Lonnie Ali, the widow of Muhammad Ali, was on hand to present the first Ali Trophy to the winner of Saturday’s World Boxing Super Series cruiserweight final between Oleksandr Usyk and Murat Gassiev.
Usyk dominated Gassiev in a near-shutout decision win to become the undisputed cruiserweight champion. The bout was the finale of an eight-man single-elimination tournament at the Olimpiysky Sports Complex in Moscow.
“Since this is the first Ali Trophy ever presented, and as a part of Muhammad’s legacy in boxing, I am proud to be here to represent the Ali family, the WBC and its president Mauricio Sulaiman,” Ali said in a statement before Saturday’s fight.
When the World Boxing Super Series tournaments were created last year, organizers secured the right to Ali’s name and likeness and had the Muhammad Ali Trophy commissioned to give to the winner.
“Muhammad would have been proud to see one of these champions being rewarded with the trophy that carries his name,” Ali said.
Said promoter Kalle Sauerland, the chief boxing officer of tournament organizer Comosa AG: “Muhammad Ali being our ambassador is the greatest honor of all. Having his wife present the first Ali Trophy in Moscow will make this ceremony one of the most emotional moments ever seen in a boxing ring.”
Usyk (15-0, 11 KOs), of Ukraine, became only the third undisputed cruiserweight world champion, joining three-belt champions Evander Holyfield and O’Neil Bell. He also is only the fourth male fighter to unify all four major titles in any division in the four-belt era, joining former middleweight champions Bernard Hopkins (2004) and Jermain Taylor (2005) and former junior welterweight champion Terence Crawford (2017).
Another Ali Trophy will be given to the winner of the super middleweight tournament that will conclude on a date to be determined this fall, with the fight between world titleholder George Groves and Callum Smith.
Three more tournaments are scheduled for the second season of the World Boxing Super Series this fall in the junior welterweight and bantamweight divisions, with a third weight class still to be announced.