World Boxing News looks at the possibility of staging a World Boxing Super Series comeback tournament at heavyweight.
Any WBSS competition in the bulkiest division, including the top four fighters, could make serious zeroes.
World Boxing Super Series
Kalle Sauerland floated the idea of staging an eight-man extravaganza before. It would feature many big names at 200 pounds plus.
Add to that, Sauerland promoted Filip Hrgovic, who would be involved. Therefore, the inevitables would claim six of eight spots within the first discussion.
The other four would be Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, Deontay Wilder, Oleksandr Usyk, and one-time unified ruler Andy Ruiz Jr. They are all a given, depending on how stratospheric the competition can become.
Two would be chosen from a pool: Joe Joyce, Derek Chisora, Michael Hunter, Joseph Parker, Frank Sanchez, and the remaining contenders.
Jarrell Miller, Dillian Whyte, and Jared Anderson would hold outside chances.
Heavyweight
However, the only way all those top stars would agree to participate would be to make the event worth billions – rather than millions.
All that Organizers could work out the details in due process. Although there has always been one man that doesn’t see it happening,
Usyk’s manager Alexander Krassyuk aired his views on the potential super-competition before. He wonders where the money could come from right now.
The world heavyweight champion’s representative discussed organizing the vast competition. But Krassyuk wasn’t as enthusiastic on a WBSS as Kalle Sauerland.
“It’s a great idea but almost unreal to organize,” Krassyuk told mybettingsites.co.uk.
Billions
“Financial-wise, you’ll have to generate billions to make it happen. It’s not a matter of millions. It’s billions.
“So I cannot see a source coming forward with that sort of money. ”
Krassyuk knows more than most that turning to Saudi Arabian business people to pitch the idea could only help matters.
Usyk and Joshua are earning a mint for their rematch in the region next month.
It’s now whether Sauerland can get the green light to go after the most notable names after stating his desire for the weight class.
“Big, big fights, you want to promote those properly,” Sauerland told talkSPORT. “And I just feel that maybe that’s the right timing to go out with a heavyweight WBSS with an amazing list of fighters behind those two.
“So that’s definitely on the list.”
Seeds
Fury, Wilder, and Usyk would undoubtedly be seeded. If Joshua loses to Usyk again in a few weeks – a highly likely scenario – it would be between old foe Ruiz and AJ, who would be the other seed.
Therefore, we could effectively see Fury vs Joshua or Wilder vs Joshua in the quarter-finals of the hypothetical tournament.
At present, this would undoubtedly be the best way of fully unifying the heavyweight titles – if the funds can somehow get secured.
Fans and media can only dream. In reality, we may get a super-bantamweight and another cruiserweight installment of the WBSS – if we ever get another.
WBN Editor Phil has over ten years of boxing news experience. Follow WBN on Facebook @officialworldboxingnews and Twitter @worldboxingnews.
