Erik Skoglund (26-0, 12 KOs) and Jamie Cox (22-0, 12 KOs) have joined a star-studded tournament line-up that already features four reigning world champions and two former world champions. The duo will compete in the super-middleweight competition, with WBA Super Champion George Groves among the potential opponents.
Swedish sensation Skoglund, the IBF´s number 4, will be coming down from light heavyweight where he is unbeaten in 26 fights and top-ranked with all major governing bodies. “It´s unbelievable to be fighting for The Greatest Prize in Boxing, the Muhammad Ali Trophy,” the 26-year-old said. “I can´t describe how excited I am.
”I am eager to prove myself in the first season of the greatest tournament ever. Joining the World Boxing Super Series means the world to me. We can expect a lot of great boxing and I can´t wait to prove myself against the best fighters out there.”
Like Skoglund, Great Britain´s Jamie Cox will also put his unbeaten record on the line as he enters the revolutionary bracket-style elimination competition.
“I’m excited to be joining the World Boxing Super Series,” the 30-year-old said. “This is great opportunity. I’ve never shied away from a challenge and I’m looking forward to testing myself against the top names in the division.
“I think the tournament format will suit me well, and this will be a chance for me to show everybody what level I’m at. I know I’m capable of winning. I’m ready to show the world what I’m all about.
“Maybe people will see me as the dark horse of the tournament. If that’s the case, I’m ready to cause a shock. I train very hard and I’ve done it in the gym before with top champions and now I’ve got the platform to do it on the world stage.
“Maybe they might take their eye off the prize when it comes to me. More fool them if they do because I’ll be training for every single fight like it is the final.”
Said Eddie Hearn, who promotes Cox: “This is a great opportunity for Jamie to announce himself on the World stage and he shouldn’t be underestimated in this tournament. He will box on our show in London this Saturday to warm up for the series and will bring plenty of excitement and power!”
With Skoglund and Cox on board, the World Boxing Series now features five undefeated fighters, as world champions Gassiev, Dorticos and Briedis, who will compete in the cruiserweight competition, have not tasted defeat before either.
“The World Boxing Super Series promised to deliver a blend of proven champions and rising challengers,” said Roberto Dalmiglio, Comosa´s Head of the Management Board. “Right now, the Muhammad Ali Trophy features four world champions, two former world champions and two up-and-coming contenders that have never lost a fight in their lives. We are thrilled with the current line-up and will announce further high-profile participants in the coming weeks.”
Kalle Sauerland, Comosa´s Chief Boxing Officer, has commended Skoglund and Cox for their courage to enter a field of champions. “It takes a lot of heart and courage to sign up for the World Boxing Super Series,” he said. “The quality of their competitors will be beyond anything they have ever experienced in their young careers. But their undefeated record tells us they are ready to take on the world´s best fighters. And this is that makes the Muhammad Ali Trophy so special – you have proven champions on the one side and hungry contenders on the other side. Boxing fans can expect a lot of drama and excitement.”
In the inaugural season of the World Boxing Super Series, 16 elite fighters – eight super-middleweights and eight cruiserweights – will battle it out in a bracket-style elimination tournament. In both divisions, there will be four quarter-finals (September / October 2017), two semi-finals (early 2018) and one final (May 2018), making for a total of 14 high-class fights.
The quarter-finals will be set during a live Draft Gala at Monaco’s famed Grimaldi Forum on July 8, with the top seeds (determined by the Comosa Board) picking their opponents from the unseeded boxers.
WORLD BOXING SUPER SERIES AT A GLANCE
Participants confirmed: 8 of 16
Number of world champions: 4
Number of former world champions: 2
Number of undefeated fighters: 5
Combined record of participants: 234 wins, 10 losses, 162 KOs
Confirmed Cruiserweights (5 of 8)
Yunier Dorticos (21-0, 20 KOs), WBA World Champion
Murat Gassiev (24-0, 17 KOs), IBF World Champion
Mairis Briedis (22-0, 18 KOs), WBC World Champion
Krzysztof Wlodarczyk (53-3-1, 37 KOs), former IBF / WBC World Champion & IBF top-ranked challenger
Marco Huck (40-4-1, 27 KOs), former WBO World Champion
Confirmed Super-Middleweights (3 of 8)
George Groves (26-3, 19 KOs), WBA Super Champion
Erik Skoglund (26-0, 12 KOs)
Jamie Cox (22-0, 12 KOs)
