Boxing Challenge

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Another weekend in the Boxing Challenge as DAZN is the place to be as all four challenge encounters are on DAZN from two cities.

The biggest fight is from Manchester, England as the only unified world champion defends his four world titles for the first time.
Oleksandr Usyk didn't wait long to get back into the ring after winning the World Boxing Super Series in July and he'll be taking on an interesting customer in Tony Bellew.
Bellew held the WBC cruiserweight title before vacating in order to move to heavyweight for two lucrative fights against David Haye, in which he won both and is on a ten fight winning streak, but before that was stopped in six by Adonis Stevenson at light heavyweight.
I think this could be interesting for a bit, but in the end, Usyk is simply a higher level fighter than Bellew.
Elite beats World Class every time.

The other challenge fight is a WBA lightweight eliminator with former WBA lightweight champion Anthony Crolla against Daud Yordan, who at one time (about nine to ten years ago) was a title challenger at featherweight.
Crolla. who lost two decisions to Jorge Linares, has rebounded from those losses with wins over Ricky Burns and Edson Ramirez.
The winner becomes the mandatory contender for Vasyl Lomachenko, who would likely travel to England for a Crolla fight to spread his name recognition.

The World Boxing Super Series will conclude their quarter-final round in the cruiserweight division with two fights from Chicago.
I wasn't thrilled with the WBSS returning to the cruiserweights so soon, but it is what it is and the number one seed is back from the first tournament in former WBC champion Mairis Briedis, who was the closest fighter to defeating Oleksandr Usyk in losing a majority decision earlier this year.
I scored Usyk-Briedis a draw and wouldn't be against a rematch, but Briedis will have to win this tournament before that happens and his first opponent will be Noel Mikaelian of Germany.
Mikaelian has only fought one name that anyone would recognize in former champion Krzysztof Wlodarczyk and suffered his only loss via split decision.

Former WBO champion Krzysztof Glowacki battles Maksim Vlasov in the other WBSS bout.
Glowacki, who dropped the title in his only career defeat to Oleksandr Usyk, should have been entered in the previous tournament, but for some reason was placed as the alternate behind Mike Perez.
Glowacki faces Maksim Vlasov, who has won twelve fights in a row against less than top opposition since moving up from super middleweights as he leaped over light heavyweight since a loss by decision to Gilberto Ramirez in January 2015.
Glowacki has the advantage of being the stronger fighter and the more natural fighter at the weight.
The winners of these two bouts will meet in the semi-finals next year.

In the boxing challenge, I lead Ramon Malpica 181-158

World Cruiserweight Title 12 Rds
Oleksandr Usyk vs Tony Bellew
Both: Usyk Unanimous Decision

Lightweights. 12 Rds
Anthony Crolla vs Daud Yordan
Both: Crolla Unanimous Decision

World Boxing Super Series Cruiserweight Quarter-Final 12 Rds
Mairis Briedis vs Noel Mikaelian
R.L.: Briedis Unanimous Decision
TRS: Briedis KO 10

World Boxing Super Series Cruiserweight Quarter-Final 12 Rds
Krzysztof Glowacki vs Maksim Vlasov
R.L: Glowacki KO 9
TRS: Glowacki KO 12