World Boxing Super Series: Bantamweight outright betting preview

What is the World Boxing Super Series?

After a successful first series at Cruiserweight and Super-Middleweight the World Boxing Super Series (WBSS) returns in September to determine who the best bantamweight boxer in the world is.

The tournament will feature eight fighters competing in an annual knockout competition with the champion taking the Muhammad Ali Trophy. The competition format of the WBSS is unique in boxing (the first of its kinds since the last installment of the Super Six World Boxing Classic in 2011) and with multiple fights featuring some of the world’s most elite fighters, it’s drawn plenty of interest from fans and bettors alike.

The simple knockout format using a seeding system with the top four seeded boxers selecting their opponent for the quarter-final (first seed gets first pick, second seed second pick and so on) unless there is a mandatory fight matchup.

Bantamweight quarter-final draw:

Ryan Burnett (19-0, 9 KOs) vs. Nonito Donaire (38-5, 24 KOs)

Naoya Inoue (16-0, 14 KOs) vs. Juan Carlos Payano (20-1, 9 KOs)

Zolani Tete (27-3, 21 KOs) vs. Mikhail Aloyan (4-0, 0 KOs)

Emmanuel Rodriguez (18-0, 12 KOs) vs. Jason Moloney (17-0, 14 KOs)

Bantamweight quarter-final draw:

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Ryan Burnett – No. 1 seed

Record: 19-0, 9 KOs

Notable wins: Lee Haskins (UD12), Zhanat Zhakiyanov (UD12)

From: Belfast, Northern Ireland

Belts: WBA Super World Bantamweight Champion

Style: Boxer

WBSS outright odds: 6.550*

Burnett is a former unified WBA and IBF Bantamweight World Champion and will come into the tournament as the number one seed. The Belfast fighter is an exciting talent and at 26, will be heading into the WBSS as a fighter in his prime.

Burnett became the first ever Irish fighter to unify a division on home soil when he outpointed Zhanat Zhakiyanov back in 2017 and if the Adam Booth trained fighter can box to a plan against the top tier of the tournament he could find himself in the mix at the business end.

Burnett, somewhat surprisingly has picked former multi-weight world champion Nonito Donaire after being granted first choice of opponent as the number one seed, largely relying on the fact the Philippine fighter recently shared 12 hard rounds with Carl Frampton two weight divisions up at featherweight, but the former multi-weight world champion will not have come in the big-money tournament to make up the numbers and should provide Burnett with a real test.

Naoya Inoue – No. 2 seed

Record: 16-0, 14 KOs

Notable wins: Ryochi Taguchi (UD10), Omar Narvaez (KO2), Kohei Kono (TKO6), Jamie McDonnel (KO1)

From: Kanagawa, Japan

Belts: WBA Regular World Bantamweight Champion

Style: Boxer-Puncher

WBSS outright odds: 1.613*

Simply known as ‘Monster’, Inoue is a precocious talent. Already a three weight world champion at 25, the Japanese sensation is well-known for his lightning quick hands and concussive punching power.

Coming into the tournament off the back of blasting out the world-rated Jamie McDonnell inside a round, Inoue will start the tournament as favourite and rightly so. If you were a big fan of Manny Pacquiao in his prime you will almost certainly love the little Japanese sensation.

Inoue will be out to demonstrate his natural talents, and there’s some commendable opposition for the 25-year-old to compete with which could see WBA world title holder become an international superstar.

Zolani Tete – No. 3 seed

Record: 27-3, 21 KOs

Notable wins: Paul Butler (TKO8), Artur Villanueva (UD12), Omar Narvaez (UD12)

From: Eastern Cape, South Africa

Belts: WBO Bantamweight World Champion

Style: Counter-puncher

WBSS outright odds: 7.050*

A potential surprise package, Zolani Tete is a very good fighter. The South African, who is based in the UK is the current WBO Bantamweight Champion and the former IBF Junior Bantamweight Champion.

Tete has real talent, but has almost gone unnoticed in his reign as WBO Bantamweight World Champion. If the South African can keep it all together he could well prove he belongs at the top spectrum of the bantamweight tournament.

Tete holds the record for the quickest ever world title fight, having destroyed Siboniso Gonya in just 11 seconds, and the 30-year-old is now on a 12-fight winning streak and is one to keep a close eye on. With a favourable quarter-final draw against Mikhail Aloyan bettors should expect Tete to be a major player once the tournament kicks-off in September.

