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Cruiserweight Boxing
Cruiserweight, also referred to as junior heavyweight, is a weight class in professional boxing between light heavyweight and heavyweight. Before the advent of the current cruiserweight class, "light heavyweight" and "cruiserweight" were sometimes used interchangeably in the United Kingdom. Professional boxing The current weight limit for the division is . When originally established, the weight limit was . The division was established in order to accommodate smaller heavyweight boxers who could not compete with the growing size of boxers in that division. While many great heavyweight champions (such as Rocky Marciano and Joe Louis) weighed around 190 pounds in their career, during the 1970s it became fairly standard that fit heavyweight boxers weighed at least . It was felt by many boxing authorities that asking men weighing between and to fight these larger men was unfair. The WBC was the first boxing organization to recognize the cruiserweight division when it sanctioned ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Weight Class (boxing)
In boxing, a weight class is a measurement weight range for boxers. The lower limit of a weight class is equal to the upper weight limit of the class below it. The top class, with no upper limit, is called heavyweight in professional boxing and super heavyweightAIBA, ''Technical & Competition Rules'', §1.2 & Appendix K in amateur boxing. A boxing match is usually scheduled for a fixed weight class, and each boxer's weight must not exceed the upper limit. Although professional boxers may fight above their weight class, an amateur boxer's weight must not fall below the lower limit. A nonstandard weight limit is called a catchweight. Weigh-in A boxer who is over the weight limit may strip naked to make the weight if the excess is minimal; otherwise, in a professional bout, one can try again later, typically after losing weight in the interim through dehydration by vigorous exercise in a steam room. If the excess weight is too great, the effort expended trying to "make weight" w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Al Cole
Alfred Rudolph Cole (born April 21, 1964), best known as Al Cole, is an American former professional boxer. He won the IBF cruiserweight title and was a major force in the division until moving up to heavyweight, where he had less success. In 2001, Cole portrayed boxer Ernie Terrell in the film ''Ali''. Career Cole, at 6'4", was a large and dominant cruiserweight boxer. Later in his career, he did not have the size or power to compete at the upper echelon of the heavyweight division when he moved up in weight class. He listed his hometown as Spring Valley, New York. Cole began his career on a 20-1 tear and captured the cruiserweight title by defeating IBF champ James Warring after only three years as a professional. Cole went on to defend the title five times. His most notable defenses came against Uriah Grant (a fighter who beat Thomas Hearns). Cole defeated Grant twice by unanimous decision. Throughout his career Al Cole has appeared in movies with several big actors such as R ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mairis Briedis
Mairis Briedis (born 13 January 1985) is a Latvian professional boxer. He is a three-time cruiserweight world champion, having held the IBF and ''Ring'' titles from 2020 to 2022; the WBC title from 2017 to 2018; and the WBO title in 2019. Upon winning the WBC title in 2017, he became the first Latvian to hold a world boxing title. He was awarded the Order of the Three Stars in 2017. As a professional, he has fought world champions Oleksander Usyk, Marco Huck, Krzysztof Głowacki, Manuel Charr, and Yuniel Dorticos. As of November 2022, he is ranked as the world's third best active cruiserweight by ''The Ring'' magazine, BoxRec, and second by the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. Professional career Early career At the age of 24, after previously serving as a Latvian State Police officer in Rīga, Briedis turned professional in 2009. He racked up multiple wins in his home country and abroad, including a second-round technical knockout (TKO) of former heavyweight tit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Ring (magazine)
''The Ring'' (often called ''The Ring'' magazine or ''Ring'' magazine) is an American boxing magazine that was first published in 1922 as a boxing and wrestling magazine. As the sporting legitimacy of professional wrestling came more into question, ''The Ring'' shifted to becoming exclusively a boxing-oriented publication. The magazine is currently owned by Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Enterprises division of Golden Boy Promotions, which acquired it in 2007. ''Ring'' began publishing annual ratings of boxers in 1924. History ''The Ring'', founded and published by future International Boxing Hall of Fame member Nat Fleischer, has perpetrated boxing scandals, helped make unknown fighters famous worldwide and covered boxing's biggest events of all time. Dan Daniel was a co-founder and prolific contributor to ''The Ring'' through most of its history. It refers to itself (and is referred to by others) as "The Bible of Boxing." During the Fleischer years, the contents page or indicia ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lawrence Okolie
Lawrence Okolie (born 16 December 1992) is a British Nigerian professional boxer who has held the WBO cruiserweight title since 2021. At regional level, he held the Commonwealth cruiserweight title from 2018 to 2019, and the British and European cruiserweight titles separately in 2019. Okolie is known for his long reach, accurate jab and punching power. As of July 2022, he is ranked as the world's second best active cruiserweight by ''The Ring'' magazine third by the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board and BoxRec. Early life and amateur career Okolie was born in Hackney, London to Nigerian parents of Igbo descent. He grew up in Stoke Newington and attended Stoke Newington School. He represented Team GB as a heavyweight at the 2016 Rio Olympics. He beat Igor Pawel Jakubowski from Poland on points and made it to the Round of 16, where he lost to eventual bronze medalist Erislandy Savon of Cuba. Professional career Early career On 18 January 2017, Okolie announced his decis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
World Boxing Organization
