Rising Canadian super lightweight prospect Eric Basran draws undefeated Isaiah Johnson for Friday's opening round of the inaugural Riyadh Season/WBC Boxing Grand Prix in Saudi Arabia
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 18 Apr 2025
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (April 17, 2025) – Undefeated Canadian super lightweight prospect Eric Basran (7-0, 3 KOs) has drawn unbeaten Isaiah “Kyree-James” Johnson (11-0, 7 KOs) for tomorrow’s (Friday) preliminary round of the inaugural Riyadh Season/World Boxing Council (WBC) Boxing Grand Prix in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Johnson, 26, is a southpaw fighter from Philadelphia, who has also won 13 of 14 fights (0 KOs) in the Team Combat League.
“I’m ready for anyone,” Basran said. “I’m focused and this is my time to shine.”
Basran vs. Johnson is the co-main event as the 15th of 16 scheduled matches.
“Eric drew one of the toughest fighters in the first round, but that’s what we want,” Basran’s promoter Dan Otter (Three Lions Promotions) added. “We want Eric to fight the best to be the best.”
All winners of the 16 preliminary round bouts advance to the next round in June.
The single-elimination tournament is being streamed live exclusively on www.dazn.com/wbc, featuring a total of 128 fighters in four weight classes - featherweight, super lightweight, middleweight and heavyweight – and the preliminary round concludes this Sunday.
All fighters will be subject to random drug testing in compliance with the WBC’s Clean Boxing Program, as well as Riyadh Season’s commitment to VADA testing.
Basran, fighting out of Surrey, British Columbia, as an amateur was a four-time Canadian National Champion, who won the 2019 Canadian Olympic Qualifier, in addition to capturing a bronze medal at the 2019 Commonwealth Games.
The opening round of 32 matches are scheduled six-round bouts, which increases to eight for the final rounds in each division, and participating fighters represent more than 40 countries from around the world.
In addition to the $200,000 winner’s purse, the four divisional winners will receive the Jose Sulaimán Trophy, named after the late WBC President Jose Sulaimán, who first envisioned a prospect-based Boxing Grand Prix more than a decade ago.
There is open scoring after the second and fourth rounds, a buzzer sounds 30 seconds prior to the end of each round, instant replay may be implemented, and no draws are guaranteed.
INFORMATION:
Website: www.threelionspromotions.com
Facebook: /ThreeLionsPromotions /ericbasranboxing
Instagram: @3LionsPromotions @ericbasranboxing
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
Paciones defeats Laspoña, retains WBO Oriental flyweight title
By Lito delos Reyes, Mon, 25 May 2026Results from Panama City
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Mon, 25 May 2026USA Boxing Elite High Performance Squad Improves Strong Copa America Showing with 8 win Day
Mon, 25 May 2026Benilde Blazers wins Antipolo 2x2 chess team tournament
By Marlon Bernardino, Mon, 25 May 2026Floyd Mayweather Jr files $175 million lawsuit against former associates and advisors
By Gabriel F. Cordero, Sun, 24 May 2026Christian Mbilli will defend his WBC super middleweight world title against Saul “Canelo” Alvarez on September 12 in Saudi Arabia!
Sun, 24 May 2026Toro Promotions’ Trio victorious in Mexico
Sun, 24 May 2026Team USA Continues Dominant Run with 7-0 Performance on Day Six In Colombia
Sun, 24 May 2026The Punisher Ultramarathon in Samal on May 30-31
Sun, 24 May 2026Paciones fights Laspoña tomorrow at Elorde gym
By Lito delos Reyes, Sat, 23 May 2026STATEMENT MADE! AMARI “THE REAPER” JONES DEFEATS VINCENZO “IL CAPO” GUALTIERI IN IBF MIDDLEWEIGHT WORLD TITLE ELIMINATOR
Sat, 23 May 2026Castillano stops Rosales in 1st round
By Lito delos Reyes, Sat, 23 May 2026ProBoxTV Goes Global This Saturday with Two Action-Packed International Events Broadcast Live on One Sensational Saturday
Sat, 23 May 2026Oleksandr Usyk Returns Against Unknown Boxer on RING/DAZN PPV
By Chris Carlson, Sat, 23 May 2026Ayala Lardizabal stops Mama as IBA PRO 18 delivers dramatic night in Mexico City
Sat, 23 May 2026