Emmanuel Rodriguez – No. 4 seed

Record: 18-0, 12 KOs

Notable wins: Paul Butler (UD12)

From: Manati, Puerto Rico

Belts: IBF Bantamweight World Champion

Style: Textbook-Boxer

WBSS outright odds: 6.040*

Emmanuel Rodriguez possesses excellent boxing skills and can fight at a world class pace over the distance. The Puerto Rican’s display against Britain’s Paul Butler demonstrated his quality as he outboxed and controlled his more experienced opponent.

Rodriguez, like others in the tournament is at a good stage in his career and appears to be growing as a fighter. The IBF Bantamweight World Champion is at a level that should see him progress in the tournament and could well prove Naoya Inoue’s stiffest competitor.

Nonito Donaire

Record: 38-5, 24 KOs

From: Talibon, Philippines

Belts: Former four-weight world champion

Style: Measured counter-puncher

WBSS outright odds: 34.240*

"The Filipino Flash" Nonito Donaire will be moving down two weight divisions to bantamweight, a division he once ruled but has not fought in since 2011.

At 35, Donaire believes that dropping down two divisions won’t be problem, and that he will in fact be stronger at the lower weight as he aims to rediscover the form that saw him become a superstar in the smaller weight classes.

But dropping down from featherweight to bantamweight is not easy at the peak of your career let alone at 35, and it seems that the former four-weight world champion is taking one last throw of the dice in what has been an outstanding career.

Jason Moloney

Record: 17-0, 14 KOs

Notable wins: Kohei Kono (RTD6)

From: Victoria, Australia

Belts: IBF Mandatory Challenger

Style: Boxer Puncher

WBSS outright odds: 51.370*

Jason Moloney is a good fighter, and will bring solid fundamentals to the bantamweight tournament.

The Australian boxer-puncher holds a sound defence with respectable power and recently secured a win against former World Champion Kohei Kono, demonstrating that he can perform at world level. The problem for Moloney sits with the quality within the tournament and there is little evidence based on his career so far to have confidence in the Aussie against the top ranked fighters in the competition.

With a tough quarter-final draw against Emmanuel Rodriguez it is hard to make a case for Moloney to see any action beyond the quarter-final stages.

Juan Carlos Payano

Record: 20-1, 9 KOs

From: La Vega, Dominican Republic

Belts: Former WBA Super World Bantamweight Champion

WBSS outright odds: 51.370*

Payano enters the tournament off the back of three straight wins since being outpointed and losing his world title to world rated American Rau'shee Warren in 2016.

Nicknamed “Baby Pacquiao”, Payano is a skilled fighter ensuring an exciting aggressive style irrespective of who he fights, but the 34-year-old from the Dominican Republic will likely be no match for the ever-improving Naoya Inoue in his quarter-final fight.

Mikhail Aloyan

Record: 4-0, 0 KOs

From: Bambakashat, Armenia

Notable wins: Alexander Espinoza (SD 12)

Belts: International WBA Bantamweight Champion

Style: Boxer

WBSS outright odds: 29.210*

Aloyan will enter the bantamweight tournament with just a 4-0 record, allowing his opponents a vast gap experience wise in the professional ranks. The Armenian is a 2012 Olympic bronze medalist, a 2016 Olympic silver medalist, and a two-time gold medalist in the World Amateur Boxing Championships.

Two of Aloyan’s four pro victories have been split decisions, and he was pushed all the way by limited Nicaraguan Alexander Espinoza which demonstrates the current level the Olympic silver medalist is operating at.

It seems the chance to go head first into the firing line of elite competition and earn some prize money was too much for Aloyan and his team to turn down, but with just 4 Pro fights under his belt it is hard to see Armenian born fighter being competitive beyond the quarter-final stages.

World Boxing Super Series Bantamweight odds: Where is the value?

Naoya Inoue is the stand out pick and should prove to be a class above the field. “The Monstor” is a tremendously exciting fighter and holds astonishing power for a 118 pound boxer – something that sets him apart from the rest.

The Japanese sensation has become a household name in his native Japan and now will have the chance to showcase his skillset on the world stage – something that will give the 25-year-old an even bigger edge.

From what we've seen in Inoue’s career so far, he already looks unrelenting, overpowering and at times, unstoppable. If the number two seed can come out on top in the World Boxing Super Series and win it well he may well elevate himself to the top end of the pound-for-pound list.

None of the mouthwatering fights will occur in the quarter-finals but they'll come soon enough. The seeded fighters should all advance with Ryan Burnett potentially facing the trickiest assignment on paper if Donaire is strong at the weight.

Bantamweight is potentially entering a golden era of fighters and being able to have the opportunity to vie for supremacy at 118 pounds on a global stage should providing unmissable viewing.

Now that you know how to bet on the World Boxing Super Series Bantamweight tournament, you can bet with Pinnacle’s unbeatable boxing odds.