As if there wasn’t already a “World Series of Boxing,” there’s now a “World Boxing Super Series!” Billed as a $50 million tournament, with the “Muhammad Ali Trophy” up for grabs, the new competition will debut this fall. Here are all the details.
Comosa AG are pleased to announce the launch of the World Boxing Super Series, a revolutionary bracket-style elimination tournament featuring the world`s best boxers and a total of $50 million in prize money. The winner will receive the GREATEST prize in boxing – the Muhammad Ali Trophy.
“The World Boxing Super Series will change the world of boxing,” said Roberto Dalmiglio, Comosa’s Head of Management Board. “The tournament will set new standards, ensure coherent storylines and provide top-class boxing throughout the year. It is Comosa’s ambition to turn the World Boxing Super Series into the world’s biggest and best boxing tournament.”
The tournament will be organised by newly-founded Comosa AG, a Swiss-registered company with principal owners from the world of marketing (Highlight Event & Entertainment), broadcasting (Modern Times Group) and boxing (Team Sauerland).
The tournament, the first of its kind, will kick off in September 2017. It will be taking place on an annual basis. The inaugural season of the World Boxing Super Series will feature two weight classes, 16 fighters and a total of 14 main events. In each weight class, eight boxers will battle it out in a bracket-style elimination tournament, with four quarter-finals, two semi-finals and one final. This makes for seven top fights per weight class, and a total of 14 fights in season 1 to be staged in premier venues around the globe. An expert panel will invite the world’s best boxers, namely the top 15-ranked fighters of the four big federations WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO.
Matthew Hooper, Executive Vice President, Modern Times Group, said: “The fighters can earn a lot of money in the World Boxing Super Series and also prove that they are the number one in their division. We will set out a clear and consistent schedule and stick to it.”
The eight Quarter Finals – four in each weight class – will take place in September and October 2017, with the four Semi Finals scheduled for January and February 2018. The two Finals will then go down in May 2018.
“Comosa is proud to announce a close cooperation with the family of the greatest boxer of all time, Muhammad Ali, and we are delighted to honour his legacy with this tournament,” said Kalle Sauerland, Comosa’s Chief Boxing Officer. “Whoever emerges as the winner of the World Boxing Super Series will rightfully receive the GREATEST prize in boxing, the Muhammad Ali Trophy.”
Added Richard Schaefer, Comosa’s Chairman of the Americas: “I have been involved in the sport for a long time and boxing has really been missing a big tournament like the World Boxing Super Series. Every major sport has one. This is a fascinating project and I am thrilled to be involved. The quality of the people behind this tournament ensures it will be a success.”
The weight classes for the inaugural season of the World Boxing Super Series – as well as the respective participants – will be announced at the Draft Gala, a live-televised kick-off event in June 2017. To avoid each other in the Quarter Finals, the top four boxers will be seeded. During the Draft Gala, they will pick their Quarter Final opponents.
Comosa will partner up with boxers, promoters and managers from around the world, and in accordance with the four major World Boxing Federations, creating a new platform for the sport to thrive on.
Comosa has signed an agreement with MP & Silva, which is the exclusive sales agent of World Boxing Super Series tournaments for the next 3 seasons (2017/18, 18/19 and 19/20) on a world-wide basis excluding USA and Scandinavia. The rights will be available for international territories on all broadcast platforms, including digital and OTT formats.
Alongside action-packed Fight Nights, there will be extensive TV & online programming produced for fans around the globe. More information will be announced in due course.
1. Which Boxers will be participating in the World Boxing Super Series?
All professional licensed boxers, ranked in the top 15 of the four official federations, who have previously participated in the Seasons’ chosen weight classes will be invited to the Tournament. Any boxer, or their representative, that fulfils these criteria can contact the World Boxing Super Series or will be contacted directly to be part of the Tournament.
2. How will World Boxing Super Series boxers be chosen?
Boxers rated within top-15 on the current World Rankings in the four main federations (WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO) will be considered. An expert panel will choose who to invite to the Tournament. The expert panel will be nominated by the board of Comosa and will consist of former pros, journalists, respected experts and people with a strong and respected public connection to the sport.
3. Which weight classes will be in the tournament?
Each season, the weight classes will be decided by Comosa and announced several months before start of the Tournament.
