Usyk is the GOAT cruiser

ive admitted not knowing much about the division, or i would have ripped it apart already. i keep hearing about their quality, but nobody has yet been able to tell me where that quality has been proven, who put that quality to the test?

 

What CWs was it that Holyfield beat that makes him stand out to you? Some were former LHWs
To be fair, I understand how it is easy to get carried away with nostalgia and hype.

I think looking at what Usyk has done and who he beat, think he should be considered the best CW now

 

it is only just coming into its own, and it is unnecessary and waters down the HW division to the point where defences are frequently against 40 year old nobodies and guys who are noones, let alone boxers. It is only relatively recently we see a 38 yr old noone be the best win of the hw champion.

 

Fun fact: 7 of the 8 WBSS participants wouldn't have even been able to turn pro when Evander beat Qawi for the title. Poland, Cuba, Russia, Latvia- all communist, and top Cubans weren't defecting like they do now.

Part of the hype was driven by how few top matchups consistently get made at the top of divisions anymore, but even if the division was overhyped, I believe it was deeper than Evander's due to the globalization and reasons listed in my earlier post- the ten pound wider weight gap, larger heavyweights pushing more 205-210 pounders into cutting to CW, etc

 

thats an interesting anecdote, which speaks about where the competition is coming from, but it doesnt in itself guarantee quality. my search is for a link, that establishes a bar. if ward or kovalev, who are known quantities, would have fought one of these guys, the outcome would say a lot about the relative quality in that particular division. or a fight at heavy from one of these highly skilled champs. what is the link to the bar?

 

Gassiev would stomp both KRUSHEr and Ward.

 

im trying to get beyond the "would" arguments, those are endless.

 

Okay. Whatever.

 

was i asking for too much?

 

I could easily do it bandeedo but it's bed time in the UK and I have just had my hot milk.

 

ah, well. maybe someone will reveal this secret before you feel ready to share. night.

 

I don't think that level of smoking gun exists.

What I do think is that, looking at the link below, most of the names in the top 10 and top 5 when Holyfields took over would struggle against today's cruisers of a similar ranking. When a Bert Cooper, who got knocked out by a journeymen that year can achieve a top 5 rating based off an NABF title, that isn't a good sign of relative quality. No offense to Smokin' Bert intended.


http://boxrec.com/media/index.php/The_Ring_Magazine's_Annual_Ratings:_Cruiserweight--1980s

 

thats why i mentioned earlier, that usyk fighting at hw will tell us more about the overall quality at cruiser, than anything we can compare to now. if he beats an andy ruiz comfortably, for example, that tells me that the top fighters at cruiser are at least as good as second to 3rd tier heavies.