แดนราฟาเอล, ESPN Senior Writer

When the World Boxing Super Series brackets for the eight-man, single-elimination tournaments in the cruiserweight and super middleweight divisions were unveiled in July, one bout stood out as a potential fight-of-the-year candidate.

It was the cruiserweight quarterfinal bout between world titleholder “เกาะหมอ,” yunier Dorticos, และ “ค้อนของรัสเซีย,” Dmitry Kudryashov, a pair of knockout artists with crowd-pleasing styles.

They meet in the first WBSS bout to take place in the United States ในวันเสาร์ที่ at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

“The fans are going to get an amazing show on [เสาร์],” said Dorticos 31, a Cuban defector fighting out of Miami. “This is definitely the best fight of the tournament and the best man will win. We’re both going to leave it all in the ring and fight with our hearts until the very end.

“I’m working hard and getting ready to take advantage of this opportunity. I have a strong opponent in front of me, but I know what I’m capable of. I’m going to go out there and study him the first few rounds and then break him down. I have to execute my game plan.”

ทำไม่ได้. 4 seed Dorticos (21-0, 20 คอส) will be making his first defense since being elevated from an interim titleholder. With three other titleholders — Oleksandr Usyk, Murat Gassiev and Mairis Briedis — also taking part in the tournament, the winner will be able to unify the division, which is Dorticos’ goal.

“It’s an honor for me to be part of such a prestigious tournament,” เขาพูดว่า. “This is my opportunity to put myself on top of this sport with the other big names and champions. This is what me and my team have worked so hard to accomplish. I want to fight all of the champions. That is my plan because I see myself as the best fighter in this division and now I can go out there and prove it.”

The winner of the tournament will receive the Muhammad Ali Trophy. Dorticos said winning it would mean as much to him as winning the other belts.

“I idolized Muhammad Ali just like everyone else in this sport, and to earn the trophy with his name would be something very special for my life and career,” เขาพูดว่า.

The unseeded Kudryashov (21-1, 21 คอส), 31, ของรัสเซีย, has similar goals heading into this fight.

“My main motivation is to become world champion and show that I’m the best in the division,” said Kudryashov, who will be fighting outside of Russia for the first time. “I’m the most powerful fighter in this division and everyone will see that on [เสาร์]. I have a newborn daughter, but I’m still training harder than ever and it has just added to my motivation to go win this tournament.

“Fighting for the Muhammad Ali Trophy is huge for me. It is a big responsibility to make sure that I honor his name. This is possibly the biggest prize that boxers can fight for in a tournament that couldn’t be more important.”

Kudryashov has won three fights in a row since his only defeat, a second-round knockout to Olanrewaju Durodola. Kudryashov avenged the loss in his last fight, a fifth-round knockout win over Durodola on มิถุนายน 3.

ทำไม่ได้. 1 seed Usyk (13-0, 11 คอส), ของประเทศยูเครน, scored a 10th-round knockout of former titlist Marco Huck in their Sept. 9 quarterfinal, and will face the winner of the fight between world titleholder Mairis Briedis (22-0, 18 คอส), ไม่มี. 3 seed from Latvia, and unseeded Mike Perez (22-2-1, 14 คอส), a Cuban defector now based in Ireland, in the semifinals in early 2018. Briedis and Perez meet เจ็ด. 30 at Riga Arena in Riga, ลัตเวีย.

The Dorticos-Kudryashov winner advances to the semifinals to face the winner of the fight between world titleholder and No. 2 seed Murat Gassiev (24-0, 17 คอส), ของรัสเซีย, and unseeded mandatory challenger and former titlist Krzysztof Wlodarczyk (53-3-1, 37 คอส), โปแลนด์, who meet ตุลาคม. 21 at the Prudential Center in Newark, รัฐนิวเจอร์ซีย์. The finals are due to take place in May.

วันเสาร์ card will also feature a 10-round cruiserweight fight between tournament alternates Keith Tapia (17-1, 11 คอส), 27, ของบรองซ์, นิวยอร์ก, and former world title challenger Lateef Kayode (21-1, 16 คอส), 34, a Nigeria native fighting out of Los Angeles.

นอกจากนี้, former four-division world titleholder Nonito Donaire, out of action since losing his junior featherweight world title by controversial decision to Jessie Magdaleno nearly a year ago, will return to face Ruben Garcia Hernandez in his first fight since signing with Ringstar Sports promoter Richard Schaefer.

โดแนร์ (37-4, 24 คอส), 34, the “Filipino Flash” who lives in Las Vegas, is returning to featherweight, where he once held a world title, to face Garcia Hernandez (22-2-1, 9 คอส), 24, เม็กซิโก, ในการแข่งขัน 10 รอบ. A Donaire victory likely will propel him into a much bigger fight in the first part of the 2018.