4. How will World Boxing Super Series Match-ups be determined?
All 8 boxers will be seeded by an Expert Panel prior to the start of the Tournament. The Top 4 seeds will be kept apart in the Quarter Finals and will chose their opponent in a live televised broadcast draft gala. The tournament directors will select the location of the fights.
5. When will World Boxing Super Series Seasons take place?
Season 1 is scheduled to commence with the Quarter Finals in September & October 2017 and complete with the Finals in May 2018. The Semi Finals will take place in January and February 2018. Season 2 will commence in September 2018 and follow the same cycle.
6. How many Fight Nights will there be in Season 1?
Each weight class will include 4 Quarter Finals, 2 Semi Finals and 1 Final. There will be 2 weight classes in Season 1, resulting in 14 Fight Nights in total.
7. Where will World Boxing Super Series Fight Nights take place?
The fights will take place around the globe, but mainly in USA and Europe. Seven Fights in Europe will start at 11:00 PM CET and the other seven fights in USA will start at 11:00 PM EST. There will be one World Boxing Super Series fight per event plus undercard fights. Only first class arenas will host World Boxing Super Series events.
8. What happens if a World Boxing Super Series Boxer is injured, or must withdraw from the Tournament?
There will be a pool of ‘Reserve Boxers’, who will be contracted and made public. The Reserve Boxers will always be available at event the shortest notice should a Boxer have to withdraw for any reason. The Boxers on the reserve list will be Boxers who didn’t quite make it in to the tournament, or, who performed well in previous rounds despite losing.
9. Who will Broadcast World Boxing Super Series Fight Nights?
Broadcast deals will be announced in the coming months, but the tournament will get TV coverage around the globe. Comosa has already completed a long term deal with leading sports rights agency MP and Silva who will represent the media rights of the World Boxing Super Series outside the USA. The rights holders will receive plenty of shoulder-programming around each individual Fight Night to
promote the tournament, the package available for the fans viewing pleasure will be second-to-none, featuring revolutionary ideas and add-ons, during the build-up to the event in fight week and the event itself.
10. Will there be a World Boxing Super Series Anti-Doping programme?
Yes – all participants will be tested in accordance with WADA standards. No boxer can participate if they are in breach of any doping regulations and testing will run throughout the Tournament schedule.
11. Who will Judge/Referee World Boxing Super Series Fight Nights?
World Boxing Super Series events will be refereed and judged in accordance with the local rules of each fight. All Fight Nights will take place under the jurisdiction of local Boxing and Legal authorities (For example, events that take place in New York will adhere to the New York State Athletic Commission.)
12. Will the WBC, WBA, WBO & IBF (and others) be involved in the Tournament?
All four of the major federations will be invited to play an active role in the organization of the Tournament.
13. Will the Fights be for Championship and/or Belts?
If a fighter brings a title into the tournament this title is respected by the World Boxing Super Series, and the fights where one of the existing belts are on the line will be regarded as a world title fight within the World Boxing Super Series. The world title can then be carried on throughout the Tournament.
14. Which promoters are working with the Tournament?
World Boxing Super Series will seek to work with all promoters, ensuring the best possible Boxers are involved – creating an exciting tournament for fans.
15 . Will there be other seasons in future years?
Yes. The Tournament will become an annual event, with different weight classes participating each year.
16. Will World Boxing Super Series Boxers receive prize-money in the tournament?
Season one has a budget of USD 50,000,000 to be distributed to the participating boxers. The break-down of prize-money will be communicated before the start of each tournament but will include bonusses for a win, so that fighters are not simply fighting for a purse but always competing for a ‘prize’ in every round of the tournament – the highest bonus will be paid out for winning the final.
17. What is the Muhammad Ali Trophy?
The winner of each Weight class in each season will receive the Muhammad Ali Trophy. The trophy was designed by Silvio Gazzaniga (the designer of the FIFA World Cup Trophy). It’s named after The Greatest fighter in history, Muhammad Ali, to honour the ‘Greatest of All Time.’
18. How much will Muhammad Ali legacy and name be involved in the Tournament?
The Tournament has been designed to honour Muhammad Ali, his accomplishments and legacy. Crowning new champions each year and celebrating Boxers skills inside the ring serves as a fitting reminder as to how much Muhammad Ali contributed to the sport of Boxing both inside and outside the ring.
