Cruiserweight (boxing)

Cruiserweight (boxing)

Cruiserweight is a weight class in 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.

The current weight limit for the division is 200 pounds (14 stone 4 pounds / 90.7kg). When originally established, the weight limit was 190 pounds (86.2kg). 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 heavyweight boxers weighed 220 pounds or 230 pounds. It was felt by many boxing authorities that asking men weighing between 176 pounds and 190 pounds to fight these larger men was unfair.

The WBC was the first boxing organization to recognize the cruiserweight division when it sanctioned a bout between Marvin Camel and Mate Parlov on December 8, 1979, for their version of the title. That fight was a draw, but in the rematch in March 1980 Camel won and became the first cruiserweight champion. In 1982 the World Boxing Association recognized Ossie Ocasio as their first cruiserweight champion when he defeated South African Robbie Williams (although at that time the WBA called the division "junior heavyweight"). The International Boxing Federation followed suit in 1983 when it matched former WBC champion Marvin Camel against Rick Sekorski for their inaugural title. Camel won and became the first IBF cruiserweight champion.

This division has received little respect from many boxing writers. This is partially because it is common that after some success at this weight, good cruiserweights decide to add some weight and campaign in the heavyweight division. However, regardless of that there is no question this division features some of the hardest punchers in boxing. Also relatively large fighters can box without some of the size deficits seen at heavyweight. Evander Holyfield unified the WBA, WBC, and IBF titles to become undisputed champion, the first to do so, and then moved up to the heavyweight division in 1988.

Other notable champions in the division have been Bobby Czyz, Tomasz Adamek, Virgil Hill, Alfred Cole, Orlin Norris, James Toney and David Haye.

The current cruiserweight title holders are the WBA champion Denis Lebedev, WBC champion Krzysztof Włodarczyk, IBF champion Yoan Pablo Hernandez and WBO champion Marco Huck.