This week we kick off the semifinals of the World Boxing Super Series. The four fights in the two divisions will play out over the next five weeks and we might be starting with the best one. HBO also has a Golden Boy card Saturday night. It is a weak one, but it is boxing to watch.
Saturday, January 27th
Oleksandr Usyk (13-0, 11 KOs) v Mairis Briedis (23-0, 18 KOs), WBC & WBO cruiserweight titles – World Boxing Super Series Semifinals – Latvia – ITV Box Office (UK), 3:30 PM Eastern
This is simply a great matchup. It is an absolute shame that this tournament never found a real home on US television. The Audience Network carried some of the late first round fights stateside, but I am not sure if they are still doing that. No one has that channel anyway. Regardless, Usyk is the favorite here, but he is also going on the road against another unbeaten titleholder. Definitely try to find a way to watch this one. The undercard consists of a few interesting prospects too.
Jorge Linares (43-3, 27 KOs) v Mercito Gesta (31-1-2, 17 KOs), WBA lightweight title & Lucas Matthysse (38-4, 35 KOs) v Tewa Kiram (38-0, 28 KOs), welterweights – HBO, 10:30 PM Eastern
This card is probably garbage, but maybe not. Jorge Linares is unarguably one the two best lightweights in the world alongside Mikey Garcia. Mercito Gesta is a good fighter, but I don’t think he is good enough to be competitive here. Yet, Linares always carries that air of vulnerability so maybe something could happen. The co-main event is a strange one. Lucas Matthysse is continuing to rebuild his career. I have no idea who Tewa Kiram is though. Not one iota. His record is typically empty Thai stuff and that is all I have to go on. That doesn’t mean he can’t fight, of course, but it does make him a really strange choice for an HBO co-main event. I guess HBO has to take what Golden Boy gives them at this point.
