World Boxing Super Series: Our Cruiserweight Rankings
Now that all 8 participants have been confirmed, we present our rankings and give our early take on the tournament.
The World Boxing Super Series has officially announced all 8 of the participants for their Cruiserweight tournament, and this esteemed group includes all of the current champions and a pair of former champs. The top 4 seeded boxers are set to pick their first round opponents at the Live Draft Gala in Monaco on July 8th. Will governing bodies or the relationships between the promoters affect the draft? We will find out in a few days. Today we bring you our vision of how the tournament will play out: rankings, predictions, and opinions.
#1. Oleksander Usyk
Age: 30
Fighting out of: Oxnard, CA
Record: 12–0–0 (10KOs)
Combined record of the last 3 opponents: 55–2–0
Notable fights: Krzysztof Glowacki (W-UD12), Thabiso Mchunu (W-KO9), Michael Hunter (W-UD12)
Achievements: Current WBO World Cruiserweight Champion
Style: Playstyle Boxer
This amateur sensation and 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist is already the biggest boxing star in his native Ukraine. He was overhyped by many pundits, which left some audience members disappointed with his last two performances on HBO. While he might not be as technically sound as his Olympic teammate and stablemate Vasyl Lomachenko, he is still the best raw talent in the 200lb. division. Despite being just 12–0 in his pro career, he has accrued some tough title-fight experience in his last three bouts. Those combined traits should be enough to allow him to dominate his talent-rich division and this tournament in particular.
#2. Mairis Briedis
Age: 32
Fighting out of: Riga, Latvia
Record: 22–0–0 (18KOs)
Combined record of the last 3 opponents: 71–5–1
Notable fights: Marco Huck (W-UD12), Olanrewaju Durodola (W-TKO9), Manuel Charr (W-KO5)
Achievements: Current WBC World Cruiserweight Champion
Style: Boxer counter-puncher
When it was announced that Mairis Briedis would fight then-respected Heavyweight Manuel Charr, no one knew what kind of fighter he was. He blew Charr away and instantly injected himself into the discussion of the best upcoming talent at Cruiserweight. Since that time he has continued to prove his worth, getting rid of solid opponents inside the distance. He was ultimately awarded the title vacated by Tony Bellew with a win over former champ Marco Huck. His great ring IQ and boxing skills ensure that every fight goes his way from round 1 all the way to round 12.
#3. Murat Gassiev
Age: 23
Fighting out of: Big Bear, CA
Record: 24–0–0 (17KOs)
Combined record of the last 3 opponents: 64–2–0
Notable fights: Denis Lebedev (W-SD12), Jordan Shimmell (W-KO1)
Achievements: Current IBF World Cruiserweight Champion
Style: Power puncher
Murat Gassiev has a lot of upside. He is by far the youngest announced competitor at 23, he is trained by GGG’s coach Abel Sanchez, and he has already appeared on US TV. In his first two PBC telecasts he showed only one side of his skillset — crude power. He earned fans with his devastating knockouts, but boxing purists remained skeptical. He would go on to silence all of his critics in his next fight against the technically skilled veteran Denis Lebedev. Gassiev landed effectively throughout the fight, adapting quickly to whatever his experienced foe could throw at him. Murat is not just bringing a punch to the tournament, but many ways to land it.
#4. Yunier Dorticos
Age: 31
Fighting out of: Miami, FL
Record: 21–0–0 (20KOs)
Combined record of the last 3 opponents: 92–43–2
Notable fights: Youri Kayembre Kalenga (W-TKO10)
Achievements: Current WBA World Cruiserweight Champion (Regular)
Style: Boxer-puncher
Despite being an undefeated Cuban and a decorated amatuer, Yunier Dorticos only entered into fan conversations when he effectively dispatched Youri Kalenga via TKO in 10 rounds. Dorticos’ possession of the WBA Regular title is somewhat dubious. He was named Interim champ when Denis Lebedev was elevated to Super champion, and then he was elevated again to Regular champion when Beibut Shumenov suddenly retired (this was not the WBA’s finest moment). Separately, Dorticos’ signature win over Kalenga became controversial when the loser’s coach made the accusation that Dorticos’ gloves had been spiked with Acetate. Cheat or no cheat, Dorticos is a quality boxer. And just like most of Cuba’s “big boys”, he brings intimidating power along with his amateur pedigree.
