Wikipedia

World Boxing Super Series

Not to be confused with World Series of Boxing.

The World Boxing Super Series (WBSS) is a professional boxing tournament organised by Comosa AG.

World Boxing Super Series
Company typeElimination tournament
IndustryBoxing
FoundedSeptember 9, 2017; 7 years ago (2017-09-09) in Berlin, Germany
Founder
Headquarters
Pratteln
,
Switzerland
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
Kalle Sauerland
OwnerComosa AG
Websiteworldboxingsuperseries.com

Each weight class features eight boxers competing in an annual knockout competition with the champion from each weight class taking the Muhammad Ali Trophy, named after the former heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali, and sharing a total prize fund of U.S. $50 million, with winner of each tournament receiving U.S. $10 million[1]

History

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These tournaments are a joint venture between Sauerland Promotions and Richard Schaefer under the Comosa AG banner.[2] The total prize money is $50 million.[3]

This is considered the first major professional boxing tournament attempt since the Super Six World Boxing Classic, which took place from 2009 to 2011.[4]

The first season of tournament was held from 2017 to 2018 at two weight classes: cruiserweight and super middleweight. The inaugural tournament started in September 2017 and finished with two finals in the summer of 2018. With the tournament, the cruiserweight division crowned its first undisputed champion since 2006.[5][6]

At a press conference in London on 9 May 2018, a second season was announced, which took place from 2018 to 2019. Bantamweight and light welterweight was confirmed as two of the three weight classes involved.[7] The third weight class was later revealed to be cruiserweight, following the 2017-18 tournament in that division.[8]

The third season was announced in June 2021, with a single tournament for women's super featherweight boxers.[9]

Qualification

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All WBA, WBC, WBO, and IBF world champions were eligible to participate in the tournament, as well as all top 15 world-ranked contenders by each of the 4 sanctioning bodies. Comosa AG contracted eight available fighters per weight class, as well as a few potential back-ups.[10]

In both seasons Comosa has staged a draft gala in Monte Carlo and Moscow, Russia to publicly announce all tournament participants and determine the draw. During the gala, the four top seeds select their quarter-final opponents from the four unseeded boxers in a live TV show.[11]

Judging

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In addition to the three judges customary in pro boxing, the World Boxing Super Series will be an additional fourth judge whose scorecard will be used if the main three judges deliver a draw result. The fourth judge can also come into play in the event that a tournament fight ends in a no contest or a no-decision and the three official scorecards do not determine a winner.[12]

In addition, if a fight remains a draw even after adding the fourth judge's scorecard to those of the three official judges, the series will use a countback method to determine who advances in the tournament. The countback is a sudden-death method of scoring using the three official judges' scorecards to determine who advances. Beginning with the scorecards for the 12th or last round that occurred, the boxer who won that particular round on at least two of the three scorecards will advance. If the bout was scored evenly in the 12th round or the last round that occurred, the advancing boxer will then be determined by who won at least a majority of scorecards in the preceding round. If neither boxer won the penultimate round on at least a majority of the three official scorecards, each preceding round's scorecards will be examined until a round where one boxer was declared the winner of that round on a majority of the three official scorecards.[13]

Seasons and finals

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Season Year Weight class Weight limit Champion Runner-up Result Date of final Final host Ranking for champion
in pounds (lbs) in kilograms (kg) in stone (st) BoxRec TBRB The Ring
I 2017–18 Cruiserweight 200 90.7 14 st 4 lb   Oleksandr Usyk   Murat Gassiev UD 12 21 Jul 2018   Olimpiyskiy, Moscow, Russia 1 C C
Super middleweight 168 76.2 12 st 0 lb   Callum Smith   George Groves KO 7 28 Sep 2018   King Abdullah Sports City, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia 1 1 C
II 2018–19 Super lightweight 140 63.5 10 st 0 lb   Josh Taylor   Regis Prograis MD 12 26 Oct 2019   The O2 Arena, London, United Kingdom 1 1 C
Bantamweight 118 53.5 8 st 4 lb   Naoya Inoue   Nonito Donaire UD 12 7 Nov 2019   Super Arena, Saitama, Japan 1 1 C
2018–20 Cruiserweight 200 90.7 14 st 4 lb   Mairis Briedis   Yuniel Dorticos MD 12 26 Sep 2020   Plazamedia Broadcasting Center, Munich, Germany 1 C C

Awards

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The WBC intends to award the champions its commemorative Diamond title.[14] Additionally, the winners will receive the Muhammad Ali Trophy.[15]

Due to the 'bracket style' nature of the tournament, the winner of each tournament could claim all world titles in the field. Oleksandr Usyk, the winner of the 2018 cruiserweight tournament, unified the WBO, IBF, WBC and WBA cruiserweight titles and became the first cruiserweight undisputed champion in over a decade, and the first in the four-belt era.[16]

eWBSS Legends tournaments

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Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Boxing Super Series decided to launch a special ‘eWBSS Heavyweight Legends’ tournament to provide some much-needed relief and entertainment for fight fans around the world. The fights were simulated on EA Sports 'Fight Night Champion' video game and feature 8 of the most recognisable heavyweight’s from history.[17] The quarterfinals took place between 23 and 26 March.[18][19][20][21] It was later announced Sonny Liston would replace Joe Frazier as Muhammad Ali's semifinalist opponent.[22] The semifinals took place on 27 and 28 March.[23][24] The final took place on 29 March.[25]

Quarter-finals Semi-finals Final
      
  Muhammad Ali (USA) KO 5
  Evander Holyfield (USA)
  Muhammad Ali (USA) KO 5
  Sonny Liston (USA)
  Joe Frazier (USA) KO 7
  Lennox Lewis (GBR)
  Mike Tyson (USA) UD 12
  Muhammad Ali (USA)
  Mike Tyson (USA) KO 2
  Eric Esch (USA)
  Mike Tyson (USA) KO 4
  George Foreman (USA)
  George Foreman (USA) KO 5
  David Haye (GBR)

A ‘eWBSS Middleweight Legends’ tournament was announced on 29 March 2020.[26] The quarterfinals took place between 30 March and 2 April.[27][28][29][30] It was later announced Jake LaMotta would replace Marvin Hagler as Sugar Ray Robinson's semifinalist opponent. The semifinals took place on 3 and 4 April.[31][32] The final took place on 5 April.[33]

Quarter-finals Semi-finals Final
      
  Sugar Ray Robinson (USA) KO 5
  Fernando Vargas (USA)
  Sugar Ray Robinson (USA) KO 7
  Jake LaMotta (USA)
  Marvin Hagler (USA) KO 8
  Kelly Pavlik (USA)
  Sugar Ray Robinson (USA) KO 6
  Winky Wright (USA)
  Winky Wright (USA) KO 9
  Sugar Ray Leonard (USA)
  Winky Wright (USA) KO 8
  Carlos Monzón (ARG)
  Carlos Monzón (ARG) UD 12
  Jake LaMotta (USA)

