It would be no exaggeration that an all-British final of the World Boxing Super Series held in the Middle East raised more than an eyebrow.

Liverpool’s Callum Smith overcame Londoner George Groves to lift the Muhammed Ali trophy at the King Fahad Complex in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah (09/2018).

Despite the Kingdom not being renowned as a boxing hotbed the super-middleweight ‘Dust-Up in the Desert’ was warmly received by fans, media and rival promoters.

Kalle Sauerland, the brains behind the WBSS, aims to continue breaking ground by taking the eight-man elimination tournament to “new territories”.

Speaking exclusively to Asian Image, he said: “India is definitely on the agenda. We have already had discussions with two consortiums [New Delhi and Mumbai]. “A lot of promoters talk about wanting to crack the Indian market and that’s not just related to boxing. The likes of football, tennis, motor sport all want a piece of the action as India ticks a lot of boxes.

“As far as boxing is concerned, I believe the WBSS is the ideal platform to take over there. It is the Champions League of boxing. The best fighting the best. The finals especially are more than just fights, they are events. Our production speaks for itself and the fans’ feedback is testament to this.

“In order to grow the brand, it’s important to go on the road, as they say. Go to countries that are not normally associated with boxing. I know cricket is a religion in India but that’s not to say boxing cannot have its own place and make its mark. I see a lot of similarities between India and Saudi Arabia. It has huge potential which really excites me.”

The second instalment of the WBSS involves fighters from the bantamweight and super lightweight division along with a second cruiserweight tournament.

Venues for the semi-finals and finals for series two are yet to be finalised. Kalle Sauerland is initially targeting one weight division’s final to take place in India by the middle of next year.