#5. Dmitry Kudryashov
Age: 31
Fighting out of: Volgodonsk, Russia
Record: 21–1–0 (21KOs)
Combined record of the last 3 opponents: 80–11–0
Notable fights: Olanrewaju Durodola (L-TKO2, W-TKO5)
Achievements: Current WBC Silver Cruiserweight Champion (#1 Ranked WBC contender)
Style: Highlight reel knockout machine
Dmitry Kudryashov is known for one thing: thunderous knockouts. His road to boxing prominence was paved with the unconscious bodies of cab drivers, tomato cans, and exotic dancers. Eventually not even his beard, nor his catchy nickname (“The Russian Hammer”), nor his signature power were enough to justify his dismal level of his opposition. Victory over Olanrewaju Durodola was supposed to prove his real worth and put him into the title discussion. But unfortunately for Dmitry, Olanrewaju had different plans. Durodola put him through an awful beating, scoring a 2nd round TKO on Dmitry’s own turf. Despite the stoppage, Kudryashov never left his feet. He promised to come back to avenge his loss — and he did it in a spectacular fashion. “The Russian Hammer” might not have looked more refined in the rematch (he still tried to pull-off the very same Philly shell that cost him the first fight), but it was enough to take away Durodola’s will to fight.
Going into the WBSS, we know that Kudryashov’s overall chances look slim, but we must never write-off such a dogged individual. Especially, when said-individual has the most devastating innate power in boxing today. Period. It’s not just a “puncher’s chance”, there’s more. Dmitry knows his odds, he knows that the very first fight will be his toughest ever — yet he did everything he could to get signed into the tournament. He couldn’t let this chance pass him by. Dmitry Kudryashov is a true warrior, and his kind are always welcome in the ring. Especially when they can kill with one shot.
#6. Mike Perez.
Age: 31
Fighting out of: Cork, Ireland
Record: 22–2–1 (14KOs)
Combined record of the last 3 opponents: 63–19–3
Notable fights: Magomed Abdusalamov (W-UD10), Carlos Takam (D-MD10), Bryant Jennings (L-SD12), Alexander Povetkin (L-TKO1)
Achievements: Former WBC Silver Heavyweight Contender
Style: Counter-puncher
Boxing fans know Mike Perez as a heavyweight who, despite lacking a top 10 win on his resume, remained a highly respected contender until he fought Alexander Povetkin. He lost that fight quickly and brutally, getting knocked out inside of the first two minutes. He took a break, reconsidered his options, and recently returned to the ring as a Cruiserweight. His Cruiserweight debut lasted less than 30 seconds. In that stanza Perez a scored a knockdown with a right hook and, upon getting up, his opponent claimed an ankle injury and called it an early night.
Perez might look like a knockout machine, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. He likes to bounce around his opponents, pull them in, and counter their attacks. Perez is a classical Cuban boxer: he prefers to play with his opponent rather than brawl or look for the knockout. But unlike some counter-punchers, he retaliates when his opponents push him back. When they run, he comes back after them. He never runs from a fight, and in a tournament full of hungry lions, he blends right in. His current form and the status of his chin are two big questions that will be answered when the bell rings. He might not present a challenge for the top dogs, but he will surely make them work for that win.
#7. Krzysztof Wlodarczyk
Age: 35
Fighting out of: Piaseczno, Poland
Record: 53–3–1(37KOs)
Combined record of the last 3 opponents: 73–5–0
Notable fights: Grygory Drozd (L-UD12), Danny Green (W-TKO11), Steve Cunningham (L-MD12, W-SD12)
Achievements: Current IBF&WBO #1 Ranked Contender
Style: Boxer-puncher
Krzysztof Wlodarczyk has never been an elite boxer, but his patient, conserving style has proven enough to throw off many world-class boxers. He will look to establish his rhythm, land combinations, and take his fights into the later rounds. But the question remains: how will Wlodarczyk’s war-weary body hold up against the world’s best? He won’t know until we see him in the ring. Unfortunately for Krzysztof, his current form is unlikely to pose a challenge to the champions in this tournament, and he will probably be picked by someone looking for an easy win.
#8. Marco Huck
Age: 32
Fighting out of: Berlin, Germany
Record: 40–4–1 (27KOs)
Combined record of the last 3 opponents: 67–5–5
Notable fights: Alexander Povetkin (L-MD12), Ola Afolabi (W-UD12, D-MD12, W-MD12, W-RTD10), Denis Lebedev (W-SD12)
Achievements: Former WBO Cruiserweight Champion
Style: German turtle-style
Marco Huck held the WBO title for 6 years, having successfuly defend it 13 times. The streak come to an end when he met Krzysztof Glowacki, but he successfully came back from that defeat and earned another shot at the title. He fought and lost to Mairis Briedis earlier this year and it was apparent that he had become a shadow of his former self. At this point he has nothing to offer the top 4 boxers in this tournament other than his name and a fat check. He once had an impenetrable guard, solid power, and an inside game able to disrupt any technician. He didn’t show any of those traits in his most recent fight. At 32 years of age, Huck has had a very long professional career as well as a long dominating run as champion. He feels that he has something left to show the youngsters — and the tournament gets to cash-out a cash-cow. That’s pretty much all he has left.
