WBSS: Oleksandr Usyk vs. Mairis Briedis — Overcoming Diversity

Undefeated champions will collide in the World Boxing Super Series Cruiserweight Semi-Finals for a chance to immortalize themselves among boxing’s best.

The World Boxing Super Series has absolutely shined in regards to its quality of competition. The Cruiserweight bracket began with four undefeated World Champions, and they have all carried on into the semi-final round. By the end of the tournament three of the four will lose their belts, and one will rise above and pronounce himself as the best in the world. The tournament gives the young champions the opportunity to not only become the best in the Cruiserweight division, but also to prove they are among the elite in the entire sport of boxing.

What separates this so-called “elite”from everyone else? A solid resume built over the years: a row of dominating performances time in and time out, victories over those have had their own success in the sport. But also one more thing — they need to prove that they can overcome diversity. And that’s what the WBSS tournament presents for it’s participants. A chance to overcome a challenge they are yet to face on the highest level of competition. The World Boxing Super Series has made it their goal to determine the undisputed absolute Cruiserweight champion and, further, they have created the opportunity for the winner to prove they are among the elite in boxing.

Each of the four semi-finalists had to overcome a challenge they had not yet seen in the professional career to emerge from the first round. Oleksandr Usyk had to overcome a formerly long dominant champion. Murat Gassiev had to face a similarly decorated veteran. Mairis Briedis, the most experienced out of the semi-finalists, chose to face the tournament’s “dark horse”, a former Cuban heavyweight going down to 200lbs. And Yunier Dorticos had to face off with a Russian beast who packs atomic bombs in each of his fists. All four passed their tests with flying colors. With the opening round behind them, all four participants will now again have to travel into unknown territory.

The first semi-final bout will feature the highly decorated amateur Oleksandr Usyk and the most professionally experienced of all the semi-finalists, Mairis Briedis. Briedis has defeated a number of top-ranked heavyweight and cruiserweight former champions and contenders, including current WBA Regular Champion Manuel Charr, former cruiserweight champion Marco Huck, former 2 times heavyweight contender Mike Perez, former 2 times cruiserweight contender Olanrewaju Durodola. He has seen it a lot in his time in the sport, but he hasn’t seen a technician as skilled as Usyk. Conversely, Usyk has never encountered the likes of Breidis: a young athletic champion with fast feet and high ring IQ.

The main difficulty presented by Mairis is his inconsistent rhythm. He hides his attacks with fast footwork and excessive clinches, and thus far none of his opponents have been able to crack his code. The one who came closest was Breidis’ last opponent, the aforementioned Mike Perez. Thanks to an uninspiring, conservative, and “safe” performance by Briedis, who decided to increase his clinch rate than than up his aggressiveness, Perez managed to deliver punches consistently. Briedis succeeded at beating Perez to the punch, however he left himself exposed for everyone to see: he just might have revealed the secret of how to defeat him. The previously invincible Latvian champion showed that he can be weak to a persistent attacking approach by an opponent who can quickly adapt to Mairis’ inconsistent rhythm and timing.

Breidis puts on a show in front of his Latvian fans — Photo: World Boxing Super Series

Oleksandr Usyk is a man known variously as the “the Cruiserweight Lomachenko”, “best technician north of 175”, and “the most skilled cruiserweight of all time”. He’s a machine with a smile of a psychopath who bring perks and skill to the ring perks that outshine Mairis’. Usyk has faster hands, faster feet, he is smarter, he is more versatile, he changes his style on the fly and he has enough stamina to go 15. For the first time in his career, Mairis Briedis will not hold advantages over his opponent based on his natural traits nor his preparations. And along with equal (or possibly superior) athleticism and boxing form that presents stylistical rubik's cube”, Usyk will bring tens of thousand roaring Ukrainian fans. What will Mairis Briedis need to do in order to upset and surprise the man who has seen it all? That only he knows. Or believes he does.

However the fight turns out, an exciting back and forth battle or a one sided beatdown or a slow-paced chess match, it will welcome a new addition to the rare “elite” breed of boxers. A man with the skills to beat his equal — to overcome and adapt to anything that is put in front of him. A chance to win it all or lose everything. A chance to become a boxing legend.