WBC Creates A New Weight Division

[Enlightened-One]

I’m intrigued to understand the logic the WBC used to formulate their bridgerweight rankings.

I wonder whether the WBC were contacted by promoters and/or managers to specifically request their fighters be included in their ratings?

I’ve only made the effort to review the WBC’s top-ten and it seems that…

Evgeny Romanov, Bryant Jennings and Alen Babic are quite clearly “natural” bridgerweights, because they usually compete around the 210lbs to 225lbs mark.

The one name that sticks out for me is Oscar Rivas, because he usually weighs roughly 238lbs (or at least he has done for the last few years).

So does this mean he’s planning to dehydrate 15lbs to achieve the official weight? It’s easily doable for a short guy like him.

All the other fighters in the WBC’s top-ten ratings are cruiserweights (i.e. Ryad Merhy, Kevin Lerena, Dmitry Kudryashov, Artur Szpilka and Joel Djeko).

Does this mean they feel they can achieve more success at bridgerweight than they would competing at cruiserweight?

On a side note, I wonder whether Deontay Wilder would be sorely tempted to engage in a one-off bout at bridgerweight if Evgeny Romanov manages to capture the WBC title?

The Russian gave ‘The Bronze Bomber’ a real beating (to the point he even forced the stoppage) during their amateur days.

[tiny_acres]

The biggest shock to me is Wilder is not in the ratings.
I would of guaranteed the first championship bout would include him

[Enlightened-One]

The biggest shock to me is Wilder is not in the ratings.
I would of guaranteed the first championship bout would include him

Wilder has already declared his disinterest in campaigning at bridgerweight, probably because he can earn more money as a heavyweight.

Mauricio Sulaiman also claims that Wilder “deserves” another crack at the WBC title to face Tyson Fury again, despite suffering a stoppage defeat in a one-sided bout. And he's already second in line to receive a guaranteed title shot (after the winner of the Povetkin-Whyte rematch).

Wilder facing the winner of Joshua-Fury provides the WBC with more sanctioning fees, so they won’t rate him at bridgerweight.

And according to the WBC’s own rules, Mauricio Sulaiman can’t order the winner of Joshua-Fury to face their bridgerweight champion, since claiming ownership of that belt would automatically renounce his current top-ranked heavyweight contender status.

[DG]

It’s hard to take them seriously.

[AntonioMartin]

If every one who was courageous was to get a new weight division named after them, we'd have millions of new boxing divisions.

I agree the courageous should be remembered in some way but,,,,imagine naming a division for every soldier who died in a war, for example,...

[Enlightened-One]

Perhaps the WBC thought that by naming the new division after someone who was heroic, it would deter critics of the new weight class from voicing their venomous hatred of this tribute.

[Djanders44]

It’s gonna be called ‘Bridger’..

So Lollobrigida Weight Class? Gina would be so proud. And I thought Cruiser Weight, and Super Anything, was off the rails.

[RScarf1]

Perhaps the WBC thought that by naming the new division after someone who was heroic, it would deter critics of the new weight class from voicing their venomous hatred of this tribute.

Good point, but what if the boy's first name was Timothy instead of Bridger. Would the WBC call the division timothyweight? I think that the WBC wanted to justify using "bridgerweight" because they claim that the division is a bridge for the boxers who are between 200 and 224 pounds. I agree that by relating it to the boy's name, they could hope to gain more acceptance for their decision to add a division. Perhaps the WBC was waiting for a good opportunity to introduce this new division and they found it with the name of the boy and how he saved his sister from a dog attack which was covered by major news outlets.

[Jeff_lacy_ko]

This division will be the fat cruiserweight division basically and the cw division will suffer. Basically cw is going to be split in half for 2 crap divisions

Wilder isnt ranked because he is on record saying he isnt interested. Good for him.

[ValMar]

This division will be the fat cruiserweight division basically and the cw division will suffer. Basically cw is going to be split in half for 2 crap divisions

Wilder isnt ranked because he is on record saying he isnt interested. Good for him.

Respect for Wilder !

[Jimmy2020]

The weight division that is missing is one between light heavyweight and cruiserweight. That gap is huge.

[Enlightened-One]

This division will be the fat cruiserweight division basically and the cw division will suffer. Basically cw is going to be split in half for 2 crap divisions

Wilder isnt ranked because he is on record saying he isnt interested. Good for him.

Respect for Wilder !

Wilder would compete at bridgerweight if he could earn more money there than at heavyweight.

But he can’t, so he won’t. And that’ll also apply to most world-rated cruiserweights and heavyweights.

The sort of fighters that’ll initially compete at bridgerweight would be fringe contenders that have reached their glass ceiling at 200lbs or at heavyweight.

You might also get a few young prospects that may use the new bridgerweight division, as a platform to gain media exposure and also learn their craft, before making the jump to heavyweight.

It’s probably easier for the networks and promoters to market their young prospects if they were WBC world bridgerweight champions, rather than regional heavyweight titleholders.

We’re talking about the common perception of mainstream casuals rather than the niche hardcore boxing fraternity.