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Callum Smith joins exciting World Boxing Super Series after Anthony Dirrell attempts to move world title fight". Trinity Mirror. 6 July 2017. Retrieved 2017-07-08.
  2. ^ Campbell, Brian (2017-03-09). "World Boxing Super Series to launch $50 million boxing tournament". CBSSports.com. Retrieved 2017-07-07.
  3. ^ Mike Coppinger, USA TODAY (2017-03-09). "World Boxing Super Series tournament promises jolt to sport with $50M in prize money". Usatoday.com. Retrieved 2017-07-07.
  4. ^ "Tournament-style World Boxing Super Series to award $50M in prize money | MMA". Sporting News. 2017-03-09. Retrieved 2017-07-07.
  5. ^ "Applications for World Boxing Super Series pour in". Vox Media. 18 May 2017. Retrieved 2017-07-08.
  6. ^ "World Boxing Super Series: Chris Eubank Jr or Arthur Abraham to enter tournament". BBC Sport. 6 July 2017. Retrieved 2017-07-08.
  7. ^ "World Boxing Super Series gets 2nd season". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2018-05-09.
  8. ^ https://fightnetwork.com/news/6672114:world-boxing-super-series-featuring-cruiserweight-tournament-in-season-2/ [dead link‍]
  9. ^ World Boxing Super Series to return with 130-pound female tournament - Boxing Scene, 16 June 2021
  10. ^ "BOXER SELECTION PROCESS". World Boxing Super Series. 11 September 2017. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
  11. ^ World Boxing Super Series (8 July 2017). "World Boxing Super Series Draft Gala 2017" – via YouTube.
  12. ^ "WHAT IF THERE'S A DRAW? UNDERSTANDING THE 4TH JUDGE". World Boxing Super Series. 15 September 2017. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  13. ^ "World Boxing Super Series to use 4th judge for potential draws". ESPN. 15 September 2017. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  14. ^ Esco, Wil (2017-06-07). "WBC puts 'diamond' titles on the line in World Boxing Super Series". Bad Left Hook. Retrieved 2017-07-07.
  15. ^ "World Boxing Super Series: New $50m event to 'change boxing world' - organisers - BBC Sport". Bbc.com. 2017-03-09. Retrieved 2017-07-07.
  16. ^ "Usyk routs Gassiev to become undisputed champ". 21 July 2018.
  17. ^ "WBSS To Start Fantasy Tournament at Heavyweight". BoxingScene. 22 March 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  18. ^ "WBSS Fantasy Tournament: Ali Stops Holyfield To Advance". BoxingScene. 24 March 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  19. ^ "WBSS Fantasy Tournament: Joe Frazier KO's Lennox Lewis In Seven". BoxingScene. 24 March 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  20. ^ "WBSS Fantasy Tournament: Mike Tyson Blasts Out Butterbean in Two". BoxingScene. 25 March 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  21. ^ "WBSS Fantasy Tournament: George Foreman Drills David Haye in Five". BoxingScene. 26 March 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  22. ^ "WBSS Fantasy Tournament: Ali To Face Liston in Semi-Final, Frazier is Out". BoxingScene. 27 March 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  23. ^ "WBSS Fantasy Tournament: Muhammad Ali Stops Liston in Five". BoxingScene. 27 March 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  24. ^ "WBSS Fantasy Tournament: Mike Tyson Blasts George Foreman in Four". BoxingScene. 28 March 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  25. ^ "WBSS Fantasy Tournament: Mike Tyson Shocks Muhammad Ali". BoxingScene. 29 March 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  26. ^ "WBSS Fantasy Tournament: The Middleweights Are Up Next". BoxingScene. 29 March 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  27. ^ "WBSS Fantasy Tournament: Sugar Ray Robinson Blasts Fernando Vargas in Five". BoxingScene. 30 March 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  28. ^ "WBSS Fantasy Tournament: Marvin Hagler Stops Kelly Pavlik in Eight". BoxingScene. 31 March 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  29. ^ "WBSS Fantasy Tournament: Winky Wright Stops Sugar Ray Leonard in Nine". BoxingScene. 1 April 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  30. ^ "WBSS Fantasy Tournament: Carlos Monzon Decisions Jake LaMotta". BoxingScene. 2 April 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  31. ^ "WBSS Fantasy Tournament: Sugar Ray Robinson Blasts Jake LaMotta in Seven". BoxingScene. 3 April 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  32. ^ "WBSS Fantasy Tournament: Winky Wright Stops Carlos Monzon in Eight". BoxingScene. 4 April 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  33. ^ "WBSS Fantasy Tournament: Sugar Ray Robinson Blasts Winky Wright in Six". BoxingScene. 5 April 2020. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
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