Prograis – Velasco winner to enter World Boxing Super Series

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, the July 14 WBC junior welterweight title bout between Regis Prograis and Juan Jose Velasco will see the winner enter the upcoming World Boxing Super Series.

“My biggest asset is my hunger to be the best,” said Prograis, a southpaw, who claimed a vacant interim title by second-round knockout of former unified titleholder Julius Indongo on March 9. “I have a chip on my shoulder and I want to prove to everybody I am the best at 140 pounds. I’m definitely excited to enter into the tournament. This is great for boxing. The best fighting the best.”

“It’s a great honor and I look forward to competing for the Muhammad Ali Trophy and winning the whole thing,” Velasco said. “I think the format is set up well. The best fight the best in the World Boxing Super Series to determine one champ. Great!”

Kiryl Relikh (22-2, 19 KOs), 28, of Belarus, will defend his version of the 140-pound title for the first time when he faces mandatory challenger and former world titlist Eduard Troyanovsky (27-1, 24 KOs), 38, of Russia, in one of the quarterfinal bouts.

“The World Boxing Super Series is getting the best facing the best, which is precisely what is needed in our sport,” Relikh said. “I am focused on preparing the best that I can to achieve the dream of winning the Muhammad Ali Trophy. The holder of the trophy will be a superstar in the game.”

“I am very happy to take part in the tournament,” Troyanovsky said. “The Muhammad Ali Trophy is something really special for any boxer in the world. Maybe it could be more prestigious than championship belts because not everyone can get this trophy.”

One of the other quarterfinals is another mandatory fight. It will match Russia’s Ivan Baranchyk (18-0, 11 KOs), 25, and Anthony Yigit (21-0-1, 7 KOs), 26, of Sweden, who will meet for a vacant world title.

“I am really happy to be a part of the tournament because there are chances to take all the titles and show everyone that I am the best in the division,” Baranchyk said. “My nature, effort and my love of boxing will help me to get the Ali Trophy.”

Said Yigit: “It’s a great opportunity, and I’m honored to have been chosen to fight among the best in the division. This Ali Trophy tournament is a great example of how boxing should be promoted: the best fighting the best. That’s where I want to be and these are the fighters I want to face.”

Also in the field will be Josh Taylor (13-0, 11 KOs), a 27-year-old southpaw from Scotland. He scored a hard-fought unanimous decision over former titlist Viktor Postol on June 23.

“I am delighted to have had to the opportunity to join the competition,” Taylor said. “It’s a great chance for me to become world champion with multiple organizations. It is also a great honor to fight for the Ali Trophy in honor of the greatest boxer of all time.”

The second season tournaments now also have an American broadcaster after going without for most of the first season. The Perform Group’s DAZN all-sports streaming service, which launches soon in the United States, announced on Monday that it has secured the rights for all three tournaments. DAZN said it will stream all 15 cards and 21 tournament fights.

“As a platform built for the fans, DAZN has been mining boxing chats and forums to see how we can bring immediate value to the community,” DAZN CEO James Rushton said. “It became obvious that Americans felt left out of the terrific action and thrilling competition on display in the World Boxing Super Series. To that end, we’re happy to announce that we’ll stream every fight of all three tournaments. This is just the beginning.”