It's really frustrating when the best-laid plans of WBSS go awry

It's really frustrating when the best-laid plans of WBSS go awry

One of the main barriers in attracting casual fans to boxing is its lack of continuity.

While most sports run leagues or seasons, meaning the best must face the best at some point, matchmaking in boxing is usually based more on economics than aesthetics. When tuning in to most fights, it is not apparent who the winner will face next, what the stakes are for the loser, and where both fit into the bigger picture.

Boxing matches are usually "one and done" narratives, and even if any particular competitor has an obvious rival, there is no guarantee they will face each other.

Tournament-style boxing, especially at world level, is rare but should be encouraged -- even if the frustrations experienced by the hitherto-applauded World Boxing Super Series (WBSS) have shown that, even with the best of intentions, it is very difficult to pull off smoothly.

The WBSS has been a hit so far, with eight genuinely top-level competitors in both the cruiserweight and super-middleweight divisions vying the inaugural Muhammad Ali Trophy, as well as several world title belts. There have been fight of the year candidates, engrossing rivalries and exquisite skills on display.

It's been a showcase of all that is good about boxing, in an easy-to-understand format and no option for the competitors to avoid anyone -- eight boxers meet in four quarter-final matches, with the winners staying on to semi-finals and then a grand final.

And it is there, at the apex of the tournament, that problems have arisen.

After dazzling his way to the cruiserweight final, Ukrainian sensation Oleksandr Usyk suffered a slight injury in training, postponing his date with Murat Gassiev by a few weeks. A frustration, yes, but at least he is set to make a full recovery and we know for sure that the match will be rescheduled.

The fate of super-middleweight finalist George Groves is less certain.

In an awful piece of bad luck, he dislocated a shoulder in the final round of his semi-final against Chris Eubank Jr in February. He was well ahead on points and the injury did not affect the result, but it has put his much-anticipated final against Callum Smith in doubt.

Part of the WBSS's appeal is in its strict timetabling -- three top-drawer contests inside a XX-month period. But Groves' injury has pushed him out of the proposed July final. He has asked for a postponement, but the WBSS has not yet granted one, and in any case it is still unknown how long Groves would need to recover.

This leaves the whole tournament is a bind, and it's nobody's fault. The WBSS wants to finish on schedule, for continuity reasons, as its second season will begin in September. Currently, the WBSS is looking into choosing a substitute boxer for the final.

But it would be unfair on Groves to miss out because of circumstances that were not his fault. It would also be unfair on Smith, because while he would retain his place in the final, he would not have the opportunity to challenge for Groves' WBA world title, which would also be on the line.

And finally, putting any substitute straight into the final, without him having to win the two prior brackets, would render the whole point of the tournament irrelevant.

There is no easy answer to the quandary the WBSS finds itself in, and it is with horrible irony that one of the most exciting and genuine attempts at reforming the sport, carried out with the best of intentions by both the promoters and the fighters, should be stymied in such a manner.

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