Top 10 Cruiserweights of All Time

[HomicideHenry]

I think you need to quit with the attitude kid. That's what I think. Jesus this sites gone to absolute rubbish. Casuals and newbs galore.

[jamamb]

its not attitude, just humor at you trying to educate me with totally incorrect info

limit is not 210 bruh

haye hadnt fought at cruiser in nearly 10 years

haye didnt fight bellew at cruiser

haye was older and more declined then huck vs usyk

[HomicideHenry]

Yeah, I think after 10 years on the site I'm walking away from this place... NOTHING but BULLSHIT here anymore.

[jamamb]

a bit embarrased im guessing?

your just being called up on facts bruh, dont know why your so emotional

[Cojimar 1946]

Have you seen any fights of Daniel Dubois? He is a young British heavyweight who is said to have great potential, supposedly the next Lennox Lewis and I was wondering if you think he might have promise. He hasn't faced any top guys yet but maybe there are things you can infer from just watching him in terms of speed, technique, etc.

[Tuan_Jim]

Wamba got one-punch KOd by a security guard. Gary Mason couldn't believe his eyes. Good job Wamba retired, someone would have landed on him.

Do tell us more......was there a conspiracy, or did he just face nobodys?

Or are you hating on him because he gives Iran Barkley a run in the dashing good looks dept?


I'm honestly half serious....his record is good, I saw him fight a few fights on film, and was surprised at his record.

Did he really have a run in with a tough Dept Store Security guard? lol.

It was an anecdote Mason related a few times while a pundit on Sky Sports in the 90s. I had one of them on tape. Some kind of confrontation took place in Vegas and a freaking security guard laid Wamba clean out with one punch. Mason was an eye witness, and would tell the story with utter amazement. Of course Mason with his giant head could be hit with a baseball bat and he would probably think a gnat had bit him but still, you would reasonably expect a cruiserweight world champion like Wamba to shake off the best punch of a civilian. It's just incredible.

[Tuan_Jim]

Usyk is #2 after Holyfield. Being great is about beating the best of own era. Usyk has done it. And he has done it convincingly, he dominated everyone. And don't tell me about "tough" Briedis fight, where the scorecards actually sucked, it was competetive, but clear in Usyk's favor.

Usyk's era is very good. He has defeated a top-10 all-time competitor Huck and his conqueror Glowacki and then Briedis. He outclassed Gassiev, who had defeated a couple of dominant forces of the division's past.

I just don't see much in this current crop and am mystified by the big reputations they all have. It's ultimately been a lot of distance fights with almost no knockdowns and the jab and grab, jab and grab, right hand and grab formula dominating, Usyk emerging as the most effective employer of that unexciting style. Who knows though? With hindsight he may well prove to be a more versatile fighter than he looks at present.

Jirov was wrecking guys, and was ranked very highly in the p4ps. No jabbing and grabbing with him. People forget how great his reputation was, and his loss of status is why some of us here are sensible enough to withhold judgment on Usyk. Everyone would have had Jirov a lock for number two fifteen years ago, now he doesn't even appear in some people's top 10s!

Toney with one fight, at 35 and with many worrying he was going to be hurt, ruined the top dog at cruiser. Such a performance plants him high in the lists. He showed what he was capable of. Tyson Fury had 20 or so nothing fights but then validated his lack of opposition by schooling the top dog. I suppose you can get away with not having a big body of work in a division if you can outclass its number 1.

Orlin Norris and David Haye were more dynamic than these jab and grab types we have currently imo.

[jamamb]

david haye had more problems with a lower level of opposition then usyk has. he was given absolute hell and dropped on his ass in at least 3 fights, (losing one of them) and then also had problems vs fragomeni. but sure, he was flashy and could bang. he makes for a more lively highlight reel then usyk. his blast out of enzo maccrinelli, prob his #2 win, has done the rounds.

but i can only imagine what some would say about usyk if hed already been knocked out and then almost got kod at least two other times. we already have alp honed in on the fact that the judges had the briedis fight close (too close) but even that was a clear win

[DrDuke]

Usyk is #2 after Holyfield. Being great is about beating the best of own era. Usyk has done it. And he has done it convincingly, he dominated everyone. And don't tell me about "tough" Briedis fight, where the scorecards actually sucked, it was competetive, but clear in Usyk's favor.

