Cuba Domadores and British Lionhearts looking to make history in WSB Season VI grand final
The Uzbekistan capital of Tashkent will be the site of the World Series of Boxing Season VI Team Finals on Saturday night, where the Season IV Champions Cuba Domadores meet this year’s surprise team the British Lionhearts. Ten bouts of five three-minute rounds will decide who lifts the prestigious trophy, and the two teams of the year are set to deliver an unmissable display of world-class boxing.
It will be Cuba Domadores’ third straight final since the franchise made its WSB debut in Season IV, while for the British Lionhearts, the current campaign has seen a crop of promising young stars come of age and step up on the biggest stage with a dynamic, energetic style that could push their opponents all the way. Having only dropped three bouts all season, the Cubans represent a huge obstacle to glory, but those three bouts all came in a 3-2 Group-Stage defeat to Ukraine Otamans, the Lionhearts’ Quarter-Final victims, proving that there is a chink in their otherwise flawless Season VI armour.
Indeed, the Domadores’ speciality has been 5-0 whitewashes of their opponents from the Group Stage right the way through to the final, most recently brushing aside Mexico Guerreros in the quarters and impressive newcomers Uzbek Tigers in the last four. The teamsheet reads like a who’s who of boxing’s biggest stars from team captain Julio Cesar la Cruz and fellow triple AIBA World Champion Lazaro Alvarez to Olympic champions Roniel Iglesias and Robeisy Ramirez, and the side will not be short of confidence going into their third WSB final.
The British Lionhearts have far surpassed last season’s campaign and the young team appears to have found the key to their WSB success, as demonstrated by last weekend’s convincing 7-3 Semi-Final win over last year’s champions Astana Arlans Kazakhstan. Competition for every place is stronger than ever, and while Pat McCormack, Galal Yafai, Peter McGrail and Frazer Clarke all looked strong against the Arlans, the likes of Harvey Horn, Qais Ashfaq and Joe Joyce wait in the wings for their opportunity to shine.
The final takes place in the Uzbek capital of Tashkent on Saturday at 7pm local time (2pm GMT). Watch all the action live on www.worldseriesboxing.com.
