WBA Unanimously Approves 'Super Cruiserweight' Division

[Ruthless-RKO]

WBA Executive Committee Unanimously Approves Formation of 'Super Cruiserweight' Division

A second sanctioning body has joined the movement to provide boxing with an eighteenth weight division.

The WBA is the latest to come around the concept of a ‘tweener division for oversized cruiserweights who aren’t quite big enough to compete with the true heavyweights. A unanimous vote was reached to form the ‘Super Cruiserweight’ division, which will carry a weight range of 201-224 pounds.

“The World Boxing Association (WBA) Executive Committee approved the creation of the super cruiserweight division in a vote called by the president Gilberto Jesus Mendoza,” the organization announced Wednesday. “This new division will be between 200 and 224 pounds, while it will be located between the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions.

“The pioneer organization made several analyses during the last months before thinking about the request and in the end it was submitted to a vote, in which it was approved by the unanimous vote of the executive committee. The creation of this new weight will mainly help to avoid bouts in which the fighters enter the ring with excessive weight differences, as tends to happen at heavyweight occasionally, where there can be differences of 20 pounds or more.”

The move mirrors that of the WBC, who formed the ‘Bridgerweight’ division in 2020. The division—whose weight range is 191-224 pounds—is named after Bridger Walker, who was six years old at the time he risked his life to save his younger sister from a vicious dog attack.

It was a well-intended concept by the WBC, who pitched the idea of recruiting undersized heavyweights such as Oleksandr Usyk and Deontay Wilder, among others. Neither took the bait, as the Mexico City-headquartered group was left with Oscar Rivas as its inaugural champion after his win over Ryan Rozicki in their October 2021 thriller.

The reign did not feature a single successful title defense, as injuries and other cancelations beyond Rivas’ control limited his ability to return to the ring.

Poland’s Lukasz Rozanski claimed the vacant belt with a first-round knockout of Alen Babic in their April 22 battle of unbeaten bridgerweights. He has yet to make a successful defense, which has left the WBC with just two sanctioned fights in the division’s three-year history.

The WBA will likely run in to similar problems, although its vote mirrors a recent decision made by the Australian National Boxing Federation during its annual meeting on November 18.

“Fighters considered ” small heavyweights” will have the option to move down to super cruiserweight and seek opportunities against more balanced weight opponents, in the quest to make the sport increasingly fairer,” noted the WBA. “The WBA ranking committee has already begun working on the creation of the rankings for this weight and the first divisional match-ups will be announced soon.

“The WBA will continue to work on making boxing a fairer sport that provides opportunities and fairness to all involved, especially the boxers.”

Ironically, the decision contradicts the WBA’s ongoing title reduction campaign which recently saw its number of secondary titlists reduced to four. Devin Haney announced that he was severing ties with the lightweight division, which removed his ‘Super’ title from existence. Gervonta Davis is now the division’s lone recognized WBA titlist.

The Top 15 rankings for the newly formed weight class will likely roll out during the WBA’s annual convention this coming December 11-15 in Orlando, Florida.

To date, the IBF and WBO have not yet declared any plans to follow suit.

[Ruthless-RKO]

So basically.. WBA are doing a bridgerweight.

Can't let WBC eat all the sanctioning fees on their own.

[leejonesjnr]

WELL....
I fully expect all sanctioning bodies to follow suit over the next year or two.
The smaller American focused IBA have had a Super Cruiser for years, WBC introduced Bridger which is the same division but named after a brave young boy and as time goes on everyone will follow.
I don't have a problem with the extra division as such, though I personally would prefer the horrendously complicated process that is almost impossible as it would require all sanctioning bodies to play together, of changing the weights in every division.
At the bottom, moving up 25lbs would see you competing in 7 divisions. If you are a light heavy then you must gain 25lbs to move up one division.
Rather than introduce new divisions I would prefer that the weights were widened from the bottom to the top, with champions that then cross weights boxing one another to decide the new king.
The final weights could be debated but something like...

Minimumweight, 100 pounds
Light Flyweight, 105 pounds
Flyweight, 110 pounds
Super Flyweight, 115 pounds
Bantamweight, 120 pounds
Super Bantamweight, 130 pounds
Featherweight, 140 pounds
Super Featherweight, 150 pounds
Lightweight, 160 pounds
Super Lightweight, 170 pounds
Welterweight, 180 pounds
Super Welterweight, 190 pounds
Middleweight, 200 pounds
Super Middleweight, 210 pounds
Light Heavyweight, 225 pounds
Cruiserweight, 240 pounds
Heavyweight, unlimited

[SeanBrennan]

I know it's likely a money grab but there could be some good fights there, as sacrilegious as it is.

[Monzon83]

I’ve always thought it daft that boxing weights have remained unchanged for basically 100 years despite humans clearly getting bigger.

We should redo all the weights fit for the 21st century but of course that could never happen.

[wrighty]

I dont fall out with this, but wouldn't it be better to put something between light heavy and cruiser? That's a 25 pound jump!

