When the second cruiserweight tournament for the World Boxing Super Series started, no world titles were at stake, but the WBO has changed that.
Although Oleksandr Usyk, holder of the WBA “super,” WBO, WBC and IBF cruiserweight titles, is defending his belts against Tony Bellew on November 10, the WBO has gone on ahead and created an interim title with a fight to determine a champion also taking place on that day.
During the annual WBO convention, taking place in Panama, the governing body announced that the WBSS quarterfinal fight between Maksim Vlasov and Krzysztof Glowacki will be for the interim WBO title. The fight is scheduled to take place on the November 10 WBSS card in Chicago that will also feature Mairis Briedis and Noel Gevor in the fourth and final cruiserweight quarterfinal fight.
The interim title fight pits two of the top cruiserweights in the WBO rankings, but there was some controversy in making the fight happen. WBO Vice President of Europe Istvan Kovacs opposed the interim title proposal as Vlasov is getting the title opportunity over third-ranked Firat Arslan and fourth-ranked Imre Szello, both ranked higher than Vlasov.
“Both of these guys (#3 ranked Arslan and #4 ranked Imre Szello) have been standing in line for a while,” Kovacs said. “Both of them guys are very old. If you are talking of Vlasov I think he is less deserving then these other two guys.”
Nonetheless, WBO President Francisco Valcarcel ultimately ruled in favor of the WBSS hosting the title fight and the governing body gave the matchup between Vlasov and Glowacki the green light to crown a new interim champion.
