Creating a "Super-Heavyweight" division

[thereverend]

The super-middleweight division was created during November 1988.

People criticised the new division back then, but it’s easily one of the most popular weight classes today (arguably more high-profile than 140lbs, 154lbs, 160lb & 175lbs).

Super-middleweight isn't high profile. If it was you wouldn't see Middleweights ballooning up to 180 on fight day. It's a 'tweener' division, very few fighters stay in the class for long. Usually the ones that aren't good enough to fight at light heavyweight and can't be bothered to drain down to middleweight because they're getting old. All it does is give the sanctioning body a belt to give a middleweight who wants to fight a light-heavyweight at a catch weight. Canelo is a good example, of course he'll be listed as a 'great super middle champion'. In the past we'd get to see him challenging himself versus light heavyweights. It's taken him a couple of fights against inferior opposition to clear out the division.

Bridgerweight sucks. The money and prestige will always be at heavyweight. It'll always be second class. More meaningless belts to collect sanctioning fees..

[Bard of Boxrec]

Great. Another thread about size. I wonder where this will go

[H8Usernames]

Reinstate the 190 division at Jr cruiserweight and move the current cruiserweight division to 210

or also keep the current 200 pound division and create a super cruiserweight division at 210 pounds.

Bridgerweight is nonsense.

The former is my best solution. The latter doesn't make sense, because you would have a 25lb jump from LHW to Cruiser, then a 10lb jump to super cruiser. A 225lb Bridgerweight division is madness - super heavyweights like Riddick Bowe, Lennox Lewis and possibly Wlad Klitschko could have made that weight early in their careers with no problem.

Yeah.

178
190
210
HW

This is the way to go but the leeches at the abc orgs are too busy doing nonsense and stealing money to do anything logical.

[candyslim]

Doesn't matter what you name it. It doesn't matter, never will. Any respectable boxing fan will never even acknowledge it's existence.

Within a decade they will be.

I agree with EO on this. Back in the day sports writers said they would never recognize the cruiserweight division. Now it is universally accepted and some people think it is the most exciting division.
The bridgerweight division will be around and no amount of complaining will change it.
In 10 years time people will be talking about the competitive division and its brief history

Believe it or not

People forget Tiny but some of us remember what happened to the "ugly duckling division".

The Heavyweight division is the top division in boxing because the champion is in theory obliged to fight anyone without them needing to make any weight limitation.

It used to be regarded as the greatest prize in sport. If you introduce a Super-heavyweight division this demotes the Heavyweight title to being only the division below the greatest division and it means people like Johnson, Dempsey, Louis, Ali etc never held the most prestigious title in Boxing.

By all means alter the name Bridgerweight and even reshuffle the Bridger and Cruiserweight weight limit but Heavyweight should always remain the top division out of respect for the great champions of the past.

[SportsRatings]

How is the name Bridgerweight any more cringey than Cruiserweight?

[tiny_acres]

Within a decade they will be.

I agree with EO on this. Back in the day sports writers said they would never recognize the cruiserweight division. Now it is universally accepted and some people think it is the most exciting division.
The bridgerweight division will be around and no amount of complaining will change it.
In 10 years time people will be talking about the competitive division and its brief history

Believe it or not

People forget Tiny but some of us remember what happened to the "ugly duckling division".

The Heavyweight division is the top division in boxing because the champion is in theory obliged to fight anyone without them needing to make any weight limitation.

It used to be regarded as the greatest prize in sport. If you introduce a Super-heavyweight division this demotes the Heavyweight title to being only the division below the greatest division and it means people like Johnson, Dempsey, Louis, Ali etc never held the most prestigious title in Boxing.

By all means alter the name Bridgerweight and even reshuffle the Bridger and Cruiserweight weight limit but Heavyweight should always remain the top division out of respect for the great champions of the past.

I agree with you heavyweight should be just that, the largest division. The division with all of the prestige.

[AngryGoon38]

After super middle-weight(161-168) should be Bridger-Weight. It should range from 169-179. It would basically replace light heavyweight. The name LHW,in itself,makes no sense anymore. After bridger, should be regular cruiserweight, set at the range of 180-200. Super Cruiserweight should be the range of 201-221. Heavyweight should be 222 and up.

[KiwiRider]

After super middle-weight(161-168) should be Bridger-Weight. It should range from 169-179. It would basically replace light heavyweight. The name LHW,in itself,makes no sense anymore. After bridger, should be regular cruiserweight, set at the range of 180-200. Super Cruiserweight should be the range of 201-221. Heavyweight should be 222 and up.

