Sky Sports has secured the rights to broadcast the climax of season two of the World Boxing Super Series in the UK, including Josh Taylor’s first world title fight against Ivan Baranchyk.
Live coverage starts on Saturday, 27 April, as Nonito Donaire battles Zolani Tete with the WBA and WBO bantamweight belts at stake, while Regis Prograis also challenges Kiryl Relikh for the WBA super-lightweight title in Louisiana.
Taylor then attempts to become Scotland’s latest world champion when he takes on IBF champion Baranchyk in another super-lightweight semi-final at the SSE Hydro on 18 May, live on Sky Sports, with Naoya ‘The Monster’ Inoue also set to showcase his power when he is pitted against Emmanuel Rodriguez for the IBF and WBA ‘regular’ bantamweight belts on the same Glasgow bill.
The cruiserweight semi-finals will be staged in Latvia on 15 June, as former world champions Mairis Briedis and Krzysztof Glowacki collide in the last four, and former WBA champion Yunier Dorticos faces unbeaten America Andrew Tabiti for a place in the final.
All three semi-final fight nights of the second season of the WBSS will be broadcast exclusively live on Sky Sports, in a deal negotiated in partnership with Matchroom Boxing and WBSS organisers Comosa.
Commenting on the deal, Adam Smith, Sky Sports commentator and head of the broadcaster’s boxing coverage, said:
“I’ve admired the talent of Josh Taylor for a while and I’ll look forward to another red-hot atmosphere in Glasgow as Taylor bids to become the latest in a line of proud Scottish world champions. It’s wonderful to add The World Boxing Super Series semi-finals to our stacked Sky Sports schedule for the summer.
“The fearsome Naoya Inoue and four-weight champion Nonito Donaire also bring star quality to a tournament featuring world title fights, former champions, and unbeaten contenders, starting this Saturday on Sky Sports.”
The WBSS adds to Sky Sports’ boxing schedule which features top stars such as Anthony Joshua and adds some exciting match-ups over the next few months as the finalists are decided.
Eddie Hearn, Matchroom Boxing managing director, added:
“I’m delighted to bring these fight nights to Sky Sports and particularly pleased to air the big May 18 card from Glasgow. It’s a massive chance for Josh Taylor to become World champion and the fight between P4P star Inoue and Rodriguez is a cracker.
“It completes a huge May with action every weekend – we begin with the Middleweight unification between Canelo and Jacobs on May 4, then we return to Nottingham on May 10 for the latest installment of the JD NXTGEN series – May 18 in Glasgow followed by the WBC World Heavyweight title clash Wilder vs. Breazeale from New York and then on May 25 the undisputed Cruiserweight champ Aleksandr Uysk makes his Heavyweight debut against Carlos Takam in the States. This builds us into the US debut of Anthony Joshua at MSG on June 1 – what a schedule!”
Founded in 2017, the World Boxing Super Series has been without a UK television home for the majority of its second season, with fights streamed live online. The inaugural season was broadcast on ITV.
Season two started in October 2018 and includes Bantamweight, Super-Lightweight and Cruiserweight. In each weight class, eight elite boxers 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 21 fights in season two staged in major venues around the world.
Kalle Sauerland, Chief Boxing Officer of Comosa, WBSS organisers, added:
“The WBSS is delighted to be working with Sky Sports and Matchroom Boxing to bring our sensational semi-finals to as many UK fans as possible. Boxing fans can look forward to colossal nights of boxing. Supreme athletes in the bantamweight, super-lightweight and cruiserweight divisions are putting everything on the line for a place in the finals of the WBSS where the Ali Trophy awaits the winners.”
For more information about the World Boxing Super Series, visit the official website – worldboxingsuperseries.com.
SATURDAY 27th APRIL
Nonito Donaire v Zolani Tete
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SATURDAY 18th MAY
Josh Taylor v Ivan Baranchyk
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SATURDAY 15th JUNE
Mairis Briedis v Krzysztof Glowacki
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