The Very Underrated Sub 200lbs Super-Mutants. Educate Yourself.

Cruiserweight is a division that gets shat on a lot, being a called a stepping stone division, weak, irrelevant ect. For me, it's an awesome division, and a very underrated one. Even now with Lebedev, Hunter, Huck, Gassiev & Usyk gone, there's still a massive depth of talent and entertainment in the division: Dorticos, Briedis, Mchunu, Glowacki, Okolie, Lerena, Makabu, Wlodarczyk, Fayfer, Gevor, Kudryashov, Goulamirian, Tabiti, Papin & Masternak.

Look at that top 15! That right there, is depth. Briedis and Dorticos are clearly the two best, and are fighting in just over a month to prove who's actually the king. My favourite thing about the division is its massive diversity, loads of guys with different styles, attributes, characters ect from all over the world. I can guarantee that if you get watching them you'll find yourself routing for one in particular.

My personal top 5 favourites, run down:

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Former champ Glowacki is tough as nails and a short-ass little southpaw. He's not the most skilled but he is a hard hitting unit and one who I've found is pretty underrated. Glowacki ended Huck's long ass title reign by KO in an awesome fight. He's 33 so still got time left and after the Briedis fight I'd love to see a rematch. My plan for Glowacki of what I'd want to see is Glowacki vs Makabu, then the loser of Dorticos-Briedis, then the winner. I wouldn't mind seeing him fight Diablo back in Poland as a comeback/fair well for Wlodclarczyk.

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Ah, the Russian Hammer. This guy is a complete bad ass. Who doesn't love a glass-packing, gunslinging, majestically bearded Russian? Dmitry went to war with everyman and his dog, but his crushing power came out on top most of the time. The Dorticos, Durodola and Makabu fights are awesome. Wanna see power? Watch his 30 second 1 punch KO of Juan Carlos Gomez. At 34, and 1 fight removed from a KO loss, I don't think he has too big a future, but he could probably get one more big fight.

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This Nigerian Duro is on a lower level than the other 4, but he did stop Kudryashov in 2 before losing the rematch. His style is really fun with a good chin and a huge punch. Earning him the alias "God's Power". At 39 he should really retire but he's been in some barn burners.

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Big ol' Dorticos has you covered. Big frame, lovely set of Cuban skills, iron chin, and a ****ing monstrous punch. Absolutely cleaned Tabiti out in what should've been KO-OTY imo. His fights with Kudryashov, Tabiti, Masternak & Kalenga are all really fun. At 33 and going into the final of the WBSS against Breidis, should he win, the world's his oyster.

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The Congan warmonger is a must watch type fighter. Unbelievable punch on him and a shaley set of whiskers, and he keeps winning! There was a bit of shafting last week with Cieslak but he is going for it big right now. Hopefully he gets a fight with one of the elites and wins it(unless it's Glowacki). His fights with Bellew, Papin, Cieslak, Kudryashov Mchunu and Kucher are awesome entertainment.

Truth be told, aside from the ridiculous depth of the top 15, and obviously how good it is still, after 5 highly skilled operators have moved on, the reasons why this division is so good aren't that. Rather: #1, have HW-esc power but have different styles, higher workrate and exhibit higher skill levels. And #2, the big fights get made constantly; it's almost like there's always a good fight scheduled soon for the CWs. As I say, a lot of people overlook this division, and if I was to hazard a guess why, it's that there are no big names there, they get overshadowed by the HWs or a distinctive lack of UK or US fighters at the top.

But alas, there's loads of brilliant fights (thanks to @CST80 for the majority of this list).
Educate Yourself.

Usyk-Briedis
Briedis-Durodola
Makabu-Mchunu
Dorticos-Kalenga
Vlasov-Chakhkiev
Afolabi-Chakhkiev
Goulamirian-Merhy
Makabu-Papin
Makabu-Cieslak
Kudryashov-Durodola 1&2
Kudryashov-Dorticos
Dorticos-Tabiti
Glowacki-Huck
Dorticos-Masternak
Huck-Afolabi 1,2,3&4
Lebedev-Gassiev
Goulamirian-Bejenaru
Glowacki-Vlasov
Usyk-Bellew

 

I've said it already but I think it's an underlying hate for either Usyk or even just Eastern Europeans as a whole, or simply just blissful ignorance.

CW constantly have loads of good fights and a large range of consistently entertaining fighters.

I'd salivate over a Glowacki vs Makabu fight.

 

Let alone going the distance with every hard puncher he fought(bar 2).

 

There's a good few CW which have awful mandibles.