The World Boxing Super Series cruiserweight tournament semifinals are set. IBF titlist Murat Gassiev rolled over aging multiple time former titleholder Krzysztof Wlodarczyk in three tonight in New Jersey. This moves him to an outstanding semifinal fight with Cuban power puncher Yunier Dorticos.
Murat Gassiev (25-0, 18 KOs) was simply too young, too fresh, and too powerful for aging Polish former titleholder Krzysztof Wlodarczyk. At 36, there is probably little Wlodarczyk has left for the top of the division while the 24 year old Murat Gassiev should scarily only keep improving. Generally fighters up at cruiserweight do not peak until the tail end of their twenties.
The finish came in the middle of the third round with an upstairs downstairs combination finishing on a beautiful liver shot. Wlodarczyk was down on his stomach in pain and took the full ten count. That was all she wrote.
Gassiev now moves on to meet fellow unbeaten Cuban power puncher Yunier Dorticos. I cannot sing that fight’s praises enough. I will be very, very excited when they are in the ring for that one as they are both skilled and real power punchers. The other semifinal will pit top seeded Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk versus Latvian titleholder Mairis Briedis in another compelling fight. Look for the second round of the two cruiserweight tournaments to begin at the start of 2018.
