A blockbuster tournament featuring Sebastian Fundora, Serhii Bohachuk, Bakhram Murtazaliev and the winner of Vergil Ortiz Jr vs Israil Madrimov could soon be in the works, says promoter Tom Loeffler.
The super-welterweight division is shining brighter than ever, as three formidable champions hope to resume their supremacy over a pack of fearsome contenders.
With that in mind, there is perhaps no better time to stage a monumental four-man tournament, pitting the elite operators at 154lbs against each other.
WBA titlist Terence Crawford, of course, is unlikely to be involved, with the two-division undisputed champion looking to face super middleweight king Canelo Alvarez.
But still, the names that have been floated by Loeffler, who promotes Bohachuk, 25-2 (24 KOs), would certainly make for a series of compelling matchups.
Before talks can commence, unified champion Fundora, 21-1-1 (13 KOs), must first take care of business in his next assignment, slated for March 22, against Chordale Booker.
Ortiz and Madrimov, meanwhile, will square off on February 22, while IBF titlist Murtazaliev and Bohachuk are yet to announce their next outings.
As this year progresses, though, a potential four-man tournament could become more realistic, with Loeffler having pitched the idea to UFC president Dana White.
The boss of MMA’s flagship promotion has already dipped his toe into the world of boxing, working closely with Loeffler on his UFC Fight Pass events under the 360 Promotions banner.
But now, Loeffler can only see White extending his involvement in boxing alongside Turki Alalshikh, the Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority in Saudi Arabia.
“Because it’s such a great division, and such a deep division, there’s talks of potentially doing a super-welterweight tournament,” Loeffler told Boxing News.
“That would be a tremendous four-man tournament, and we’ll see if it gets traction over there with [Alalshikh].
“There’s been no official talks yet, but I’ve mentioned it to Dana White who thinks it’s a great idea.
“With Bohachuk and the other fighters in that division, I think they’re willing to fight each other and, especially with the economics now coming out of Saudi Arabia, I think [the four-man tournament] could definitely happen.”
