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Philippines, 28 Mar 2026 |
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KALLE SAUERLAND: WILL WE WITNESS THE CROWNING OF A NEW KING OR THE OLD LION RECLAIMING THE THRONE IN JAPAN? PhilBoxing.com Wed, 30 Oct 2019  Kalle Sauerland, Chief Boxing Officer of the WBSS, talks Taylor-Prograis and breaks down the Bantamweight Ali Trophy final, Naoya Inoue vs Nonito Donaire, on November 7 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. “The final in Japan is also going to be a spectacle,” said Kalle Sauerland. “You have Inoue, a new star to the sport who is for me the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter on the planet at the moment and we have someone in Donaire who is very big for the weight, who has achieved everything in the sport. Multiple world champion at multiple weights, a renowned puncher who also really knows the game. “So for Inoue, this is a test against experience, skill, power, knowledge, and most importantly size. So we expect a huge final. We will witness the crowning of a new king or the old lion reclaiming the thrown for the absolute supremacy in the bantamweight division.” The Ali Trophy is traveling to Japan after Saturday’s epic super-lightweight final between Josh Taylor and Regis Prograis at The O2 in London. It was a thrilling final between unbeaten world champions but ultimately edged by the ‘Tartan Tornado’ who earned the Ali Trophy by finishing stronger. The scorecards had it 114-114, 115-113 and 117-112 in favour of Taylor, but both finalists produced masterclass performances in 12 rounds of excellent back and forth action. “The final was one of the best fights I have ever seen live,” said Sauerland. “It was the sport of boxing at its highest level for the Greatest Prize in Boxing. “I think we saw what the World Boxing Super Series sets out to do; deliver the best against the best. Once again we’ve seen an absolute barnstormer, a great fight on such a level. I think this fight is going down in the history books. “Regis Prograis will come back very strongly – but like we saw when Aleksandr Usyk and Callum Smith won the Ali Trophy in their divisions – we now know that the best super-lightweight on the planet, bar none, no questions asked, is Josh Taylor. And that’s what we seek to do. That’s what the Ali Trophy is. It represents clarity in the sport.” Josh Taylor is in a state of blissful happiness after winning the Ali Trophy, the Ring Magazine belt and unifying the IBF and WBA world titles in the WBSS Super-Lightweight final. “It’s not sunk in what I have achieved,” said the 28-year-old Scot. “I’ve visualised it for so long. Ever since I put my name forward for this tournament I have visualised myself lifting the trophy and all these belts. It’s a big weight off my shoulders. It’s just a huge relief. I’m on cloud nine.” Taylor is about to move into a new home in East Lothian – east of Edinburgh – next week. “This will be the first furniture we have in the new house,” Taylor told with a smile on his face. “We’ve got no couch, no bed, no TV but we have the Ali Trophy and got all these belts. That’s when it will sink in …” The World Boxing Super Series returns with the Bantamweight Ali Trophy final, Naoya Inoue vs Nonito Donaire, on November 7 at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan. DAZN, the world’s largest dedicated live sports streaming service, exclusively brings U.S. fight fans the WBSS Season II Finals. To sign up for a one-month free trial, fans can visit DAZN.com or download the DAZN app to their preferred connected device. Ali Trophy winners: 2019: Josh Taylor (Super-Lightweight) 2018: Aleksandr Usyk (Cruiserweight), Callum Smith (Super Middleweight).  |
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