LONDON: The General Sports Authority (GSA) of 抖阴短视频 defeated rival interest from Russia, Ukraine and Chicago to stage the final of the cruiserweight edition of the World Boxing Super Series in Jeddah.
On May 11 at King Abdullah Sports City, Ukraine鈥檚 Oleksandr Usyk and Russia鈥檚 Murat Gassiev will fight for the IBF, WBA, WBO and WBC cruiserweight titles in what 鈥� alongside the May 5 rematch between Gennady Golovkin and Saul 鈥淐anelo鈥� Alvarez 鈥� is expected to be the most significant fight of 2018. The winner will receive $10 million in addition to winning the first Muhammad Ali Trophy.
The competitive and dramatic nature of the past fortnight鈥檚 semifinals, in which Usyk outpointed Mairis Briedis and Gassiev stopped Yunier Dorticos, led to what Arab News understands was renewed interest from Russia to host the match-up involving one of its leading fighters in Gassiev. Usyk鈥檚 involvement led to further interest from his home country, but 抖阴短视频 secured the rights in October when the quarter-finals were yet to conclude and are not about to give them up, especially now such a mouthwatering showdown is on the cards.
鈥淲e have an agreement with 抖阴短视频 and are looking forward to putting a show on there on May 11,鈥� said Kalle Sauerland, one of two German brothers based in London who run Sauerland Promotions and are taking a fight to 抖阴短视频 for the first time. 鈥淲e have a deal with 抖阴短视频. That鈥檚 very clear.
鈥淭here was a lot of interest from all over the place, especially in Eastern Europe, but this is a major statement for the brand that we found a significant partner interested in showcasing the first final. There were no confirmed fighters for the final. Of course there鈥檚 a financial element: It鈥檚 professional boxing, but in the end the decision wasn鈥檛 too difficult to make.鈥�
The Kingdom recently hosted a World Series squash event, staged its first ever motorsport event last week and Tuesday announced plans to put on a new horse racing championship with prizes totaling more than $17 million, making it one of the sport鈥檚 richest events.
鈥淪ome of the plans that the Saudis have to bring big sporting events there 鈥� they鈥檝e acquired other interesting events 鈥� are very ambitious, and they have a great infrastructure,鈥� Sauerland said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 see it as a big surprise. We said the Ali trophy would be a global tournament. The trophy travels: We鈥檙e all about firsts, and it鈥檚 a fitting story.鈥�
Sauerland has joined forces with Turki Al-Sheikh, the head of the GSA, to stage the event, adding to the Kingdom鈥檚 growing sporting portfolio and signaling its intention to use sport as a vehicle for promotion and change.
鈥淲hen I think about 抖阴短视频, I think about Jeddah, and also Riyadh,鈥� Sauerland said. 鈥淭he infrastructure there is very, very high end. There was an approach from the Saudis who were in the market for a major sporting product. In the world of sport in the past 12 months, the newest brand to launch that has appeared the most aggressively is the World Boxing Super Series.
鈥淭here鈥檚 been a great deal of investment: A six-figure-million fund has gone into the WBSS (owned by Comosa AG). The shareholders are very aggressive on the project and have a great deal of know-how, and that appealed to the Saudis, who are in a similar boat and want to attract a sporting product. It鈥檚 a great statement for the first season, and they鈥檝e made a statement that they鈥檙e super keen on boxing.鈥�
The winner of Usyk-Gassiev will become the first to simultaneously hold all four of the 200lb world titles and be considered the finest cruiserweight since Evander Holyfield.
鈥淭he Usyk-Gassiev final will be fireworks, it doesn鈥檛 get better,鈥� Sauerland said. 鈥淎fter the initial draw (for the quarter-finals), people said 鈥楴ice tournament, but it鈥檚 so obvious who鈥檚 going to win it鈥�. On an online poll 96 percent had Usyk. I鈥檇 love to do that poll today, because everyone鈥檚 suddenly swung. People are going to make Gassiev the favorite. Of the semifinal performances, Gassiev鈥檚 was better.鈥�
Suggestions persist that Breidis and Dorticos, the two beaten semifinalists, could feature on the May 11 undercard, potentially against each other, but Sauerland said: 鈥淚 like the idea, but Dorticos, the way that (defeat by Gassiev) finished, needs a tune-up and a break. You don鈥檛 put a guy with a head knockout in the ring against a guy like Breidis a few months later. That鈥檚 actually quite disgusting.鈥