WBA Unanimously Approves 'Super Cruiserweight' Division

[jwfg]

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.

Money talks Mr Jones. It's only a matter of time.

[SeanBrennan]

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.

Money talks Mr Jones. It's only a matter of time.

you've made this song play in my head

[cormack]

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

it tickled me watchin the clown last time out vs cbs

[SeanBrennan]

its boxing not hugging !

to be fair he does tickle as well

it tickled me watchin the clown last time out vs cbs

yeah and then not taking rematch either.

I think Riakhpohre beats them both

[SeanBrennan]

or again in case of CBS

[Ruthless-RKO]

WBC Pleased With WBA’s Adoption Of Bridgerweight: Our Initiatives Lead To Boxing Adopting Them

The WBC's introduction of the bridgerweight division has been met with mixed reviews ever since it was announced in 2020.

Boxing executives, media, fans, and organizations alike have given little credence to the addition of boxing’s 18th weight class, which is sandwiched in between the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions.

But in December, the WBA joined the trend when an executive committee unanimously approved the formation of a super cruiserweight division.

The WBC's bridgerweight class is designed to give smaller heavyweights a chance to compete between 191 to 224 pounds, while the WBA's super cruiserweight division gives boxers a chance to compete from 200 to 224 pounds.

WBC president Mauricio Sulaimán views the WBA following in its footsteps as a welcome addition to the sport.

“It's very good. It's very positive,” Sulaimán told BS.com in an interview. “The bridgerweight division has proven to be a necessity for boxing because there are many small heavyweights that give up too much of a weight advantage. The fights that we’ve sanctioned at bridgerweight have all been very competitive and very exciting … Most of the WBC's initiatives in history have led to the boxing world adopting them.”

The WBO and IBF have not followed the trend yet.

“That's their decision and their prerogative. We have no problem with that,” said Sulaimán.

Outside of former titlist Deontay Wilder, who weighed 213 pounds in his last fight, and unified heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk, a former cruiserweight who weighed 221 pounds in his last fight, other top heavyweights have weighed 240 pounds and upward in their previous bouts: Joseph Parker (245 pounds), Anthony Joshua (251 pounds), Andy Ruiz (268 pounds), Tyson Fury (277 pounds), and Zhilei Zhang (287 pounds).

Daniel Dubois recently scored a stoppage win against Jerrell Miller, even though Dubois gave up a 94-pound weight advantage against the 333-pound Miller.

"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 WBA stated during its announcement. "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."

In recent months, notable fighters like former super middleweight, light heavyweight, and cruiserweight champion Badou Jack have expressed interest in joining the bridgerweight division.

In April, Lukasz Rozanski became the second-ever WBC bridgerweight titlist when he scored a first-round TKO win against Alen Babic. Oscar Rivas first won the belt in 2021 but vacated the title due to an injury without ever defending it.

On Dec. 12, Evgeny Tishchenko (13-1, 8 KOs) became the WBA's first super cruiserweight champion by defeating Leon Harth (22-6-1, 13 KOs) via sixth-round knockout.

Boxrec.com, the official recordkeeper of boxing, does not recognize bridgerweight or the super cruiserweight class and its champions.

In November, the WBC announced during its annual convention in Uzbekistan that it would suspend cooperation with Boxrec.com.

[omalley]

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

WBA OFFICIAL RATINGS AS OF DECEMBER
Bridgerweight
8. LAWRENCE OKOLIE

[DrDuke]

Rename lightheavy to lightcruiser.

[Riddick Bowie]

Awful decision by the Worst Boxing Association. The problem with the modern 200-225 lot right now is they're not very good, not that they're outsized by the big guys who, for the most part, are similarly awful.

These bridger / super cruisers champs are going to be even more obscure than a WBA interim heavyweight champ.

[Grilling Machine]

It should be 210 to incorporate draining from 225ish. Only a tiny number of heavies in top shape are over 245, in reach of 224 if they desired. This'd make a ton more sense if we hadn't moved to 36-hour rehydration periods.

Like a broken record I still believe in 8 divisions. At this time I'd go:

Bantam - 120
Feather - 130
Light - 140
Welter - 155
Middle - 170
Light heavy* - 190
Cruiser - 210
Heavy

*With a new name, because I've always thought it daft to have a weight between the heavies, as if cruiser's medium-heavy. Or revert cruiser to 190 and swap them over I suppose.

[wrighty]

Awful decision by the Worst Boxing Association. The problem with the modern 200-225 lot right now is they're not very good, not that they're outsized by the big guys who, for the most part, are similarly awful.

