The World Series of Boxing (WSB) lost its importance in 2019 and seemed destined for oblivion. However, it seems that the intention of a new version and rebranding of the World Series of Boxing will give it new life. The aim is to bring together the best amateur and professional boxers. The IBA will be working with the National Federations, which will be the main foundation of this new project.

In previous editions of the WSB, with four different champions in eight years, the team names have been creative - none better than the great play on words of Istanbul. In recent years, Cuba Domadores and Astana Arlans have dominated with three titles each. A regional group stage was followed by a knockout tournament between teams and individual bouts between the top-ranked boxers, with prize money and Olympic berths on the line.

The first series ended in 2018, but the legacy of the World Series of Boxing can be found in its athletes. Among the boxers from the inaugural season was France's Tony Yoka, an 18-year-old who won on his debut six years before winning gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Ukraine's Sergiy Derevyanchenko was also an early star. He won 23 of his 24 fights in the World Series of Boxing, losing only to Brian Castaño. Both went on to have great professional careers. American Rau'shee Warren also went undefeated in the first season. He would go on to win the WBA and IBO bantamweight titles.

Most notably, the 2012-13 season acted as a springboard for Oleksandr Usyk, the undefeated professional heavyweight boxer. Usyk recently defeated Tyson Fury to unify the WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight titles. This hasn't been done since Lennox Lewis in 1998.

As in his professional career, Usyk went undefeated during the season with the Ukrainian Otamans team, winning all six of his fights, including a unanimous decision over British Lionhearts' Joe Joyce, another renowned professional heavyweight and Olympic medallist.

Joyce was part of a contingent of British and Irish boxers who competed for several teams. The British Lionhearts were mostly home-grown. Among those boxers were Joe Cordina, the former IBF super featherweight champion and 2015 European gold medallist, Josh Taylor, the former multi-promotion lightweight champion, Tokyo 2020 gold medallist and undefeated professional Galal Yafai, WBC bridge weight champion Lawrence Okolie and 2015 world champion Michael Conlan.

Before the changes in Cuba in 2022, the World Series of Boxing was the closest thing to professional boxing for Cuban boxers. It became a pathway for many of the country's best athletes, including five-time world and two-time Olympic gold medallist Julio Cesar de la Cruz.

He fell just short of his dream of becoming a three-time Olympic champion last Sunday, something only three boxers in history have achieved. Other brilliant boxers who passed through the World Series in its early days include Robeisy Ramirez, also a two-time Olympic champion, and Roniel Iglesias, another double champion in London and Tokyo. They were part of the Cuba Domadores team along with Arlen Lopez and Andy Cruz, the latter a three-time world champion.

Established Americans Stephen Fulton - who recently won the super bantamweight world title - and former IBF super middleweight titleholder Caleb Plant were included, as was Ukraine's Denys Berinchyk, who holds the WBO lightweight title.

Olympic and world champions, as well as other great boxers such as the Uzbek duo of Shakhobidin Zoirov and Hasanboy Dusmatov, have all enjoyed successful professional careers. Some, such as France's Sofiane Ouimha, are still competing under the IBA banner. He and Russia's Pavel Sosulin now form a bridge between the former World Series of Boxing and the flourishing IBA Champions' Night, both boxers being part of the past and future of the IBA.