The seventh entrant of the World Boxing Super Series bantamweight tournament has been announced.
WBA “regular” bantamweight champion Naoya Inoue has officially been announced as the latest entrant after initially agreeing to the tournament several weeks prior.
Inoue, who is ranked in the pound-for-pound top 10 on Fightful’s Boxing Rankings, will likely be the odds-on favorite to win the whole tournament. Inoue, a former light flyweight and super flyweight world champion made his bantamweight debut earlier this year and knocked out Jamie McDonnell in one round to win the WBA title.
With seven of the eight spots filled in the bantamweight tournament field, four world champions have now entered the field. Below is the current roster for the WBSS tournament at 118 lbs.:
- WBA “Super” Champion Ryan Burnett
- WBA “Regular” Champion Naoya Inoue
- IBF Champion Emmanuel Rodriguez
- WBO Champion Zolani Tete
- IBF Mandatory Challenger Jason Moloney
- Former World Champion Nonito Donaire
- Former World Champion Juan Carlos Payano
Three tournaments are currently scheduled to take place in the upcoming second season of the World Boxing Super Series with a junior welterweight tournament also taking place. The third tournament has yet to be announced. The tournament draft gala, where the first-round matchups will be announced, will take place on July 22, one day after the World Boxing Super Series cruiserweight tournament ends in Russia. The WBSS super middleweight finals still do not have a date and a venue.
