US) 1982 – 1983
4. Carlos de Leon (P. Rico) * 1983 – 1985
5. Alfonzo Ratliff (US) 1985
6. Bernard Benton (US) 1985 – 1986
7. Carlos de Leon (P. Rico) * 1986 – 1988
8. Evander Holyfield (US) 1988
9. Carlos de Leon (P. Rico) * 1989 – 1990
10. Massimiliano Duran (Italy) 1990 – 1991
11. Anaclet Wamba (France) 1991 – 1995
12. Marcelo Dominguez (Arg) 1995 – 1998
13. Juan Carlos Gomez (Cuba) 1998 – 2002
14. Wayne Braithwaite (Guyana) 2002 – 2005
15. Jean-Marc Mormeck (France) 2007
16. O’Neil Bell (US) 2006 – 2007
17. Jean Marc Mormeck (France)* 2007
18. David Haye (UK) 2007 – 2008
19. Giacobbe Fragomeni (Italy) 2008 – 2009
20. Zsolt Erdei (Hungary) 2008 – 2010
21. Krzystof Wlodarczyk (Poland) 2010 – 2014
22. Grigory Drozd (Russia) 2014 – 2015
23. Tony Bellew (UK) 2016 – 2017
24. Mairis Briedis (Latvia) 2017 –
* Regained
WBC TOP 10 CRUISERWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONS
1. Evander Holyfield (US)
2. Zsolt Erdei (Hungary)
3. Juan Carlos Gomez (Cuba-Germany)
4. Krzystof Wlodarczyk (Poland)
5. Tony Bellew (GB)
6. Carlos De Leon (P. Rico)
7. Wayne Braithwaite (Guyana)
8. Grigory Drozd (Russia)
9. Anaclet Wamba (France)
10. Jean Marc Mormeck (France)
GENERAL INFORMATION ON THE CRUISERWEIGHT DIVISION IN THE HISTORY OF THE WBC
20 world champions have been recognized by the WBC, of whom only two have regained the title: Carlos de Leon (Puerto Rico) three times, Jean Marc Mormeck (France) one time.
72 cruiserweight world championship bouts have been held in the history of the WBC.
MEMORABLE FIGHTS
Apr. 1, 2017 Mairis Briedis W12 Marco Huck – Westfalenhalle, Germany
May 29, 2016 Tony Bellew TKO3 Ilunga Makabu – Liverpool, England
Sep. 27, 2014 Grigory Drozd W12 Krzysztof Wlodarczyk – Moscow, Russia
May 15, 2010 Krzysztof Wlodarczyk TKO8 Giacobbe Fragomeni – Lodz, Poland
Oct. 24, 2008 Giacobbe Fragomeni TW8 Rudolf Kraj – Milan, Italy
Mar. 8, 2008 David Haye TKO2 Enzo Maccarinelli – London, England
Jan. 7, 2006 O’Neil Bell KO10 Jean Marc Mormeck – New York, New York
Apr. 2, 2005 Jean Marc Mormeck W12 Wayne Braithwaite – Worcester, Massachusetts
Oct. 11, 2002 Wayne Braithwaite TKO10 Vincenzo Cantatore – Lombardia, Italy
Feb. 21, 1998 Juan Carlos Gomez W12 Marcelo Fabian Dominguez – Buenos Aires, Argentina
July 25, 1995 Marcelo Fabian Dominguez TKO9 Akim Tafir – Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France
July 20, 1991 Anaclet Wamba TKO11 Massimiliano Duran – Palermo, Sicily
July 27, 1990 Massimiliano Duran WDQ11 Carlos DeLeon – Capo d’Orlando, Sicily
May 17, 1989 Carlos DeLeon TKO9 Sammy Reeson – London, England
Apr. 9, 1988 Evander Holyfield TKO8 Carlos DeLeon – Las Vegas, Nevada
Feb. 24, 1982 Carlos DeLeon TKO8 Marvin Camel – Atlantic City, New Jersey
Mar. 31, 1980 Marvin Camel W15 Mate Parlov – Las Vegas, Nevada
Dec. 8, 1979 Marvin Camel D15 Mate Parlov – Split, Croatia
WBC Statistics by Luis Medina.