These bridger / super cruisers champs are going to be even more obscure than a WBA interim heavyweight champ.

I think the cruiserweight division is actually quite good because they're the same size as golden age heavies and have that athleticism

[Riddick Bowie]

They're simply very not good.

208 Holyfield would never have KOd Douglas because he'd be 'too small'. He would never have beaten Bowe in the rematch for the same reason.

Gerry Cooney would've been heavyweight champ and 213 Holmes a super cruiser champ because he'd have been 'too small'

Mike Tyson would've been super cruiser champ in the 80s because he's 'too small' for Bonecrusher who would've been defending THE heavyweight title against James Broad and Tony Tucker.

Tyson would've been 'too small' to manhandle Bruno in 96.

Corrie Sanders and Lamon Brewster would've been 'too small' to challenge Wlad, on and on.

Is Usyk about to be downgraded to super cruiser champ having beaten Joshua twice and being on the verge of beating Tyson Fury?

If the historic glamour division has now been divvied up between giants and normal heavies and there's no more David & Goliath fights then I'm done with the sport. My whole life the sanctioning bodies have worked to make the sport worse and this is the last straw.

[Ezzard]

This would go away very quickly if TV decided not to show the fights. Or did not accept them as world title fights. But they won't.

TV and promoters hide behind the alphabet boys. It's all hand in glove.

[omalley]

They're simply very not good.

208 Holyfield would never have KOd Douglas because he'd be 'too small'. He would never have beaten Bowe in the rematch for the same reason.

Gerry Cooney would've been heavyweight champ and 213 Holmes a super cruiser champ because he'd have been 'too small'

Mike Tyson would've been super cruiser champ in the 80s because he's 'too small' for Bonecrusher who would've been defending THE heavyweight title against James Broad and Tony Tucker.

Rocky Marciano, Floyd Patterson and others would've been cruiserweight champions in the 40s-50s. So what?

Is Usyk about to be downgraded to super cruiser champ having beaten Joshua twice and being on the verge of beating Tyson Fury?

What do you mean by that? Do you believe that if less-than-224 Usyk beats Fury, WBA & WBC will not recognize him as THE heavyweight champion?

[omalley]

WBC Pleased With WBA’s Adoption Of Bridgerweight: Our Initiatives Lead To Boxing Adopting Them

The WBC's bridgerweight class is designed to give smaller heavyweights a chance to compete between 191 to 224 pounds, while the WBA's super cruiserweight division gives boxers a chance to compete from 200 to 224 pounds.

It's not true from Boxing_scene. The WBC's bridgerweight division is from 200+ to 224 pounds.

[SeanBrennan]

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

WBA OFFICIAL RATINGS AS OF DECEMBER
Bridgerweight
8. LAWRENCE OKOLIE

interesting did not know that, I have accidentally been right for one of the first times in my life!

thanks

[SAPFO]

Made for Wilder this. Will bury the cruiser division though.

[SeanBrennan]

Made for Wilder this. Will bury the cruiser division though.

do you think he'd drop down to it, obviously he can easy make the weight.

[omalley]

Made for Wilder this. Will bury the cruiser division though.

Quite the contrary, CW division will become a normal division, finally, not a "bunch of losers", "fat boys from LHW and cowards from HW", no more.

[SeanBrennan]

Made for Wilder this. Will bury the cruiser division though.

Quite the contrary, CW division will become a normal division, finally, not a "bunch of losers", "fat boys from LHW and cowards from HW", no more.

we can but hope.

[SAPFO]

Made for Wilder this. Will bury the cruiser division though.

do you think he'd drop down to it, obviously he can easy make the weight.

Drop down? He was well within it last out and most of his career.

[SeanBrennan]

Made for Wilder this. Will bury the cruiser division though.

do you think he'd drop down to it, obviously he can easy make the weight.

Drop down? He was well within it last out and most of his career.

I mean figuratively speaking as he currently fights at a higher division, aware he's 213-17 normally.

[Riddick Bowie]

Doesn't the 'small heavies can't handle the big guys' narrative collapse under Usyk actively reigning as heavyweight champ?

They're just diluting an already shallow talent pool by splitting it in two.

Disastrous move motivated purely by sanctioning fees.

Dana White please just buy boxing somehow.

[jwfg]

I don't mind the extra divisions. It's the madness of four 'champions' per division that makes the sport a farce.

[polecateddy]

The old argument was that 220 pound fighters could no longer compete with the behemoths. But clearly that argument no longer seems particularly valid.