Usyk wins WBC belt in Riga

RIGA – Ukrainian cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk’s (14-0, 11 KO) hand is raised following a majority-decision, 12-round victory over Mairis Briedis (23-1, 18 KO) in Riga, Latvia, on January 27. The Symferopol native of the Ukrainian territory of Crimea won the World Boxing Conference belt with the nearly even-scored bout (115-113, 115-113, 114-114) adding to his World Boxing Organization title. The fight was part of the internationally promoted World Boxing Super Series tournament that is designed to unite all four cruiserweight titles among the sport’s four major governing bodies. Usyk, 31, is scheduled to fight on May 11 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, against Russia’s Murat Gassiev (27-0-1, 19 KO) who unified the IBF and WBA titles. Gassiev won on February 3 in Sochi against Yunier Dorticos (22-1, 22 KO) of Cuba by 12th-round TKO.