World Super Series of Boxing

[blackbelt2003]

Anyone excited about the two upcoming tournaments?

Cruiserweight lineup looks incredible:

Mairius Breidis
Oleksander Usyk
Murat Gassiev
Yunier Dorticos
Marco Huck
Krzysztof Wlodarczyk
Mike Perez
Dimitri Kudryashov



The only one missing is Denis Lebedev. Usyk and Gassiev are probably the two favourites but all of them are in with a chance!



Black

[ViperSniper]

Two tournaments in one division?? Would have been good to see Lebedev but otherwise it's awsome to see a tourney being made in the sport

[blackbelt2003]

No, the other tournament is super middleweight...but only one champion in that one - George Groves.

The other notable names are Callum Smith, Juergen Braehmer and the Eubank/Abraham winner.


Cruiserwright is the one I'm excited about! It's a shame that because they are all Eastern European it won't get much notice in the US, Oz or the UK. It would have been great if Tony Bellew or Danny Green had been in it.



Black



Black

[JONdaCON]

I like the Super Middleweight fights better..

[JD]

The cruisers are awesome.

All punchers, all established, all there to win. Those fights are going to be outstanding.

[blackbelt2003]

Dorticos - Kudryashov could be FOTY.



Black

[and the NEW]

Cruiser is fantastic, it cleans out the division and pits Gassiev, Usyk and Breidis against eachother.

But, 168, WTF happened there? They got Callum Smith, Eubank Jr (if he beats Abraham, which is likely), and Groves, so it will be big in the UK. But it missed some seriously good fighters, both established world champs in Gilberto Ramirez and James DeGale, but also up and comers Jesse Hart and David Benavidez. Not to mention the Dirrell brothers who are both names in boxing. Strange.

[blackbelt2003]

Yeah 168 seems a missed opportunity. I guess if the named fighters didn't want to do it, then they didn't want to do it.

The upside is we see Eubank Jr enter the world fray (if he gets by Abraham this weekend, that is).


Black

[and the NEW]

Who are your picks to win this thing?

I'll go with Usyk and Callum Smith.

Setting Usyk up for a big heavyweight showdown after that (perhaps with Joshua?) and Smith up with the likes of DeGale, Gonzalez (and Hart, Benavidez) etc if somebody actually comes out on top in the meantime among that group. Talking about that group, it looks like Hart is facing Gonzalez for the title in September, at least that should clear out one contender.

[blackbelt2003]

I think Usyk is the warm favourite with Gassiev not far behind him...but in the cruiser tourney anything could happen!

168 is tough. Callum Smith has looked great...but to go from routine British title fights to three straight world level fights is a big ask. I suppose Groves would be favourite based on his world title credentials...but Smith, Eubank and Brant are all unknown quantities who may turn out to be the goods!



Black