Usyk's era is very good. He has defeated a top-10 all-time competitor Huck and his conqueror Glowacki and then Briedis. He outclassed Gassiev, who had defeated a couple of dominant forces of the division's past.

I just don't see much in this current crop and am mystified by the big reputations they all have. It's ultimately been a lot of distance fights with almost no knockdowns and the jab and grab, jab and grab, right hand and grab formula dominating, Usyk emerging as the most effective employer of that unexciting style. Who knows though? With hindsight he may well prove to be a more versatile fighter than he looks at present.

Jirov was wrecking guys, and was ranked very highly in the p4ps. No jabbing and grabbing with him. People forget how great his reputation was, and his loss of status is why some of us here are sensible enough to withhold judgment on Usyk. Everyone would have had Jirov a lock for number two fifteen years ago, now he doesn't even appear in some people's top 10s!

Toney with one fight, at 35 and with many worrying he was going to be hurt, ruined the top dog at cruiser. Such a performance plants him high in the lists. He showed what he was capable of. Tyson Fury had 20 or so nothing fights but then validated his lack of opposition by schooling the top dog. I suppose you can get away with not having a big body of work in a division if you can outclass its number 1.

Orlin Norris and David Haye were more dynamic than these jab and grab types we have currently imo.

Usyk's style is based on jab and movement, but it's not much about grabbing. He, for example, plainly grabbed Gassiev only once through the fight, when he was really hurt. Usyk's style is majorly clean, so I don't know, what are you talking about. And his jab settles diverse combinations. So Usyk demonstrates beautiful text-book style, he displays a lot of action, how can he be blamed for being unexciting?

[Ambling Alp II]

Don't see the logic of ranking Usyk #2, and Briedies doesn't get ranked at all. So far, there doesn't seem to be of a gap between these two guys. If nobody thinks Briedies is in the Top 10, then Usyk can't be #2.

[DrDuke]

Don't see the logic of ranking Usyk #2, and Briedies doesn't get ranked at all. So far, there doesn't seem to be of a gap between these two guys. If nobody thinks Briedies is in the Top 10, then Usyk can't be #2.

Why are you so linked to Briedis being out of top 10? Anyway Usyk have a win over top 10 fighter, that's Huck. And Briedis also beat him.

[Ambling Alp II]

Let me put in another way:
Fighter A is undefeated. His big wins over over Fighter B and Fighter C.
Fighter B also beat Fighter C.
Fighter B's only loss is to Fighter A, and it was a competitive fight.
The logical conclusion: fighter A can't be that much better than fighter B.

Usyk is fighter A.
Briedies is Fighter B.

If Usyk really is #2, then you would think Bredies would be very close to him, like #3 or #4.
Nobody thinks Bredies is anywhere close to that. Nobody has him the Top 10.
If Bredies is not Top 10, then Usyk should be maybe #9 or #10 if at all.
It makes no sense for a fighter to be #2 when he is barely better than doesn't make the Top 10.

[BoxBuzz]

Wamba got one-punch KOd by a security guard. Gary Mason couldn't believe his eyes. Good job Wamba retired, someone would have landed on him.

Do tell us more......was there a conspiracy, or did he just face nobodys?

Or are you hating on him because he gives Iran Barkley a run in the dashing good looks dept?


I'm honestly half serious....his record is good, I saw him fight a few fights on film, and was surprised at his record.

Did he really have a run in with a tough Dept Store Security guard? lol.

