The welterweight division is home to some of the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world, but which welterweight boxers reign supreme in 2022? There are a number of boxers to consider at the top of the division and some of the names might surprise you as we welcome the new year.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kMYJkZYv8M&w=560&h=315]In professional boxing, welterweights can weigh anywhere between 140-147 pounds – bigger than a lightweight, but smaller than a middleweight. The weight range is a little different for the Olympics, where welterweights are allowed to weigh anywhere between 141-152 pounds.
2021 was an exciting one for the welterweight division, but it was also a little surreal as we saw two all-time great welterweight boxers retire from the sport – Manny Pacquiao (62-8-2) and Shawn Porter (31-4-1). The former retired as the only eight-division champion in boxing history.
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Who Are the Best Welterweight Boxers in 2022?
With 2021 now in the history books, it’s time to look forward to what’s in store for 2022. There’s plenty of talent among welterweight boxers and we’ll see a lot of them square up against one another in the coming months. Prepare for what could be a turning point year for the division.
We already know of two major fights between welterweight boxers happening in the first few months of the new year – Keith Thurman vs Mario Barrios, which is scheduled for February 5, 2022, and Vergil Ortiz Jr. vs. Michael McKinson, which is scheduled for March 19, 2022.
Although you won’t see Porter or Pacquiao in the ring this year, let’s take a look at some of the greatest and most dominant welterweight boxers in 2022. These are the fighters that everyone will want a piece of as they chase the WBC, WBO, WBA, IBF, and The Ring championships.
20. Kell Brook
Country: United Kingdom
Record: 39-3-0
Kell Brook began his career in the welterweight division and was 36-0 at one point in his career. Between 2014-2017, he was one of the best welterweight boxers in the world as he defended his IBF welterweight title three times against Ionut Dan Ion, Frankie Gavin, and Kevin Bizier.
The only reason why Brook finds himself at No. 20 on this list is because he’s just 3-3-0 since, bringing his pro record to 39-3-0. The losses came against Gennadiy Golovkin, Errol Spence Jr., and Terence Crawford. Brook currently has a fight scheduled for February 19, 2022.
19. Mario Barrios
Country: United States
Record: 26-1-0
Mario Barrios turned professional in 2013 and amassed a 24-0 victory before contending for the vacant WBO world super lightweight title in 2019. He won that bout against Batyr Akhmedov by unanimous decision to earn his first belt as a pro. Akhmedov was 7-0-0 entering that fight.
Barrios defended his title for the first time against Ryan Karl one year later, winning by way of knockout to retain his title. His reign as champion would end in 2021 with a TKO loss to Gervonta Davis. Barrios hasn’t fought since and will make a return to the welterweight division.
18. Lewis Crocker
Country: United Kingdom
Record: 14-0-0
Lewis Crocker had a 90-7 record as an amateur, fighting mostly in Northern Ireland and even winning a bronze medal at the 2011 European Schoolboy Championships in Grozny. He finally turned pro in 2017 and has been on fire ever since, winning each of his first 14 fights.
Crocker’s 12th victory came against Louis Green and it earned him the WBO European welterweight title. He has defended that title twice in 2021, defeating the likes of Deniz Ilbay and Artem Haroyan to retain the title both times. He’s currently No. 8 in the WBO welter rankings.
17. Thulani Mbenge
Country: South Africa
Record: 18-1-0
Thulani Mbenge turned professional in 2015 and has been lights out ever since, winning 18 of his first 19 pro fights. He had a 9-0 record before contending for the South African Welterweight title in April 2017, a bout where he defeated Shaun Ness by way of technical knockout.
He defended that title against Mziwoxolo Ndwayana five months later and defeated Diego Cruz to win the WBC International welterweight title in 2018. Since then, he has won the IBO World welterweight title and defended it once, won the ABU welterweight title and the WBO Pan African welterweight title.
16. Mikey Garcia
Country: United States
Record: 40-2-0
Mikey Garcia has enjoyed an incredible boxing career since turning professional in 2006. He has won world championships in four different divisions, including lightweight, junior lightweight, featherweight, and junior welterweight. He’s still searching for his first career welterweight title.
Garcia had a 39-0 record as of 2018, but has gone just 1-2 since – both losses against all-time great welterweight boxers in Errol Spence Jr. and Sandor Martin. The Spence Jr. fight was for the IBF welterweight title. In between those losses, he won the WBC Diamond welterweight title.
15. Custio Clayton
Country: Canada
Record: 19-0-1
Custio Clayton is a Canadian boxer that turned professional in 2014. He has been on fire ever since, winning 19 of his first 20 bouts. He had a perfect 18-0 record up until October 2020 when he finished with a draw against Sergey Lipinets for the interim IBF world welterweight title.
