By Jake Donovan

The next generation of cruiserweight hierarchy is officially set.

All four participants easily made weight ahead of the World Boxing Super Series cruiserweight semifinals, which takes place Saturday evening at Arena Riga in Riga, Lativa.

Headlining the show, local hero Mairis Briedis faces Poland’s Krzysztof Glowacki that will now come with two major titles at stake in addition to a trip to the WBSS finals. Briedis weighed a near-career low 198.1 pounds, while the always fighting trim Glowacki tipped the scales at 197.5 pounds.

Both appeared on the same card in separate quarterfinals bouts last October, though scoring vastly different means of victory.

Glowacki (31-1, 18KOs) claimed a comfortable 12-round win over Maxsim Vlasov to earn an interim version of the World Boxing Organization (WBO) cruiserweight title. He’s since been upgraded to full titlist after the strap was relinquished by World cruiserweight champion Aleksandr Usyk, who claimed top honors in WBSS season one and also whom ended Glowacki’s first title reign back in Sept. 2016.

Usyk has since announced his intentions to campaign at heavyweight, thus slowly severing ties with the cruiserweight division as he’s relinquished all but one sanctioning body title.

Joining the Polish southpaw in the semifinals was another former titlist and previous Usyk victim. Brieidis (25-1, 18KOs) moved into the top contender position in the WBC rankings, albeit in a highly questionable 12-round win over Noel Gevor (who fights on Saturday's undercard) in a decision many felt should have gone the other way.

Nevertheless, it not only positioned him to the same point he reached one year ago in WBSS season one but now gives him a chance for a second run at the WBC title. He previously held the strap before conceding to Usyk in this very arena during the WBSS season one semifinals, having since won two straight.

The winner of Saturday’s main event will meet whomever prevails in a pick-‘em of a co-feature. Former titlist and fellow season one semifinalist Yunier Dorticos squares off with unbeaten Andrew Tabiti in a battle with the interim International Boxing Federation (IBF) title at stake.

Both boxers weighed 199.3 pounds for the interim title fight, although the eventual victor will likely receive an upgrade to full titlist prior to the finals.

Dorticos (23-1, 21KOs) suffered his lone defeat in last year’s semifinals, coming in a 12th round stoppage at the hands of then unbeaten Murat Gassiev in their Fight of the Year contender last February. He has since rebounded with a rare distance win, outlasting Mateusz Masternak in yet another time capsule worthy slugfest in advancing from the quarterfinals last October in Orlando, Fla.

On the opposite end of the entertainment scale came the semifinals arrival of his opponent.

Las Vegas’ Tabiti (17-0, 13KOs) found himself in a tedious 12-round chess match with previously unbeaten Ruslan Fayfer last October on the road in Russia. The American contender pushed through the largely negative action to earn a well-deserved split decision to advance to within one round of the tournament finals. Saturday’s bout is his second trip abroad after having never previously fought outside of the United States.

Both bouts will stream live on DAZN, which has carried every bout of the WBSS season two tournaments spanning three weight divisions. The sports streaming platform will also present the finals, which—assuming Usyk is officially a heavyweight by that point—will re-establish championship lineage atop the cruiserweight division.

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for krikya360.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox