Saturday 10pm, live on Sky Sports Main Event - Briedis vs Dorticos in the World Boxing Super Series final
Saturday 26 September 2020 21:53, UK
The World Boxing Super Series is focusing on putting together a "hot" heavyweight tournament that would force the big names of the division to duke it out, according to promoter Kalle Sauerland.
The Muhammad Ali trophy and the IBF championship are at stake in the final of the cruiserweight tournament between Mairis Briedis and Yuniel Dorticos on Saturday night at 10pm, live on Sky Sports Main Event.
The winner joins Oleksandr Usyk, Callum Smith, Josh Taylor and Naoya Inoue as World Boxing Super Series victors before attention turns to a heavyweight edition.
"If Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury gets made next year there is a big, big pool of fights to be made outside of that," Sauerland told Sky Sports.
Asked if gathering a crop of top heavyweights was realistic, he said: "For sure. The difficult job is to whittle it down to eight! You could reel of 12, 13 names that you'd like to see in it.
"Normally I wouldn't be for it because it's about finding the best in the weight class. But this has so much fan appeal.
"The heavyweights are one that we're looking at, and we've had meetings about it. But it's too early to say whether it will materialise.
"But it's hot and on the radar.
"Look at the big fights outside of the Fury-Joshua situation - Alexander Povetkin-Dillian Whyte 2, Joe Joyce vs Daniel Dubois, Filip Hrgovic is the standout guy coming through.
"Efe Ajagba, Martin Bakole, Andy Ruiz Jr, Derek Chisora, Oleksandr Usyk who loves the WBSS."
The first-ever female version of the World Boxing Super Series is also under consideration.
Saturday night's cruiserweight final between Latvia's Briedis and Cuba's Dorticos brings together two former world champions who were the semi-finalists in the tournament won by Usyk.
Former WBC and WBO champion Briedis' only defeat came against Usyk. Former WBA and defending IBF titleholder Dorticos has only ever lost to Murat Gassiev.
In the semi-finals of this tournament, Briedis bludgeoned Krzysztof Glowacki and Dorticos exploded to KO Andrew Tabiti.
"They are both extremely good to watch stylistically - good power punchers, good boxers, so it should be a really high-quality fight," Lawrence Okolie told Sky Sports.
Undefeated Okolie is expected to face Glowacki for the vacant WBO belt in December so could meet Briedis or Dorticos further down the line.
Okolie said: "Dorticos is a naturally bigger puncher. Briedis does look heavy-handed with every shot. But Dorticos has one shot - bang!
"You've never seen Brieidis hurt but you expect Dorticos to have enough power.
"I'm leaning towards Briedis. I like Dorticos stylistically more - longer, strong puncher, but he might be too conventional for Briedis who had a really good fight with Usyk."
Promoter Sauerland added: "Dorticos? I see shades of Deontay Wilder. He has this phenomenal right hand which he does rely on. As a boxer he has more than Wilder.
"He has that Cuban schooling behind the massive right hand. He is a very, very dangerous man in the ring.
"Briedis is more of an all-rounder. A sensational counter-puncher but he can bang with both hands and has a greater variety of shots.
"Dorticos will be on the front foot and Briedis will look to counter-punch. Briedis, at heavyweight, knocked out Manuel Charr - he can absolutely bang.
"These are two guys who, in one second, it could all be over. Don't blink, you might miss it.
"We've got one guy who relies on a big right hand against another who relies on a counter-punch. The No 1 cruiserweight on the planet, Briedis, against the No 2, Dorticos."
Sky Sports schedule
WBSS final - Sept 26, live on Sky Sports
Yuniel Dorticos vs Mairis Briedis
The Golden Contract - Sept 30 live on Sky Sports
Ohara Davies vs Tyrone McKenna
Buatsi vs Calic - Oct 4, live on Sky Sports
Joshua Buatsi vs Marko Calic
Chantelle Cameron vs Adriana Dos Santos Araujo
Alen Babic vs Niall Kennedy
Aqib Fiaz vs Kane Baker
Linus Udofia vs John Harding Jr
John Hedges
Ritson vs Vazquez - Oct 17, live on Sky Sports
Lewis Ritson vs Miguel Vazquez
Savannah Marshall vs Hannah Rankin
Joe Laws
Kash Farooq
Qais Ashfaq
Thomas Patrick Ward
Usyk vs Chisora - Oct 31, live on Sky Sports Box Office
Oleksandr Usyk vs Derek Chisora
Povetkin vs Whyte 2 - Nov 21, Sky Sports Box Office
Alexander Povetkin vs Dillian Whyte
