World Boxing Super Series
The World Boxing Super Series (WBSS) is a professional boxing tournament organised by Comosa AG. The tournament is at two weight classes: cruiserweight and super middleweight.
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 US$50 million.[1][2]
The tournament started in September 2017 and will finish with two finals in May 2018. The cruiserweight division is expected to crown its first undisputed champion since 2006.[3][4]
History
These tournaments are a joint venture between Sauerland Promotions and Richard Schaefer.[5] The total prize money is $50 million dollars.[6]
This is considered the first major professional boxing tournament attempt since the Super Six World Boxing Classic, which took place from 2009 to 2011.[7]
Qualification
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.[8]
In early July 2017, Comosa staged a Draft Gala in Monte Carlo to publicly announce all sixteen participants and determine the draw. The four top seeds selected their quarter-final opponents from the four unseeded boxers in a live TV show.[citation needed]
Judging
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.[9]
In the case of a draw, if two of the now four score the bout in for one boxer and at least one of the other two of the four judges score the bout a draw, the fight will be won by the boxer who won the bout in two scorecards. 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.[10]
Results
The draw was held on 8 July 2017 in Monaco.
Super middleweight
Template:3RoundBracket-Byesnoseeds
Cruiserweight
Template:3RoundBracket-Byesnoseeds
Muhammad Ali Trophy winners
| Year | Division | Muhammad Ali Trophy winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017–18 | Cruiserweight | TBD | TBD |
| 2017–18 | Super middleweight | TBD | TBD |
Awards
The WBC intends to award the champions its commemorative Diamond title.[11] Additionally, the winners will receive the Muhammad Ali Trophy.[12]
Due to the 'bracket style' nature of the tournament and the current champions who will be competing in the tournament, the winner of the super middleweight tournament will end up with the WBA 'Super' and IBO super-middleweight titles and the winner of the cruiserweight tournament will end up with the WBO, IBF, WBC and WBA 'regular' cruiserweight titles.
References
- ^ "Callum Smith joins exciting World Boxing Super Series after Anthony Dirrell attempts to move world title fight". Trinity Mirror. Retrieved 2017-07-08.
- ^ "New £42m boxing tournament set to feature world's best 16 fighters from two divisions in shootout". Mail Online. Retrieved 2017-07-08.
- ^ "Applications for World Boxing Super Series pour in". Vox Media. Retrieved 2017-07-08.
- ^ "World Boxing Super Series: Chris Eubank Jr or Arthur Abraham to enter tournament". BBC. Retrieved 2017-07-08.
- ^ Campbell, Brian (2017-03-09). "World Boxing Super Series to launch $50 million boxing tournament". CBSSports.com. Retrieved 2017-07-07.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Tournament-style World Boxing Super Series to award $50M in prize money | MMA". Sporting News. 2017-03-09. Retrieved 2017-07-07.
- ^ "BOXER SELECTION PROCESS". World Boxing Super Series. 11 September 2017. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
- ^ "WHAT IF THERE'S A DRAW? UNDERSTANDING THE 4TH JUDGE". World Boxing Super Series. 15 September 2017. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
- ^ "World Boxing Super Series to use 4th judge for potential draws". ESPN. 15 September 2017. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
- ^ Esco, Wil (2017-06-07). "WBC puts 'diamond' titles on the line in World Boxing Super Series". Bad Left Hook. Retrieved 2017-07-07.
- ^ "World Boxing Super Series: New $50m event to 'change boxing world' - organisers - BBC Sport". Bbc.com. 2017-03-09. Retrieved 2017-07-07.