Albert Baker
The best thing in boxing you should be watching or, at the least be most excited about isn’t even on your radar considering the smoking hot renaissance of the welterweight division. Amidst the projected pandemonium of the Canelo vs. Golovkin rematch there is an unsung and much unheralded hero in boxing broadcast that is getting no attention from the US masses.
The World Boxing Super Series is the best tournament in boxing period. Even better than the long and drug out Super Six that propelled future hall of famer Andre Ward to the spotlight. The project has absolutely no US audience outside of the absolute die-hard boxing base that comb through the internet in search of captivating fights. No US television means: no US interest, no US media coverage, no US major social media push, no US ad revenue and so on. For such a large investment (the production quality of the tournament is good and looks expensive) there has been no sense of need to carry the tournament to a US market.
The Cruiserweight division after all is the minor league for the Heavyweight division but, still no effort to promote the potential next star as a prologue of things to come. Sure, there isn’t a lot of hype surrounding the cruiserweight division, and maybe the networks weren’t interested in the first round of the series (an exciting first round to watch, do yourself a favor and search it on youtube).
So who is responsible for disregarding the future of this investment? On the WBSS website it states “WBSS is owned and organized by Comosa AG, which was founded by Highlight Event & Entertainment AG, Modern Times Group MTG AG, and SPAG Sauerland Promotion AG. Highlight Event & Entertainment is the majority shareholder.” however former GoldenBoy Promotions confidant and owner of Ringstar Promotions Richard Schaefer is the face of the promotion. Schaefer’s experience with GoldenBoy was at the height of the companies existence, and he had dealings with all of the networks in the states that televise boxing.
No televised cards for the tournaments means the cost didn’t match the potential return. A former banker, Schaefer bet against his own product. Understanding the finicky US audience and potential low viewership he either decided it wasn’t worth the effort of risking capital (relation or monetary) to promote the fights in the states or he simply brushed off the US market all together.
One way or another the series is being watched in the US and can be streamed on the World Boxing Super Series YouTube channel or from the link provided on this and other boxing websites that stream from their channel. That may satiate the die hard faithful, but think about all the missed opportunity to put a future Heavyweight title challenger in front of the masses. There will be no excitement for a potential winner of the WBSS to face Anthony Joshua or Deontay Wilder, no bargaining leverage in contract negotiations.
The only thing there will be is an unknown unified champion to the masses. Except to you and I that is.
