Mairis Briedis vs. Artur Mann on October 16 in Riga, Latvia

Mairis Briedis vs. Artur Mann

Arena Riga in Latvia 16/10/21

Mairis Briedis (27-1, 19 KOs) and Artur Mann (17-1, 9 KOs) came face-to-face for the first time today at the Porsche Center Riga for a kick-off press conference ahead of their IBF and Ring Magazine World Cruiserweight Title clash on October 16 at the Arena Riga in Latvia.

Briedis has turned the Arena Riga into a hometown fortress with unforgettable nights against Mike Perez, Oleksandr Usyk and Krzysztof Glowacki in recent years.

The 36-year-old will now return for the first time since his June 2019 victory over Glowacki to defend the belts he claimed when defeating Yuniel Dorticos in the final of the World Boxing Super Series in September 2020 to establish himself as the number one Cruiserweight on the planet.

“Of course, it will be a great pleasure to return to the Arena Riga to defend my IBF and Ring Magazine Titles in front of my Latvian fans,” said Briedis. “My opponent Artur Mann is an experienced and unpredictable boxer.

I have watched many of his fights and each one has been different. In Arena Riga, we will see real boxing, not old masters like Holyfield or YouTubers. I hope people who love boxing will come to the show to witness a real fight.”

Artur Mann, the former WBO International Champion and IBO World Cruiserweight Title challenger, appeared in a confident mood insisting all the pressure was on his opponent ahead of their hotly anticipated World Title fight.

“I’m very excited to get this opportunity to fight Mairis Briedis for his World Titles,” said Mann. “I would like thank Kalle Sauerland and Wasserman Boxing for making this fight. This is not a new situation for me. I know the game and I have fought all over the globe. When the bell rings, I will be ready. It doesn’t matter how many people are in the arena supporting Briedis. There is no pressure on me. All the pressure is on him. I’ve got nothing to lose.”

Promoter Kalle Sauerland said he is delighted to be returning to Riga and is looking forward to soaking up the ‘red-hot atmosphere’ on October 16.

“Viva Las Rigas,” exclaimed Sauerland. “We’ve had some fantastic nights at the Arena Riga with Mairis Briedis and we’re delighted to be back with another big event. Mairis has put Riga on the boxing map. It is now known all over the world as a place with a red-hot boxing atmosphere. On October 16, we have another massive event. The absolute number one Cruiserweight in the division against the number six in the world – a young, hungry German challenger, who I’m sure will be looking to take his chance. But Mairis is focused and he intends to prove that Latvia still has the number one Cruiserweight boxer in the world.”

Artur Mann’s (17-1, 9 KOs) coach Vitali Boot believes his fighter has the power to hurt Mairis Briedis (27-1, 19 KOs) when they meet for the IBF and Ring Magazine World Cruiserweight Titles on October 16 at the Arena Riga in Latvia.

Mann, the former WBO International Champion and IBO World Cruiserweight Title challenger, travels to Riga to take on reigning world champion Brieids in his hometown following an explosive KO victory over Rad Rashid.

Helping the challenger prepare is long-time coach and mentor Boot, a seven-time German national Super Heavyweight champion and 2001 World Amateur Championship bronze medallist, who now trains fighters out of the Olympic Headquarters in Hannover, Germany.

“Artur has the power to hurt Briedis,” says Boot. “Any boxer who is almost 100kg has the power to hurt his opponent and Briedis is only human so yes, I believe Artur can hurt him.

“He will need to be highly concentrated during the whole fight, stick to the game plan and keep ahead of the situation even when under pressure.

“He won’t be concerned about fighting away from home or having the fans against him. He has had that over and over again in his career so this is not new for him.

“Artur’s greatest strength is his technical ability. He’s like a sponge, you show him something new and he can implement it in his work in a split second.

“I have been training Artur more or less since he started boxing. This is a big opportunity for him and one I believe he will take. On October 16, we will see a new world champion.”

Mairis Briedis defends his IBF and Ring Magazine World Cruiserweight Titles against Artur Mann on October 16 at the Arena Riga in Latvia. Tickets are on sale now and available to purchase via https://www.bilesuserviss.lv.

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