A Closer Look at the Eight Finalists in the WBC Grand Prix Tournament

Tournaments in professional boxing tend to become messy affairs. As things proceed, they go off-script, wrecking well-laid plans. By contrast, the ongoing tournament in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, which has one leg remaining, has had relatively smooth sailing. Labeled the WBC Grand Prix, the tourney, a collaboration between the World Boxing Council and Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, began with 128 fighters representing 41 countries competing in four weight classes. Now we’re down to eight finalists with the tourney slated to wrap-up on Dec. 20 in Riyadh.

The single-elimination invitational tournament was designed for prospects. The general details were revealed at the WBC convention last December in Hamburg, Germany.

Initially, the tournament was designed for fighters no older than 26 with no more than 12 pro fights on their ledger. The rule was modified to allow for a few exceptions. Also, before the tournament began, the rounds in all the preliminary bouts leading into the finals were reduced from “8” to “6”.

The boxers were sorted into these categories: heavyweight, middleweight (160), super lightweight (140) and featherweight (126). The judges (three judges and two alternates for each bout) were prohibited from scoring a round “even,” precluding the possibility of a draw.

Here are the eight finalists:

Heavyweight

Ahmed Krnjic (Bosnia and Herzegovena) vs. Kevin Ramirez (Argentina)

With only seven pro fights to his credit, AHMED KRNJIC  (7-0, 4 KOs) is on paper the least experienced boxer in the finals, but the 28-year-old father of two is a combat sports veteran with an impressive kickboxing pedigree. This is his second international tournament this year and one could say he has something to prove after getting eliminated in the opening round of a July kickboxing tourney. At 6’4 ½” Krnjic will have a significant size advantage over Buenos Aires street sweeper KEVIN RAMIREZ (11-0-2, 4 KOs) who advanced to the title round with a split decision over Arizona’s Dante Stone (pictured to the right of Ramirez). Against Stone, the last of 13 American entries still standing, Ramirez, essentially a cruiserweight, was out-weighed by 62 pounds.

Middleweight

Dylan Biggs (Australia) vs. Derek Pomerleau (Canada)

A former Australian 154-pound champion, DYLAN BIGGS (17-1, 9 KOs) has the most recognizable name among the finalists. The only boxer remaining in the tourney with an “L” on his ledger, the Queenslander, 23, has won five straight since losing his domestic super welterweight title on a fifth-round stoppage to Nikita Tszyu, a pay-per-view fight in the Land Down Under. He fought his way into the championship round with a points win over a Frenchman with a cool name, Lancelot de la Chappelle. Montreal southpaw DEREK POMERLEAU (15-0, 11 KOs) participated in one of the most exciting matches in the tourney in the semifinals, overcoming Colombia’s Carlos Sinisterra. He is under contract to veteran Montreal promoter Yvon Michel.

Super lightweight

Mujibillo Tursonov (Uzbekistan) vs. Carlos Utria (Colombia)

It figured that at least one fighter from Uzbekistan would make it to the finals. Uzbek boxers won five gold medals at the most recent Olympic Summer Games. MUJIBILLO TURSONOV (9-0, 2 KOs) defeated a 15-0 fighter from the Ukraine in the semifinals. In CARLOS UTRIA (13-0, 11 KOs) he will be meeting the sensation of the tournament. So says WBC honcho Mauricio Sulaiman who informs us that the 22-year-old Colombian is already a hero in his native country.

Featherweight

Muhamet Qamili (Italy) vs. Brandon Mejia (Mexico)

Born in Albania, MUHAMET QAMILI (17-0-1, 8 KOs) trained for this tournament in the mountain town of Jiquipilco, Mexico. He won his semifinal match on a first-round TKO; his French opponent protested the stoppage by the Canadian referee. In the semis, BRANDON MEJIA (12-0, 10 KOs) stopped his South African opponent in the fifth round with a body shot. In his last fight before entering the tournament, the 21-year-old Mexican was purportedly paid $150. Per Mauricio Sulaimain, Mejia’s tournament winnings, with the final yet to come, allowed him to purchase a house for his mother.

DAZN will televise the grand finale.

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