By Alexey Sukachev

With the World Boxing Super Series preparing both for its grand finale and also for the draw for the upcoming 2018/2019 season, tension and irritability are getting high both among those taking part in the tournament, and those left outside it.

One of the surprise exclusions to the junior welterweight portion of the WBSS is former IBF 140-pound world champion Sergey Lipinets (13-1, 10 KOs), who is presently rated #6 by the IBF and #9 by the WBC.

Lipinets is coming off a competitive yet decisive loss to pound-for-pound stalwart Mikey Garcia in March (110-117, 111-116, 111-116), which followed his close win of Akihiro Kondo in November 2017, when he has acquired his belt.

Despite his position at 140-pounds, Lipinets was omitted from contention by the WBSS organizers, and he wasn't exactly happy about being excluded from the competition.

“The organizers of the World Boxing Super Series don’t want me to be a part of it”, tweeted Lipinets, 29. “Thus I’m moving up to the welterweight division."

Already announced for that particular WBSS tournament include - Josh Taylor, WBA world champion Kiryl Relikh, former WBA, IBO world champion Eduard Troyanovsky, unbeaten puncher and WBC mandatory challenger Regis Prograis (provided he wins on Saturday), dangerous slugger Ivan Baranchyk and Anthony Yigit.

For his part, Lipinets will go on the hunt for more gold when he rises up in weight to make his welterweight debut on July 28 as a part of the undercard to his conqueror’s lightweight unification versus Robert Easter Jr. 

The Russian boxer will take on dangerous puncher Cesar Miguel Barrionuevo (34-3-2, 24 KOs) of Argentina in a ten round bout. WBC #6 Barrionuevo, also 29, is 31-1 since his rocky 3-2-2 start. He has never fought in the States though.