Yuniel Dorticos (24-1, 22 KOs) has touched down in Riga for the kickoff press conference ahead of his highly-anticipated WBSS Cruiserweight Ali Trophy final with Mairis Briedis (26-1, 19 KOs) on March 21 at the Arena Riga.
“I’m excited to be here and be welcomed by the people of Latvia once again,” said Dorticos, IBF World cruiserweight champion, and tournament 2 seed.
The Miami-based Cuban stunned the boxing world and the crowd in Riga in June by stopping previously unbeaten Andrew Tabiti in the 10th round of his semi-final, and now he is intent on doing the same against Mairis Briedis, the tournament No 1 seed.
“I’m gonna knock him out,” said the ‘KO Doctor’. “I feel great and I can’t wait, come fight night and do what I do. I’m honoured and humbled to be fighting for the Muhammad Ali Trophy, I’m going to dedicate it to his memory by winning it and go down in history.”
Briedis – Dorticos tickets on-sale Wednesday
Tickets for the incredible Mairis Briedis vs Yuniel Dorticos Ali Trophy showdown go on sale from €29 on Wednesday, January 22nd at 11am in Latvia (10am CET, 9am in the UK and 5am U.S.) via bilesuserviss.lv and WorldBoxingSuperSeries. com.
For your chance to 24h early access to tickets sign up here.
Mairis Briedis and Yuniel Dorticos will face off on Wednesday at the kickoff press conference in Riga – exactly two months before they meet inside the ropes in Latvia’s capital.
Kalle Sauerland, WBSS Chief Boxing Officer, said: “There is a great passion for boxing in Latvia, the fans are among the best in the world, and they will aptly be treated with the best boxing can offer on March 21: a final for the Muhammad Ali Trophy, the iconic trophy known as the ‘greatest prize in boxing.This is undoubtedly the biggest sporting event in Latvian history,’”
Dorticos, the IBF World cruiserweight champion, has stated that his name is already engraved in the trophy and his opponent should prepare for war, while Briedis is expecting a thrilling fight with the whole world watching the pair battle it out at the Arena Riga.
“This is going to be the biggest sporting event in Latvian history,” said Kalle Sauerland. “You have Briedis, one of the toughest warriors in the sport, the man who took Usyk to the deep waters versus Dorticos, one of greatest knockout artists of the game, a man who is highly confident of going all the way. Briedis-Dorticos has all the ingredients to be another WBBS fight of the year contender
“The WBSS gives the boxers and fans clarity on who is the very best. And at cruiserweight, there is only one question left: Is it Briedis or Dorticos?”
Briedis and Dorticos took parallel routes to the cruiserweight final of the WBSS. Briedis beat Noel Mikaelian on points in his quarter-final and stopped Krzysztof Glowacki via TKO in the third round of a dramatic semi-final. Dorticos claimed a points victory over Mateusz Masternak and a 10th round knockout of Andrew Tabiti – a KO that earned the ‘KO Doctor’ the ‘Knockout of the Year’ prize across multiple media.