Sergey Lipinets Manager on Why His Fighter is Not Part of WBSS

By Steve Kim

The names are now spilling out for the World Boxing Super Series junior welterweight tournament and they include the likes of the highly regarded, Josh Taylor, and Regis Prograis (provided he wins next weekend in New Orleans).

Besides thee two names mentioned above, the other fighters announced for this tournament include WBA world champion Kiryl Relikh, European champion and IBF mandatory Anthony Yigit - who faces Ivan Baranchyk in the first round. And WBA mandatory challenger Eduard Troyanovsky, who faces Relikh in the first round of action

But why isn't former IBF belt-holder, Sergey Lipinets (13-1, 10 KOs) in the mix?

His manager Alex Vaysfeld explained to BoxingScene.com - "It's a simple thing, every person who is included in that tournament is either supposed to be like a number one contender who has a mandatory of some kind or belongs to these guys who basically created the series.

"And Sergey is neither one of them, he doesn't belong to any of the promoters that are involved in the World Boxing Super Series and it's sad, it's a joke but it is what it is."

It's Vaysfeld opinion that Regis Prograis will end up winning this tournament at the end.

"The winner of this whole thing is obvious as we speak right now. They didn't want to make it competitive," opined Vaysfeld, who added, "A guy like Lou DiBella, he wanted Sergey there because both of us wanted to see that fight in the finals, Sergey versus Regis. That would've been a fight."

Vayself confirmed that Lipinets - coming off a tough loss against Mikey Garcia on March 10th - is now slated to return to the ring on July 28th at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on the Mikey Garcia-Robert Easter undercard.

Steve Kim is the news editor for BoxingScene.com.