We have a final: Gassiev beats Dorticos to face Usyk in Jeddah
Russia’s Murat Gassiev dropped Yunier Dorticos three times in the 12th round and dramatically stopped the previously unbeaten Cuban with just eight seconds remaining of a highly entertaining Ali Trophy semi-final at Bolshoy Ice Dome in Sochi, Russia.
Fans everywhere have been treated to a quite sensational tournament of top class boxing with the still ongoing but soon to be settled World Boxing Super Series; both the 168 and 200 pound tournaments thrilling millions. Having thus far gone without a hitch (not to tempt fate at this late stage in both tourneys) we have seen great fights, great presentation, great professionalism and we have had great value for money.
WBO cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk won a close 12 round majority decision on Saturday night against WBC cruiserweight champion Mairis Briedis in thier semifinals fight in the World Boxing Super Series at the Riga Arena in Riga, Latvia. The scores were 115-113, 115-113 for Usyk, and 114-114.
Briedis seemed to fade after the 2nd round. Usyk came on to dominate until the later rounds. Briedis fought well in rounds 1, 6, 9 and 12.
Just three days into the new year, WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman has released his sanctioning body’s first quarter report on mandatory status for all of its titles: from heavyweight on the way down to strawweight.
The IBF super-middleweight champion has been ruled out of the World Boxing Super Series with a shoulder injury and says that in his absence, there will be a British winner of tournament
He believes it’s likely to be George Groves or Callum Smith, but says Eubank jr can prove he’s a real contender with victory over Avni Yildirim in their quarter-final clash on Saturday.
As many expected to happen, WBO WBO World champion Oleksandr Usyk (13-0, 11 KOs) toyed with the past his prime former 200 lb. champion Marco Huck (40-5-1, 27 KOs) in defeating him by a 10th round TKO on Saturday night at the Max-Schmeling-Halle in Berlin, Germany.
This was the first fight of the World Boxing Super Series. Usyk, the No.1 seed, showed that he’s going to be hard to beat with his boxing and slugging that he was doing all night against Huck. The fight was stopped at 2:18 of round 10.
Ukrainian Aleksandr Usyk (90,5 kg) and German Marko Huck (90,2 kg) are ready for Saturday’s premiere of the World Boxing Super Series and the quest for the Ali Trophy at the Max-Schmeling-Halle, Berlin.
“I feel very good,” said the WBO champion who was supported by a loud crowd of Ukrainian countrymen at today’s weigh-in at the Max-Schmeling-Halle. “I’m ready to impress the fans in Berlin and the people watching around the world,”
Aleksandr Usyk or Marco Huck? That’s the question before Saturday’s premiere of the World Boxing Super Series and the quest for the Ali Trophy at the Max-Schmeling-Halle, Berlin. Gassiev, Perez, Briedis, Kudryashov, Dorticos and Wlodarczyk give their predictions ahead of the hotly anticipated fight.
Yunier Dorticos:
“Usyk is an Olympic champion, and Huck is a great champion. If Huck brings the best version of himself into the ring, people win see an amazing fight. The best man on the night will win the fight.”
Dmitry Kudryashov:
Marco Huck met the German press in his hometown Berlin at the famous Restaurant Borchardt ahead of his Ali Trophy quarter-final with Ukranian Aleksandr Usyk September 9 at the Max-Schmeling-Halle, Berlin.
Huck: “It is going to be very nice to fight in Berlin, but I would also fight Usyk on the moon,” said the German cruiserweight. “Usyk is a well-schooled boxer and I cannot wait to step into the ring with him.”
Throughout boxing history “big” names have always garnered mass attention, searing themselves in social memory. Tyson, Holyfield, Foreman, Mayweather, Jones Jr., Pacquiao, De La Hoya and Mosley were, and still are, huge names both in and out of boxing. However, while they captured the headlines, and deservedly so, there were quite a few guys who deservednotoriety who either received their just due a little too late or never received it at all. Fighters like Winky Wright, Vernon Forrest, Lamon Brewster, Ricardo Lopez, Mike McCallum and many others are sometimes forgotten in conversations about great or exciting fighters from certain eras.