It was an anecdote Mason related a few times while a pundit on Sky Sports in the 90s. I had one of them on tape. Some kind of confrontation took place in Vegas and a freaking security guard laid Wamba clean out with one punch. Mason was an eye witness, and would tell the story with utter amazement. Of course Mason with his giant head could be hit with a baseball bat and he would probably think a gnat had bit him but still, you would reasonably expect a cruiserweight world champion like Wamba to shake off the best punch of a civilian. It's just incredible.

Interesting story. In his defense, being blindsided is a pretty vulnerable scenario...(if that's what happened) "The Alien" is a good example.....and some of those guards can be pretty gifted in the one shot dept. Now if Wamba saw it coming, and still ended up like this....that's embarrassing. But boxers have no greater defense for being coldcocked than anybody else.....but it is a bigger story when it happens.

[DrDuke]

Let me put in another way:
Fighter A is undefeated. His big wins over over Fighter B and Fighter C.
Fighter B also beat Fighter C.
Fighter B's only loss is to Fighter A, and it was a competitive fight.
The logical conclusion: fighter A can't be that much better than fighter B.

Usyk is fighter A.
Briedies is Fighter B.

If Usyk really is #2, then you would think Bredies would be very close to him, like #3 or #4.
Nobody thinks Bredies is anywhere close to that. Nobody has him the Top 10.
If Bredies is not Top 10, then Usyk should be maybe #9 or #10 if at all.
It makes no sense for a fighter to be #2 when he is barely better than doesn't make the Top 10.

But Usyk won not only those "B" and "C". He also won another conqueror of "C". And Gassiev, who had 3 big wins over other big names. And after that you say, that Usyk had a one competetive fight with only one of all those fighters and this situation doesn't allow him to be #2. Briedis doesn't drag Usyk lower with their competetive fight. Yes, Briedis isn't top-10 all-time, but he is top-5 of current time. Briedis is a one of a solid bunch of today's elite defeated by Usyk. Nobody, except Holyfield, did anything similar in his era and actually there was no that competetive era. So almost none is close to Usyk in his accomplishments.

[Ambling Alp II]

I think we have a wide difference of opinion over who is a big name. Are you going by how letters long their name is?

[DrDuke]

I think we have a wide difference of opinion over who is a big name. Are you going by how letters long their name is?

That's probably your method, if your rate DeLeon higher, than Usyk.

[Cojimar 1946]

I dont follow the whole logic with Breidis. Ken Norton was even with Ali when they fought but nobody has him in their top 10. Nobody has Hasim Rahman in their top 20 or Buster Douglas.

[jamamb]

i know, theres so many cases like that where it where an atg had a close fight with someone who clearly ranks below them. i mean someone here goes on about haye being better, so then where do we rank super middleweight lolenga mock, who dropped him heavily and gave him hell. is michael moore a top 10 ish atg hw like holy? where does kirklan laing feature in atg ratings?

besides, pretty much everyone had usyk winning and there was a good deal of surprise at the cards. i felt it was more like 9-3 or 8-4. either way it was a clear clear win in his opponents backyard

if only usyk had cleaned out the awful us domestic scene of the early 2000s

[orbtastic]

I think Usyk has achieved something worthwhile but making that 10 top ATG list is probably not it, not just yet anyway.

I think Cunningham should be on there, he's a good CV at cruiser and some very close losses that probably could have gone the other way.

Guys like DeLeon and Gomez should be up there for longevity. Can't rank solely on that because guys like Wamba get airtime and they really shouldn't, his best wins being Dominguez and Duran. The mooted fight with Hearns would not have gone well for him. Then again you look at Gomez and whilst he cut an impressive figure at 190 he really lacks some signature wins - Again, Domginguez and perhaps Mayfield, who was already in career decline.

Holyfield a clear number one for me, probably DeLeon number 2 then it's guys like Qawi, Gomez and Haye then probably third tier the likes of Cunningham, Huck, Toney, Jirov, Mormeck etc. I think Usyk can probably end up mid-tier with just a couple more decent wins.