[wrighty]

I know it's likely a money grab but there could be some good fights there, as sacrilegious as it is.

Wilder is made for the division. Let's not forget, no one rated super middle when it started, but there have been good champs the world over! Even South Korea were getting stuck in in the early days. Maybe this division could be alright!

[Ruthless-RKO]

I dont fall out with this, but wouldn't it be better to put something between light heavy and cruiser? That's a 25 pound jump!

The lower the cw limit down to 190

[Ruthless-RKO]

WBO Head Disagrees With WBA’s New Weight Class: ‘Sometimes Prescriptions are Worse Than The Disease’

Apparently at least one sanctioning body has no desire to follow the latest trend.

The WBA announced Wednesday that it had ratified the creation of a new weight class, the “super cruiserweight” division, which ranges from 200 to 224 pounds. According to a statement, the decision was made to shore up the severe weight disadvantages that smaller heavyweights often face. Some of the top heavyweights, such as Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury, can weigh more than 250 pounds on fight night.

The WBA is now the second sanctioning body (out of the major four) to create a new weight class, following on the heels of the WBC, which created its “Bridgerweight” class in 2020 for the same reasons.

But the WBO appears to be in no mood to follow suit.

On his social media account, Paco Valcarcel, the president of the Puerto Rico-based organization, warned against the creation of a new weight class, saying it could do more damage than good. The WBA stated that the super cruiserweight division would “make the sport increasingly fairer.”

“Having 17 divisions in professional boxing is more than enough,” Valcarcel wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “The Jr. Heavyweights or cruisers, from 175 to 200 is a fairly ‘colorless” division,’ imagine another ‘extended cruiser’ … The changes are not always good and many times trying to improve, we damage the image of boxing.”

In a reply to the WBA’s official post about their announcement, Valcarcel wrote, “My friends…Sometimes prescriptions are worse than the disease…”

The WBA’s decision ironically comes at a time when it has tightened up the number of title belts it offers in each division. The WBA has been strongly criticized for watering down the sport because of the dizzying number of “interim” titles it offers.

The IBF has thus far not indicated if it has similar plans to create a new heavyweight class.

[cormack]

more sanction fees for the wba $$$$$$$$$$

bollox

maybe we get more fights tho

[jamesmcdonnell]

The heavyweight division will become gash. Just loads of big fat Lunps and muscle bound oafs.

[Frostieballs]

The heavyweight division will become gash. Just loads of big fat Lunps and muscle bound oafs.

I’m not sure that will happen mate.

Heavyweight will still be the marquee division and offer the biggest bucks.

[Ruthless-RKO]

more sanction fees for the wba $$$$$$$$$$

bollox

maybe we get more fights tho

Stripped down the number of 'interim' and 'regular' belts..

They thought, why not.. we've lost money here, let's add a weight class.

[SeanBrennan]

The heavyweight division will become gash. Just loads of big fat Lunps and muscle bound oafs.

Not heard the word gash for ages.

A very underestimated term.

Gash.

[Ruthless-RKO]

The heavyweight division will become gash. Just loads of big fat Lunps and muscle bound oafs.

Not heard the word gash for ages.

A very underestimated term.

Gash.

[SeanBrennan]

The heavyweight division will become gash. Just loads of big fat Lunps and muscle bound oafs.

Not heard the word gash for ages.

A very underestimated term.

Gash.

On a similarly mature note, I now want Kash Ali in light of his recent performance to resume his career with this as his moniker. Gash Alley

[tonyevs]

The heavyweight division will become gash. Just loads of big fat Lunps and muscle bound oafs.

Its that already

I think its a good idea in principle having a division btween cruiserweight and heavyweight because modern heavies are typically 17st plus. I guess the concern is even less quality stepping up to heavyweight.

[SeanBrennan]

I'm not averse to it, Okolie could step up immediately nick a title then step up to heavy.

[jwfg]

The WBA lost any credibility they had left when they had two or three world champions in the same division.

[jamesmcdonnell]

The heavyweight division will become gash. Just loads of big fat Lunps and muscle bound oafs.

Its that already

I think its a good idea in principle having a division btween cruiserweight and heavyweight because modern heavies are typically 17st plus. I guess the concern is even less quality stepping up to heavyweight.

We will end up with two shite divisions

[cormack]

I'm not averse to it, Okolie could step up immediately nick a title then step up to heavy.

its boxing not hugging !

[jwfg]

Within the next five years, they'll add a Super Heavyweight division.

[SeanBrennan]

I'm not averse to it, Okolie could step up immediately nick a title then step up to heavy.

its boxing not hugging !

to be fair he does tickle as well

[SeanBrennan]

Within the next five years, they'll add a Super Heavyweight division.

I'd never thought of that. They very well could.

[leejonesjnr]

Within the next five years, they'll add a Super Heavyweight division.

I'd never thought of that. They very well could.

Nah. Heavyweight will always be the top tier, the weight limits may change but there won't be a vision above heavy.