What exact year did cruiserweight become a division ?

Think it was founded in 1979 with the WBC first off the mark. But their first champion wasn't crowned until the following year as Camel and Parlov boxed a draw in the inaugural title fight.

 

A cruiser is a type of warship, as was a dreadnought.

A cruiser was smaller than a dreadnought, but it was the next biggest thing.

At one time they talked about making a dreadnoughtweight division, for men like Jeffries and Carnera.

The idea is probably a lot older than the weight class.

 

The cruiser division shouldn't even be a thing. Most cruiserweight fighters are over 200 come fight night.

Usyk is even bigger than say, Joe Frazier. Frazier would be a cruiserweight with day before weigh ins. But Usyk is a "cruiserweight" while Frazier is a heavyweight. Makes no sense.

 

Worthless division keeping us from seeing great match ups at heavyweight.

 

Remember the division originally had a 190 weight limit and same day weigh in. It was made to full the gap between 175 and the heavyweights who were now commonly 210 plus. The division was a wasteland before Evander Holyfield popped in for a few cleared and completely cleaned it out. It certainly seems to be far more popular in recent history with some class fighters and fine matches.

 

It seems pointless with day before weigh ins. You have so called cruisers coming into the ring weighing 205, 215 even 220. The whole point of the division was for 176-200 lbs men to be able to compete against one another without having to face the huge men. So you wouldn't have a 176 pound fighter fighting Tyson Fury.

But many of the heavies of yesteryear could be cruisers today with day before weigh ins. Muhammad Ali in his prime typically was 210ish pounds with same day weigh ins. With modern weight cutting techniques and day before weigh ins, he could be 199.9 pounds at the weigh in, but 210 pounds the night of the fight. Same with Frazier. In the FOTC, the primest night of Fraziers prime, he was 205. He could weigh in at 199 lbs the day before and be 205 lbs in the ring.

The question is, what's the difference between a 210 pound heavyweight Ali and a 210 pound "cruiserweight" Ali besides the label? If 210 pound "cruiserweight" Ali was fighting today, there are those who would swear up and down that he would be "too small" to handle a prime 6'3 220 pound George Foreman.

 

Holmes and Ali could fight at cruiser quite comfortably you'd think. Shavers, Norton and so many others could easily drop down under the current scheme. Of course a lot of these guys could potentially bulk up a bit too and still retain excellent function.

 

"Cruiserweight" was just the British name for the 12 stone 7 division, ie. 175 pounds, aka. "light heavyweight".
Just before or after WW2 the British officially began calling the division "light heavyweight" but the name "cruiserweight" persisted for some time.

Then in 1979 the WBC declared a fight between Marvin Camel and Mate Parlov a "cruiserweight world championship", made at 190 pounds I think. The limit was moved to 195 pounds for some time in the 1980s.
The WBA followed in the early 1980s but officially used the name "Junior heavyweight" at 190 pounds.
Then in the early 2000s the 190 pound divisions were scrapped and "cruiserweight" became a 200 pound division.
Now, I've heard the WBC are scrapping it again, and going back to a 190 pound "cruiserweight" division, although I'm not sure is going ahead.

 

True that. Reading old articles, guys like McAvoy and Mills were described as Cruisers in the British press.

 

Yes they all got heavier as they aged which was for the best and very common. Definitely less pounds to lose at their peak. Of course the modern weight cutting would change the game somewhat.