The current retirement announcement from former three-time cruiserweight champ Mairis Briedis impressed just a few boxing articles that try to interrupt down the ten biggest fighters from the division. There have for certain been some particular fighters boxing at cruiserweight through the years, over the a long time, and the division – very a lot a removed from accepted or thrilling one so far as fan opinion was involved again when the burden class first materialised – is now firmly established.
Not a mere stepping off place for gentle heavyweights who’re transferring as much as the heavyweight division, the 200 pound division is definitely a enjoyable division, with loads of nice fights having taken place there.
So, who’re the ten biggest cruiserweights in boxing historical past?
Right here’s a stab at it:
1: Evander Holyfield.
For thus many followers, the undisputed king of the division, with nothing to ever change this.
2: Oleksandr Usyk.
Would the height cruiserweight model of Holyfield have overwhelmed Usyk? This Dream Struggle now options fairly extremely in a battle fan’s ideas.
3: Dwight Muhammad Qawi.
Qawi was a relentless, cunningly defensive buzzsaw (a” Camden Buzzsaw”) of a warrior. Qawi performed his half within the single biggest battle within the division’s historical past, his dance companion the man on the high of this listing.
4: David Haye.
We are likely to overlook how particular Haye was down at cruiserweight. Ring Journal ranked/ranks Haye as the best cruiserweight of the last decade, 2000 to 2010.
5: Mairis Briedis.
By no means stopped, as nasty (at instances) as he was robust and proficient, Briedis has to make the reduce right here. Not too many guys get pleasure from three reigns in the identical weight class.
6: James Toney.
Toney would function greater had he caught round for considerably longer than only a few fights on the weight. As it’s, Toney bested a high quality fighter in Vasiliy Jirov, this in what ranks for a lot of because the second biggest battle in cruiserweight historical past.
7: Vasiliy Jirov.
One other continuous puncher who possessed superior stamina together with toughness and grit, Jirov is unfairly finest identified for his shut (not on the official playing cards however within the opinion of most followers) conflict with Toney.
8: Johnny Nelson.
Too boring for some, Nelson was however a high quality boxer with immense ability. And Nelson held onto the WBO title for fairly a while.
9: Jean Marc Mormeck.
An outstanding fighter who may field and brawl. The Frenchman gave us one thing actually particular when he rumbled with O’Neil Bell; despite the fact that he misplaced, Mormeck displaying his high quality in avenging the defeat in a while.
10: Carlos DeLeon.
A four-time ruler, Carlos was cuter than cute, and he had some real longevity, therefore these 4 spells as a champion.