[jamamb]

I think Usyk has achieved something worthwhile but making that 10 top ATG list is probably not it, not just yet anyway.

I think Cunningham should be on there, he's a good CV at cruiser and some very close losses that probably could have gone the other way.

Guys like DeLeon and Gomez should be up there for longevity. Can't rank solely on that because guys like Wamba get airtime and they really shouldn't, his best wins being Dominguez and Duran. The mooted fight with Hearns would not have gone well for him. Then again you look at Gomez and whilst he cut an impressive figure at 190 he really lacks some signature wins - Again, Domginguez and perhaps Mayfield, who was already in career decline.

Holyfield a clear number one for me, probably DeLeon number 2 then it's guys like Qawi, Gomez and Haye then probably third tier the likes of Cunningham, Huck, Toney, Jirov, Mormeck etc. I think Usyk can probably end up mid-tier with just a couple more decent wins.

to say usyk doesnt even make the top ten, and that guys like jc gomez and haye are several tiers over him is laughable.absolute nonsense. first, please tell me who jc gomez ever beat, otherwise it just looks like your rewarding him for beating a lot of trash

and how exactly does haye rate over usyk, let alone several tiers ahead of him? he resume is worse, he had more problems, and he had no longevity at cruiser to possible outdo usyks 'lack of time'. like we ve got mormeck, enzo mac, frago, and gurov (and a knockout loss to thompson and war with mock). wow!

so many people dont actually look at who people fought and beat. its just tripe about 'needs more time' etc. i guess one lesson for usyk is that still a lot of ppl still care about spending time at a weight to pad out your record with nothing fights. then it's not 'too soon' and youve got 'depth'

[orbtastic]

Reading comprehension is your friend here.

Who has Usyk beaten? What's his resume read like? lol

[jamamb]

Reading comprehension is your friend here.

Who has Usyk beaten? What's his resume read like? lol

what am i missing?

you said usyk hasnt made the top ten yet

you said gomez and haye (who oddly has enough longevity for you with his whopping 2 title fights) are at least mid tier top 10, whereas usyk doesnt even make the lower third tier for you

so please, tell me exactly why this is so. i mean gomez fought absolute junk. his record is filled with mediocre opponents who werent even close to world class , let alone top 5 or unified champs. and haye, what exactly makes his record of mormeck, enzo, and frago (with ko loss to thompson) tiers above usyk? you made these claims, so shouldnt you be able to explain them?

usyk has beaten at least 3 world class cruisers who were champs and consensus top 3 at the time. he also beat veteran cruiser , long time champ, and still top 10 contender marco huck, and also beat contender thabiso mchunu. he is the lineal and undisputed cruiser champ, the first to ever have all four major titles. he won all his titles in his opponents backyard

thats easily more impressive then jc gomez spending years beating trash. maybe usyks rating will increase with you if he takes that approach (although hayes 2 title fights were good enough for you!), or if he gets knocked out like haye did.

[orbtastic]

Where do you rate the people he beat in an ATG list? Where would you rate their best two wins? Where would you rate the people they beat in a ATG list?

Let's revisit it in a couple of years. Like I said, couple more decent wins and supplants the likes of Haye etc.

[jamamb]

lol why so reluctant to answer?

please explain how jc gomez and haye deserve to be multiple tiers ahead of him. gomez just fought a bunch of trash. haye had 2 title fights (good longevity enough for you in his case though) and his record is basically mormeck, enzo, and fragomeni, with a ko loss to thompson.

usyk is the undisputed and lineal cw champ. won all his titles in the champs backyard. beaten at least 3 guys who were champs and consensus top 3 at the time. beat marco huck. and another decent contender.

just curious, how does usyk end up tiers below gomez and haye?

[orbtastic]

Fair enough, you rate him higher. Congrats.

Presumably you don't rate Dariusz M either.

Do you rate Toney at cruiser? Or did he just beat a bunch of bums and Jirov?