[oogiebe]

After super middle-weight(161-168) should be Bridger-Weight. It should range from 169-179. It would basically replace light heavyweight. The name LHW,in itself,makes no sense anymore. After bridger, should be regular cruiserweight, set at the range of 180-200. Super Cruiserweight should be the range of 201-221. Heavyweight should be 222 and up.

I know right? How about we get rid of some of these divisions.

[KiwiRider]

After super middle-weight(161-168) should be Bridger-Weight. It should range from 169-179. It would basically replace light heavyweight. The name LHW,in itself,makes no sense anymore. After bridger, should be regular cruiserweight, set at the range of 180-200. Super Cruiserweight should be the range of 201-221. Heavyweight should be 222 and up.

I know right? How about we get rid of some of these divisions.

Yes please!
Take all the super/junior whatever crap away. And minimum weight, no one needs to be that skinny.

[oogiebe]

I know right? How about we get rid of some of these divisions.

Yes please!
Take all the super/junior whatever crap away. And minimum weight, no one needs to be that skinny.

LMFAO!!! YES!

[snake33]

Bridgerweight and Superheavyweight would ruin boxing.
You do not dilute your marque division.
Boxing does not need more marketing issues.

[candyslim]

It wouldn't be diluting it. Heavyweight is where the money and the glory is. If you can cut the mustard at heavyweight that is where you will fight. You think Deontay or Usyk are interested in the bridgerweight title? You think that if Canelo were to beat Beterbiev or Bivol, his dream wouldn't be to eventually win the heavyweight title? (I'm not saying that's a realistic goal for him.)

Bridgerweight is for good small heavyweights that don't have quite enough to overcome a top heavyweight who outweighs them by 30lbs, and are reconciled to that fact. Rivas learned that from Dillian Whyte. He may have been better than Dillian but not sufficiently better to beat the much bigger man.

BridgerweIght will always be in the shadow of the heavyweight division just as cruiser has been. That doesn't mean it'll be sh1t, it will just be another division that is subordinate to the heavyweight division ... just like all the others, and just like all the others it will provide good entertainment once it is properly established.

It won't be long before Gilberto Mendacious and other greedy bastards get onboard with this so it will be here to stay. You can either embrace it (even though the reasons for its birth are entirely self-serving) or you can look away.

[AngryGoon38]

Artur Szpilka could box at super Cruiserweight.
He was too small and too chubbed out in his Heavyweight ko loss to Chisora. He was a lil "Skinny fat sitting duck",leaning on those ropes.

[Ruthless-RKO]

I know right? How about we get rid of some of these divisions.

Yes please!
Take all the super/junior whatever crap away. And minimum weight, no one needs to be that skinny.

LMFAO!!! YES!

Simple

Minimumweight - 105 pounds (48 kg)
Flyweight - 112 pounds (51 kg)
Bantamweight - 118 pounds (53.5 kg)
Featherweight - 126 pounds (57 kg)
Lightweight - 135 pounds (61 kg)
Welterweight - 147 pounds (67 kg)
Middleweight - 160 pounds (72.5 kg)
Light Heavyweight - 175 pounds (79 kg)
Cruiserweight - 200 pounds (91 kg)
Heavyweight - unlimited
------------------------

Every single boxer in today's boxing world, can safely make any of these above weights.

[candyslim]

Artur Szpilka could box at super Cruiserweight.
He was too small and too chubbed out in his Heavyweight ko loss to Chisora. He was a lil "Skinny fat sitting duck",leaning on those ropes.

I think Artur's time has been and gone regardless of weight class.

[p4p1]

Reinstate the 190 division at Jr cruiserweight and move the current cruiserweight division to 210

or also keep the current 200 pound division and create a super cruiserweight division at 210 pounds.

Bridgerweight is nonsense.

The former is my best solution. The latter doesn't make sense, because you would have a 25lb jump from LHW to Cruiser, then a 10lb jump to super cruiser. A 225lb Bridgerweight division is madness - super heavyweights like Riddick Bowe, Lennox Lewis and possibly Wlad Klitschko could have made that weight early in their careers with no problem.

Guys that big could cut weight without much problem as well. Guys in the UFC at 205 are coming in over 225lbs. Pre-Wilder 2 Fury could make the limit as could Joshua and others, who this division is supposed to keep out.