Clayton has won the WBC Continental Americas welter title, IBF International welter title, IBF Inter-Continental welter title, WBA-NABA welter title (retained once, and WBO International welter title twice (retained once) since 2017. He’s due for a shot at a major championship.
14. Cody Crowley
Country: Canada
Record: 20-0-0
Known as ‘The Crippler,’ Cody Crowley has yet to lose as a professional boxer. With a 20-0 record since turning pro in 2014, Crowley has impressed many within the division and is currently shooting up the rankings – he’s ranked in the top-15 in The Ring, IBF, WBO, and WBC.
Crowley won the vacant Canada Professional Boxing Council National Super Welter Title in 2018 and has defended that title twice since – most recently in 2019. His most recent fight was against an undefeated Kudratillo Abdukakhorov, which he won by unanimous decision.
13. Sandor Martin
Country: Spain
Record: 39-2-0
Sandor Martin shocked the world just a few months ago when he defeated four-division world champion Mikey Garcia in October 2021. The win was Martin’s first major win in the welterweight division and the 5’8’’ Spanish fighter has goals of being a world champion himself.
Martin has been consistent over his career, but most of his success has come in the super lightweight division. He has now won his past 10 fights and won the EBU European Super Lightweight title in 2019, which he has defended twice since. He’s a fighter to keep your eyes on.
12. Michael McKinson
Country: United Kingdom
Record: 21-0-0
Michael McKinson has been a mainstay in the welterweight division ever since he turned pro in 2014. He has won all 21 of his professional fights and has plans to continue that streak when he fights Vergil Ortiz Jr. in March 2022. It’s one of the most-anticipated fights coming in 2022.
McKinson has already won the WBC Youth welter title, WBC Silver International welter title (defended twice), WBO European welter title, and the WBO Global welter title (defended once). He will be defending the WBO Global title against Ortiz Jr. and fighting for the WBO International welter title.
11. Danny Garcia
Country: United States
Record: 36-3-0
Danny Garcia made his professional debut back in 2007 and has won 36 of his 39 fights ever since. That’s a lot of wins and very few losses, most of which came as a light welterweight and welterweight. He has already won world championships in both divisions, but he isn’t done yet.
Garcia won the WBC World Welterweight title in 2016, but couldn’t retain the title against Keith Thurman in 2017. It was Garcia’s first professional loss. He had another chance at the WBC world welter title against Shawn Porter in 2018 and Errol Spence Jr. in 2020, but lost both.
10. Conor Benn
Country: United Kingdom
Record: 20-0-0
The son of two-division champion Nigel Benn, Conor Benn is starting to make a name for himself in the welterweight division. He made his debut as a 19-year-old in 2016 and has won all 20 of his pro fights ever since. By 2018, he had won the WBA Continental welterweight title.
Benn then won a fight against Josef Zahradnik before defending his WBA Continental welter title six consecutive times between June 2019 and December 2021 – three of which by TKO and one by KO. He ranks among the top-ten welterweights in IBF, WBO, WBA, and The Ring.
9. Radzhab Butaev
Country: Russia
Record: 14-0-0
Radzhab Butaev, also known as ‘No Mercy,’ is a Russian boxer that made his professional debut in 2016. He has yet to lose a pro fight and has amassed a 14-0 record – 11 of those wins coming by way of knockout. He’s the current WBA Regular World welterweight champion.
Butaev originally contended for the WBA Regular World welter title in 2019 against Alexander Besputin. Although Butaev lost by unanimous decision, it was overturned to a no contest after Besputin failed a drug test. Butaev also won the WBC-NABF super-welterweight title in 2016.
8. Eimantas Stanionis
Country: Lithuania
Record: 13-0-0
Eimantas Stanionis is the pride of Lithuania, making his professional debut in 2017 after winning a gold medal at the 2015 European Championships and competing in the 2016 Summer Olympics – both in the welterweight division. Since turning pro, he has won all 13 of his fights.
Stanionis currently ranks 14th in WBC rankings, ninth in WBO, sixth in The Ring, and is the No. 1 contender for the WBA. He most recently fought Luis Callazo in August 2021, but it ended in a no contest after an accidental head clash. He’s due for a championship bout very soon.
7. David Avanesyan
Country: Russia
Record: 28-3-1
Also known as ‘Ava,’ David Avanesyan is a Russian boxer that turned pro in 2009. He won the Russian Welterweight title in 2010 and defended the title in 2011. By 2015, he had a 20-1-1 pro record and had won the WBC-ABC welterweight title and WBC CISBB welterweight title.
