This seems like one of the most dangerous weight jumps in boxing, although an especially convenient excuse for light heavyweights when they lose. "Oh, I was weight drained! I'll retain my speed and so those lumps up at CW and through them the world I'm still hot ****!". Thing is, fighters don't really tend to be that slow at cruiser weight, and many cruisers still hit just about as hard as a solid heavyweight. Even relative to the small body weights of the guys down at bantam or straw when they move up, this just seems to be asking for trouble. 25 pounds is massive, and its not like cruiser weights aren't true heavyweights on fight night. Look at Guillermo Jones. The only real precedent in the modern era that I can think of is cruiserweight Giacobbe Fragomeni against LHW Zsold Erdei A very ballsy move by Erdei, and an underrated win at that. Erdei fought at cruiser at just 178 pounds, and walked away with the big win. Largely forgotten now a days but still, not duplicated before or after as far as I know. Thoughts on this topic, General?
yep, i agree. big blokes up in cruiser they have 25lb safety net to be in and come in 200-210 fight night, he will get bullied outmuscles outtoughed, and probably outskilled. its not like bellew is particularly fast anyway. i cant see him lasting long here, think bellews gonna regret it.
To be fair, Bellew was seriously draining to make 175. He fought at Heavy and even super heavyweight in the am's I don't consider it a bad move. Lebedev started at 175. Guillermo started at 147 ffs.
Bellew obviously has lost the marbles. Guy scored pascal bute for bute. He said no way pascal won, meanwhile hbo had it 10-2 pascal or something
Jones was just a kid and grew through the divisions. Levadev also took several years off from the game. I know here Bellew fought as an amateur, with headgear. He's shown a suspect chin but good recovery abilities at LHW... Just now buying the rush to Cruiser for him personally.
I think it makes sense for him, he has a decent punch, good size, he's massively draining himself to make the weight anyways and there's not much more for him at LHW. However, I am not sure why Clev is moving up, I mean he has no tools to succeed there at all.
For me Cleverly going to CW is terrible move, he didnt have power at LHW now any CW worth **** will walk straight through him.
Any evidence that cruiser weights come in to the ring really as heavyweights? Very few I assumed drain themselves much.
The move to cruiser could possibly benefit punch resistance if anything, he's now fighting at his natural weight, If Froch (A guy who basically fight at his natural weight) was boiling down to 160 he would not take a punch like he does at 168, no way... thats how it works. On a side note (with the exception of Lebedev), the top dogs at LHW basically hit like cruisers anyway. :yep
