World Boxing Super Series Opening Super Middleweight Tournament Odds The World Boxing Super Series tournaments have been announced, and the field for the 168-pound super middleweight tournament is complete. Last weekend, IBO world champion Chris Eubank Jr. (25-1) successfully defended his belt against rigged Arthur Abraham of Germany, and he closes out the field of the tournament as the No. 3 seed. The opening round of the tournament is expected to be completed in September of this year, with the finals expected for mid-2018.
The No. 1 seed is England’s George Groves (26-3), who takes on fellow countryman Jamie Cox (23-0) in the opening round. Groves is coming off a May of 2017 win over Fedor Chudinov that won him the WBA world title at 168. The 30-year-old Cox has remained undefeated against regional competition but stepped it up in 2017, going 2-0 thus far and winning the WBA’s Continental title with a ninth round stoppage over Lewis Taylor. Groves owns victories over top British fighters James DeGale, Martin Murray, Paul Smith and his two wars with Carl Froch that resulted in losses all mean his experience level stands head and shoulders above that of Cox, who is stepping up to the first big test of his career.
In the No. 2 seed is Brit Callum Smith (22-0), who faces Sweden’s Erik Skoglund (26-0) in round one. Smith comes from a family of four brothers that fight and at 27 years old, Callum has worked his way up through the British and regional titles and is on the cusp of a world title shot. In Skoglund, he fights a Swede who has fought most of his career in Denmark. This match was already announced for Sheffield, giving Smith the home-field advantage. Skoglund has a handful of names on his resume, such as Glen Johnson and Ryno Leibenburg, but they all visited him in Scandinavia.
As stated Eubank Jr. is the No. 3 seed, and he faces Turkey’s Avni Yilidrim (16-0). Yilidrim traveled to Mexico this past May for a WBC eliminator against veteran Marco Antonio Periban that was his first real test as a pro. Eubank Jr. is one to watch, as he and his management team, which includes his bombastic former world champion father, have set their sites on dominating the boxing world.
The No. 4 seed is veteran hand Jurgen Brahmer (48-3) of Germany, who faces the lone American in the field when he fights Rob Brant (22-0). Brahmer’s resume is long and daunting, and he is an experienced fighter who knows his way around a boxing ring but he has operated as a light heavyweight for the better part of the last decade. At 38, Brahmer is hoping the weight cut to a new division does not affect him. In Brant, he is facing a fresh body that we know very little about in terms of world level experience.
World Boxing Super Series Q1 – Super Middleweight 12 rounds – Sat 9/2
Jamie Cox +310
George Groves -400
Super Middleweight – 12 rounds
Avni Yildirim +460
Chris Eubank Jr. -700
Super Middleweight – 12 rounds
Rob Brant +135
Juergen Braehmer -165
Super Middleweight – 12 rounds – Sheffield, England – Sat 9/16
Erik Skoglund +1000
Callum Smith -1750
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World Boxing Super Series Opening Cruiserweight Tournament Odds Of the two World Boxing Super Series tournament announced recently, it is the cruiserweight tournament that is getting the most acclaim for a packed field of competitors. The brackets were recently announced, and the first round kicks off in September, which means Several Bookmakers has reacted with some early odds.
The No. 1 seed in the stacked field is WBO world champion Oleksandr Usyk (12-0) as he faces former world champion Marco Huck (40-4-1). Under the WBSS tournament format, the top seeds are allowed to pick their opponent, and Usyk sent a message to the field by selecting Huck, who is a former world champion. At 32 years old, Huck enters the tournament looking to prove his best days are not behind him. Usyk selected the most experienced and dangerous of the fighters in the field.
The No. 2 seed is Russia’s Murat Gassiev (24-0). Gassiev is the youngest competitor in the field at 23 years old, and he is coming off a big win against Denis Lebedev that saw him take the IBF world title at cruiserweight. Gasiev will meet Poland’s Krzysztof Wlodarczyk, who enters with a gaudy record (53-3-1) and has a reign as IBF cruiserweight champion under his belt a decade ago. For Wlodarczyk, this is his last hurrah on the world stage.
Latvia’s Mairis Breidis (22-0) is coming off a world title victory over Huck, and he checks in as the No. 3 seed. Providing the opposition is Mike Perez (22-2-1). Perez is a Cuban who boasts the usual amateur background, and he has been competing in the heavyweight ranks ever since turning professional back in 2008. Perez is short, but he has weighed in the 240-pound range for some of his fights, so the weight cut is drastic. Nevertheless, Perez passed his first test at 200 pounds this past june when he blitzed previously undefeated Viktor Biscak with a first-round knockout. Breidis should have no trouble with that, as the Latvian has dabbled in the heavyweight division as well, owning a win over experienced veteran Manuel Charr (28-3 when they met).
The No. 4 seed for the tourney is Cuba’s Yunier Dorticos (21-0), and he faces Russia’s Dmitry Kudrayshov (21-1). Kudryashov is one of the x-factors in the tournament because all of his 21 wins are via KO, and the lone loss of his career was avenged this past June when he stopped Olanrewaju Drodola in the fifth to win the WBC’s Silver title. Dorticos is talented, and many early seedings listed him as high as No. 2, but he has been off for more than a year while the rest of the field has been very active.
World Boxing Super Series Q1 – Cruiserweight 12 rounds
Marco Huck +1100
Oleksandr Usyk -2000
Cruiserweight – 12 rounds
Mike Perez +310
Mairis Briedis -400
Cruiserweight – 12 rounds
Krzysztof Wlodarczyk +1000
Murat Gassiev -1750
Cruiserweight – 12 rounds
Dmitry Kudryashov +170
Yunier Dorticos -215
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