Cruiserweight (boxing)

The current weight limit for the division is 200 pounds (14 stone 4 pounds / 90.7 kg). When originally established, the weight limit was 190 pounds (13st. 8 lbs. / 86.2 kg). 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 210 pounds. It was felt by many boxing authorities that asking men weighing between 176 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.

Several boxers moved up to heavyweight after winning world titles at cruiserweight. 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. The second man to become undisputed champion was O’Neil Bell in 2006 who was later stripped of the IBF title.

Other notable champions in the division have been Bobby Czyz, Dwight Muhammad Qawi, Tomasz Adamek, Virgil Hill, Al Cole, Orlin Norris, James Toney, David Haye and Oleksandr Usyk.

Current world champions

Main article: List of world cruiserweight boxing champions

Sanctioning Body	Reign Began	Champion	Record	Defenses	Beaten opponents
WBA	May 31, 2019	Arsen Goulamirian	24–0–0 (16 KO)	0	0
WBC	January 31, 2020	Ilunga Makabu	27–2–0 (24 KO)	0	0
IBF	June 15, 2019	Yuniel Dorticos	24–1–0 (22 KO)	0	0
WBO		vacant

Current The Ring world rankings

As of June 19, 2020.[1]

Keys:

 C  Current The Ring world champion

Rank	Name	Record (W–L–D)	Title(s)
C	vacant
1	Mairis Briedis	26–1 (19 KO)
2	Yuniel Dorticos	24–1 (22 KO)	IBF
3	Ilunga Makabu	27–2 (24 KO)	WBC
4	Krzysztof Glowacki	31–2 (19 KO)
5	Kevin Lerena	25–1 (12 KO)
6	Andrew Tabiti	17–1 (13 KO)
7	Lawrence Okolie	14–0 (11 KO)
8	Arsen Goulamirian	26–0 (18 KO)	WBA
9	Thabiso Mchunu	22–5 (13 KO)
10	Michał Cieślak	19–1 (13 KO)

Longest reigning world cruiserweight champions

Below is a list of longest reigning cruiserweight champions in boxing measured by the individual's longest reign. Career total time as champion (for multiple time champions) does not apply.

	Name	Title reign	Title recognition	Successful defenses	Beaten opponents	Fights
1.	Johnny Nelson	7 years, 5 months, 26 days	WBO	13	13	[2]
2.	Marco Huck	5 years, 11 months, 17 days	WBO	13	10	[3]
3.	Krzysztof Włodarczyk	4 years, 4 months, 12 days	WBC	6	5	[4]
4.	Denis Lebedev	4 years, 1 month, 3 days	WBA, IBF	5	5	[5]
4.	Guillermo Jones	4 years, 1 month, 3 days	WBA	2	2	[6]
6.	Juan Carlos Gómez	3 years, 11 months, 29 days	WBC	10	10	[7]
7.	Anaclet Wamba	3 years, 11 months, 17 days	WBC	7	7	[8]
8.	Yoan Pablo Hernández	3 years, 11 months, 2 weeks and 5 days	IBF	4	4	[9]
9.	Vassiliy Jirov	3 years, 10 months, 21 days	IBF	5	5	[10]
10.	Jean-Marc Mormeck	3 years, 10 months, 15 days	WBA, WBC	4	4	[11]
11.	Oleksandr Usyk	3 years, 9 months and 2 days	WBO, WBC, WBA, IBF	6	6	[12]
12.	Ossie Ocasio	2 years, 9 months, 18 days	WBA	3	3	[13]
13.	Evander Holyfield	2 years	WBA, IBF, WBC	5	5	[14]

     Active reign

     Reign has ended

[15] [16] [17] [18] [19]

In kickboxing, a cruiserweight fighter generally weighs between 82 kg (181 lb) and 88 kg (195 lb). However, some governing bodies have slightly different classes. For example, the International Kickboxing Federation (IKF) Cruiserweight (professional and amateur) division is 186.1 lbs.–195 lbs. or 84.6 kg–88.6 kg.