[p4p1]

The money and prestige will always be at heavyweight. It'll always be second class. More meaningless belts to collect sanctioning fees..

This statement could be made about any weight class that isn’t HW.

[candyslim]

That's right. Anybody think Ray Robinson, Marvin Hagler, Henry Armstrong, you name any great fighter of moderate size, wouldn't want to have been Heavyweight Champion of The World instead?

The fact is it was unrealistic but people are much more likely to be receptive to this reality if you're 150lbs. If you're over 200lbs people are not so generous in their attitude.

I guess the closer to heavyweight a division is, whether that is light-heavyweight historically, cruiserweight today, or bridgerweight tomorrow, the more likely they are to be regarded as unnecessary even a bit of a fraud.

[RScarf1]

I don’t agree with the WBC moving the cruiserweight limit back to 190 pounds from 200. Sulaiman talks about the gap between light heavyweight to cruiserweight being reduced from 25 pounds (200-175=25) to 15 pounds (190-175=15) in the WBC. But then he will have a huge gap between cruiserweight and bridgerweight (224-190=34). He is going to make a 34 pounds gap between these divisions while reducing the gap between light heavyweight and cruiserweight to 15 pounds. The other major sanctioning bodies are not going to agree to this. I can accept a bridgerweight division, but the weight limit should be 215 or 220, not 224. I also disagree with the cruiserweight limit being reduced from 200 to 190. The division originally went from a limit of 190 to 195 and finally to 200. The division has evolved and to bring it down to its original weight limit would cause a 34 pounds gap between cruiserweight and bridgerweight. Sulaiman thinks that whatever the WBC does, everyone else will follow their lead. I understand that the WBC is often the first sanctioning body to make changes that are positive for boxing, but these changes are not and I think the other sanctioning bodies, fans, and media should not agree to these changes.

[jezzamundo]

I don’t agree with the WBC moving the cruiserweight limit back to 190 pounds from 200. Sulaiman talks about the gap between light heavyweight to cruiserweight being reduced from 25 pounds (200-175=25) to 15 pounds (190-175=15) in the WBC. But then he will have a huge gap between cruiserweight and bridgerweight (224-190=34). He is going to make a 34 pounds gap between these divisions while reducing the gap between light heavyweight and cruiserweight to 15 pounds. The other major sanctioning bodies are not going to agree to this. I can accept a bridgerweight division, but the weight limit should be 215 or 220, not 224. I also disagree with the cruiserweight limit being reduced from 200 to 190. The division originally went from a limit of 190 to 195 and finally to 200. The division has evolved and to bring it down to its original weight limit would cause a 34 pounds gap between cruiserweight and bridgerweight. Sulaiman thinks that whatever the WBC does, everyone else will follow their lead. I understand that the WBC is often the first sanctioning body to make changes that are positive for boxing, but these changes are not and I think the other sanctioning bodies, fans, and media should not agree to these changes.

175-200lb is a problem. I think making Cruiserweight 190lb and Bridgerweight 210lb is the best option.

[RScarf1]

175-200lb is a problem. I think making Cruiserweight 190lb and Bridgerweight 210lb is the best option.

I know that 25 pounds is a big range, but has it really been a major problem? I haven’t seen much debate about this and the 200 pound cruiserweight limit has existed for many years. If they are going to change the weight limits though, then I think there should be equal ranges. If they move cruiserweight to 195 and bridgerweight to 215, then there would be 20 pounds from light heavyweight to cruiserweight and cruiserweight to bridgerweight.

[jezzamundo]

175-200lb is a problem. I think making Cruiserweight 190lb and Bridgerweight 210lb is the best option.

I know that 25 pounds is a big range, but has it really been a major problem? I haven’t seen much debate about this and the 200 pound cruiserweight limit has existed for many years. If they are going to change the weight limits though, then I think there should be equal ranges. If they move cruiserweight to 195 and bridgerweight to 215, then there would be 20 pounds from light heavyweight to cruiserweight and cruiserweight to bridgerweight.

Gaps between divisions become bigger at heavier weight classes which is how it should be (which is why 168lb for SMW is a bit silly).

I remember Danny Green saying he wished cruiser was left at 190lb. Late in his career, his best fighting weight was around 185lb and cutting to 175lb would have been difficult. When he got KO'd by Wlodarsyk, he would have been around 20lb lighter in the ring