Do we need a SHW division?

We need Jr Super Heavy, Super Heavy and Super Super Heavy divisions with Silver Continental Interim versions of each.

 

Please no!

 

Sure. Andy Ruiz can finally go off his diet. And Big Baby Miller can top out at 320. And they can fight for the vacant belt.

People used to bring it up when guys like Valuev were around.

Now the heaviest heavyweights are guys like Miller and Ruiz. Average-height fat guys.

 

Yeah.

Fighters over 240 lb

 

I vote no. A SHW would only contribute more to the degradation and circus side show patina that the modern boxing scene is afflicted with.

 

With ever top project seemingly 6'4"-6'9" tall these days, boxing fans could be missing out on some good fights.

I would be okay up moving the cruiserweight division limit to 210 pounds. This way we could see some good fights between 5'11" and 6'2" tall boxers weighing in at 200-220 pounds on the fight night. A man with the best weight of 220 pounds could make weight, same as the lower weights do. This would not hurt the heavyweight division as top ranked contenders at 210 pounds or less is extremely rare.

 

Yeah it's not like Deontay Wilder could compete with these guys at 220 pounds.

 

No it should stay as is. The tide will swing back in the other direction one day. Smaller HW's are capable of dealing with the larger SHW's physically, all that's missing is the skill. Would 6'2 208 lb Holyfield who beat Foreman be too small for Anthony Joshua? Would 6'3 220 pound George Foreman be too little for Deontay Wilder?

 

The WBC is currently looking into if there should be another weight class at the top.

 

Over the past 15 years, let's see:

* James Toney moved up to heavyweight. Knocked out Holyfield, won the WBA title from John Ruiz, got busted for PEDs and was a top contender at heavyweight for a number of years.

* Steve Cunningham moved up to heavyweight, floored Tyson Fury, fought in a final heavyweight eliminator with Czar Glazkov and got robbed. Otherwise Cunningham would've faced Charles Martin for the Vacant IBF belt.

* David Haye moved up to heavyweight. Won the WBA heavyweight title from Valuev, who outweighed him by 100 pounds and was a foot taller. Destroyed longtime champ John Ruiz, lost to Hall of Famer Wlad Klitschko. Fighting another former cruiserweight champ (Bellew) next. Winner will be in the heavyweight title picture.

* Marco Huck moved up to heavyweight. Appeared to beat the hell out of Alexander Povetkin in a WBA heavyweight title fight but lost a controversial decision.

* Oleksandr Usyk was a longtime dominant amateur. Is currently unifying the cruiserweight division. Is expected to compete at heavyweight after that.

So, in the past 15 years, in an era with Lewis and the Klitschkos, two cruiserweight champs did win heavyweight titles, another (Huck) probably should've been given the nod, and a fourth is about to make his move (Usyk).

Until cruiserweight champs can't compete with heavyweights, the sport should leave well enough alone.

 

Well, Andy Ruiz isn't going to win a title otherwise, is he?

 

The biggest pay days will still be at the heaviest weight. All this will lead to is fighters putting on more weight (usually not muscle) to compete there.