The World Boxing Organization (WBO) is an organization which sanctions professional boxing bouts. It is recognized by the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) as one of the four major world championship groups, alongside the World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing Council (WBC), and International Boxing Federation (IBF). The WBO's headquarters are located in San Juan, Puerto Rico. History The WBO started after a group of Puerto Rican and Dominican businessmen broke out of the WBA's 1988 annual convention in Isla Margarita, Venezuela over disputes regarding what rules should be applied. The WBO's first president was Ramon Pina Acevedo of the Dominican Republic. Soon after its beginning, the WBO was staging world championship bouts around the globe. Its first championship fight was for its vacant super middleweight title, between Thomas Hearns and James Kinchen; Hearns won by decision. In order to gain respectability, the WBO next elected former world light heavyw ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jai Opetaia
Jai Opetaia (born 30 June 1995) is an Australian professional boxer who has held the IBF and '' The Ring'' world cruiserweight titles since July 2022. As an amateur he won a bronze medal at the 2012 Youth World Championships and represented Australia at the 2012 Olympics and 2014 Commonwealth Games. As of February 2023, Opetaia is ranked the world's best active cruiserweight by ''The Ring'' magazine, and the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, second by BoxRec, and third best by ESPN. Personal life Opetaia was born in Sydney, New South Wales and is of Samoan and European Australian heritage. He is related to Australian football player Tim Cahill and former rugby league player Ben Roberts. Amateur career In Opetaia's amateur career, he won the Light Heavyweight title at the 2011 Junior World Championships then qualified for the 2012 Olympics as a Heavyweight at the age of 16, making him the youngest ever Australian Olympic boxer. Opetaia won the Junior World tit ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ilunga Makabu
Junior Ilunga Makabu (born 8 November 1987) is a Congolese-South African professional boxer. He held the WBC cruiserweight title from 2020 to 2023. As of June 2022, he is ranked as the world's second-best active cruiserweight by BoxRec, and Fourth by ''The Ring'' magazine, and the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board. He is the older brother of heavyweight boxer Martin Bakole. Professional career Early career His professional career began on 20 June 2008, when he lost four round bouts fighting (by technical knockout in the first round) with the South African boxer Khayeni Hlungwane. The fight was held at the Carousel Hotel & Casino in Temba in the province of North-West. On September 13, 2008 he achieved his first victory, defeating by technical knockout in the first round the representative of Zimbabwe Elvis Moyo. On 19 November 2011 he faced Brazilian Pedro Otas. A twelve-round fight was organized at Monte Casino in Johannesburg, starring Michael Buffer. The dominant Mak ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
World Boxing Council
The World Boxing Council (WBC) is an international professional boxing organization. It is among the four major organizations which sanction professional boxing bouts, alongside the World Boxing Association (WBA), International Boxing Federation (IBF) and World Boxing Organization (WBO). Many historically high-profile bouts have been sanctioned by the organization with various notable fighters having been recognised as WBC world champions. All four organizations recognise the legitimacy of each other and each have interwoven histories dating back several decades. History The WBC was initially established by 11 countries: the United States, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, the Philippines, Panama, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil. Representatives met in Mexico City on 14 February 1963, upon invitation of Adolfo López Mateos, then President of Mexico, to form an international organization to unify all commissions of the world to control the expansion of boxing. The g ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Arsen Goulamirian
Arsen Goulamirian ( hy, Արսեն Գուլամիրյան; born 4 October 1987) is an Armenian-born French professional boxer who has held the WBA (Super) cruiserweight title since 2019. Professional career Early career Arsen turned professional in 2011 and won 14 consecutive fights before winning the WBA Continental (Europe) cruiserweight title. He would improve his record to 22–0 before getting a shot at the vacant Regular WBA cruiserweight title against Ryad Merhy. Arsen would end up winning the fight via 11th round stoppage and became the interim WBA cruiserweight champion. WBA Interim Cruiserweight champion Goulamirian vs. Merhy Goulamirian was scheduled to face the undefeated WBA Inter-Continental cruiserweight titlist Ryad Merhy for the vacant WBA interim cruiserweight title. The bout was set as the main event of the 24 March 2018, Canal+ card held at the Palais des Sports in Marseille, France. Goulamirian was at the time the #1 ranked WBA cruiserweight contender, w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oleksandr Usyk
Oleksandr Oleksandrovych Usyk ( uk, Олекса́ндр Олекса́ндрович У́сик; born 17 January 1987) is a Ukrainian professional boxer. He has held multiple world championships in two weight classes, including the unified WBA (Super), IBF, and WBO heavyweight titles since 2021, and the ''Ring'' magazine heavyweight title since 2022. Previously he held the undisputed cruiserweight championship from 2018 to 2019, being the first boxer in that division to hold all four major world titles. Usyk is widely regarded as one of the greatest Ukrainian boxers of all time. With his victory over Anthony Joshua in 2021, Usyk became one of only three boxers to have unified the cruiserweight world titles and become a world heavyweight champion, joining Evander Holyfield and David Haye. As an amateur, Usyk won heavyweight gold medals at the 2011 World Championships and 2012 Olympics. He turned professional in 2013 and won the undisputed cruiserweight championship in his ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tony Bellew
Anthony Lewis Bellew (born 30 November 1982) is an English former professional boxer who competed from 2007 to 2018, and has since worked as a boxing analyst and commentator. He held the WBC cruiserweight title from 2016 to 2017, and challenged for the undisputed cruiserweight championship in his final fight. At regional level, he held the British and Commonwealth light-heavyweight titles between 2010 and 2014, the European cruiserweight title from 2015 to 2016, and is a three-time ABA heavyweight champion as an amateur. He portrayed antagonist boxer Ricky Conlan in the films ''Creed'' and ''Creed III.'' Early life Anthony Lewis Bellew was born in the Toxteth area of Liverpool on 30 November 1982, the son of a black mother and white father. He first lived on Mulgrave Street in Toxteth, later moving to Smithdown Road in nearby Wavertree. Amateur career Fighting out of Liverpool's Rotunda ABC, Bellew claimed both the 2002 and 2003 novice ABA titles by knocking out every man ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
