Oleksandr Usyk and Murat Gassiev will meet in the World Boxing Super Series cruiserweight division finals. Gassiev enters the bout as a slight -120 favorite with Usyk coming back at -110.
Usyk holds a perfect record through his first 14 professional fights with 11 of the wins coming via knockout. That being said, he isn’t likely to beat an opponent with one huge punch. Instead, “The Cat” uses his movement and high work rate to wear down the opposition over time.
Despite being just 24 years old, Gassiev already has 27 professional fights under his belt – 26 of which have been victories. The Russian likes to hunt for a knockout early but does a good job working the body to set himself up for success later in the fight. Gassiev will likely have the power advantage but does lag behind Usyk in technical acumen.
The Super Series started with the eight top-ranked cruiserweights in the world in a single-elimination tournament. The goal of the tournament – which started in September 2017 – was to award the Sportsbook the cruiserweight championship from boxing’s four major governing bodies.
This event was originally scheduled to take place on May 11 in Saudi Arabia but Usyk suffered a minor elbow injury that postponed the fight. The new date for the matchup is July 21 at the Olympic Stadium in Moscow, Russia.
- Oleksandr Usyk -110
- Murat Gassiev -120
