The World Boxing Super Series officially announced its second instalment today, with the bantamweight division becoming the first confirmed weight class for season two of the glitzy, knockout-format-tournament at a press conference at The Savoy in London.
Following on from the successes from the first season, which saw the world’s best super middleweights and cruiserweights face off in the tournament’s revolutionary format, the announcement has been met with a favourable response among boxing fans.
Featuring three of the four World champions, the bantamweight edition presents a series of mouth-watering potential clashes.
WBA ‘Super’ champion Ryan Burnett (19-0-0, 9 KO’s) – seen by many as the consensus number one in the division – is joined by South African slickster Zolani Tete (27-3-0, 21 KO’s) (the current WBO champion) and newly-crowned IBF belt-holder Emmanuel Rodriguez (18-0-0, 12 KO’s), who impressed in dominating Britain’s Paul Butler this past weekend on the undercard of Tony Bellew’s repeat win over David Haye.
With a long-mooted clash between Burnett and Tete blighted by promotional difficulties in the past, the WBSS has once again broken down any such barriers in a bid to pit the “best against the best”.
Rumoured participants – such as Japanese superstar Naoya Inoue and Mexican powerhouse Luis Nery – are set to be announced over the coming weeks.
However, with such an exciting line-up already confirmed for the September start-date, boxing fans are already salivating at the prospect of a recognised number one in one of the sport’s most talent-rich divisions.
With well-matched, virtually-guaranteed-action fights promised in season two, the World Boxing Super Series will look to regain some of the momentum lost after recent injuries and withdrawals threatened to derail the super middleweight and cruiserweight finals.