#StandIn. Krzysztof Glowacki
Glowacki’s team confirmed that in case anyone pulls out of the tournament, he will take their place.
Age: 30
Fighting out of: Walcz, Poland
Record: 27–1–0 (17KOs)
Combined record of the last 3 opponents: 66–7–1
Notable fights: Marco Huck (W-KO11), Steve Cunningham (W-UD12), Oleksandr Usyk (L-UD12)
Achievements: Former WBO Cruiserweight Champion
Style: Boxer counter-puncher
When Krzysztof Glowacki’s fight against long-reigning Marco Huck was announced, many observers were surprised it wasn’t a different Krzysztof. Krzysztof Wlodarczyk was an established former champion, whereas his countryman Krzysztof Glowacki was little known outside of Poland. Glowacki emphatically shifted public opinion once and for all by knocking out Huck in the Upset-of-the-Year of 2015. He further cemented his reputation in his next fight, dominating Steve Cunningham from start to finish, scoring 4 knockdowns along the way. To the dismay of the Polish people, he was bested by Oleksander Usyk in his following fight. While he didn’t have enough for Usyk on that night, he absolutely has more than many can handle. Glowacki is an even match for anyone ranked 5th on this list (aside from Usyk), and he’s a sure favorite against those ranked below. He might not have the goods to beat the elite, but how many fighters on this list have proved they belong there?
Sunday Puncher Staff picks:
Gleb Kuzin:
Oleksandr Usyk. Although he hasn’t lived to the HBO hype (which was completely irrational, claiming Usyk as a puncher and so on), he still remains one of the most talented technitians in the sport of boxing. But what more important, is his attitude — he’s a perfmormer, a showman, a perfectionist. He doesn’t come to just win or leave his mark in history, he comes to dominate the man infront of him. He comes prove everyone around that he’s the best, not just by winning, but doing it in a spectacular fashion. The greatest of all time possessed the exact same type of mentality.
Rajeev Lewis:
This tournament is perfect for a high-talent, low-profile division like cruiserweight, and its daunting lineup promises incredible prestige for the winner. Despite his somewhat underwhelming recent performance on HBO, Usyk should have the tools to walk out with a cadre of new belts.
Angelo Chagoy:
If you look at the participants in the tournament, none have a better resume at this point than Murat Gassiev. Add in that he’s 23 years old, packs power in both hands, and has shown that he knows how to set it up properly. Because of this I think he’s the favorite. Of course, Oleksandr Usyk deserves mention, but what we’ve seen from him is that he’s hittable and lacks the explosive power that demands respect. I’m confident that he’ll have success early against Gassiev, but won’t maintain it over 12 rounds. Gassiev will take this.
Fred Garvin:
In theory, the WBSS sounds like a good idea. A tournament to decide the best fighter in a division. But usually when someone does something for the “good of boxing” they usually mean for the good of themselves first. If you’re in the WBSS it might lead to greater exposure and guaranteed prize money. If you’re not in the tournament and waiting for your shot at a title you might wonder why you’re paying sanctioning fees. Since it was formed in the 70s, the Cruiserweight division has remained in boxing purgatory. Cruiserweights get famous for leaving the division and not for fighting in it. That being said, the WBSS has secured the best of the bunch. But I see little separating these fighters. One fight they can look great and the next lethargic. So I’m picking Usyk just because he has the best hair.
Josh Gilman:
A man has no right to call himself the best cruiserweight in the world unless he’s passed the lesson of professional boxing taught by the great Panamanian champion Guillermo Jones. Until any of these kids dare to fight him, the WBSS has no relevance.
John Cudney:
First off, I need to vent that my favorite Cruiserweight Andrew Tabiti has not been discussed for one of the final slots in the tournament. He has speed and power, but more than that he brings a totally American fighting style that is entirely lacking from this European-heavy selection. That grievance aside, I think Usyk and Gassiev will rise to the top of the WBSS Cruiserweight bracket after a series of competitive bouts. This tournament features an unprecedented selection of world-class talent, and I expect it will yield many fights to remember en route to the inaugural awarding of the Ali Cup.
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