In late-2015 and mid-2016, Avanesyan won the WBA Interim World Welterweight title twice. He then had a shot at the WBA World welter title in 2017, but lost to Lamont Peterson. He won the EBU European welter title in 2019 and has defended it four times since (most recently in 2021).
6. Jaron Ennis
Country: United States
Record: 28-0-0
Jaron Ennis is ready for a breakout year in 2022. The former silver and gold medalist in the U.S. National Golden Gloves Championships made his pro debut in 2016 and has looked sharp ever since. With a 28-0-0 record and 26 knockouts, he’s due for a shot at a championship belt.
Ennis won the WBC-USNBC Silver welterweight title in 2018 after he improved to 21-0 in his career. He finally got his first major title shot in 2020 when he fought Chris van Heerden for the vacant IBO World Welterweight title, but it ended in a no contest after an accidental head clash.
5. Keith Thurman
Country: United States
Record: 29-1-0
Keith Thurman is a former unified welterweight world champion that’s ready to bounce back in 2022. He once held the WBA welterweight title between 2015 and 2019, as well as the WBC welter title between 2017 and 2018. He faced his first loss as a pro to Manny Pacquiao in 2019.
Before that loss, Thurman was 29-0-0 and had defended his WBA title four times. He has one of the hardest punches among welterweight boxers, which has earned him the nickname ‘One Time.’ He has a fight scheduled for February 5th against Mario Barrios in the welter division.
4. Vergil Ortiz Jr.
Country: United States
Record: 18-0-0
Vergil Ortiz Jr. is an American professional boxer that currently ranks as the No. 1 contender in WBC and WBO, the No. 2 contender in WBA, the No. 4 contender in IBF, and the No. 5 contender in The Ring – all of which in the welterweight division. He’s due for a big fight soon.
Ortiz Jr. is currently 18-0-0 in his career and has finished every fight by way of knockout. He won the WBA Gold World welterweight title in 2019 and defended it twice before winning the WBO International welterweight title, which he most recently defended in a 2021 victory.
He is currently scheduled to fight Michael McKinson in March 2022 – both to defend his WBO International welterweight title and fight for the WBO Global welterweight title.
3. Yordenis Ugas
Country: Cuba
Record: 27-4-0
Yordenis Ugas is the current WBA Super World Welterweight Champion and the No. 3 contender to the vacant The Ring title among welterweight boxers. He originally held the WBA Regular World welterweight title before being promoted to Super champion in 2021.
The Cuban fighter has won four straight fights since his loss to Shawn Porter in 2019, which would’ve earned him the WBC World welterweight title. With wins against Abel Ramos in 2020 and Manny Pacquiao in 2021, Ugas is preparing for a big 2022 as he continues his WBA reign.
2. Terence Crawford
Country: United States
Record: 38-0-0
Terence Crawford isn’t just one of the best welterweight boxers right now, he’s one of the best pound-for-pound boxers period and one of the greatest of all-time. He is 38-0-0 with 29 knockouts in his career and has held multiple world championships in three different divisions.
Prior to moving up to the welterweight division, Crawford was a unified and undisputed light welterweight champion. He’s the current WBO World Welterweight champion and No. 1 contender for the vacant The Ring Welterweight title. He should be fighting Errol Spence Jr. at some point this year.
1. Errol Spence Jr.
Country: United States
Record: 27-0-0
Errol Spence Jr. is the king of the welterweight division right now. He’s the current unified IBF and WBC World Welterweight champion and No. 2 contender for the vacant The Ring welter title – behind Terence Crawford. Many are anticipating a showdown between the two in 2022.
Spence Jr. is currently 27-0-0 in his career with 21 knockouts. He has defended the IBF title five times and the WBC title once. Since 2017, he has defeated the likes of Kell Brook, Lamont Pearson, Carlos Ocampo, Mikey Garcia, Shawn Porter, and most recently Danny Garcia.
Who Are the Best Welterweight Boxers of All-Time?
The welterweight division has always been one of the most exciting divisions to watch in the boxing world. It has featured some of the all-time greats and continues to shine with greatness to this day. As we saw above, there’s a lot of talent to go around within the welterweight division.
Now that we’ve discussed who the best welterweight boxers are in 2022, let’s take a moment to appreciate some of the greats that came before them. After all, the division wouldn’t be what it is today without them. For example, Sugar Ray Robinson is the greatest welterweight of all-time.
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Other all-time great welterweight boxers include Sugar Ray Leonard, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao, Mickey Walker, Joe Walcott, Kid Gavilan, Barney Ross, Emile Griffith, Thomas Hearns, Jose Napoles, Henry Armstrong, Shawn Porter, and Pernell Whitaker.
20 Best Cruiserweight Boxers of All-Time
There are 17 different weight divisions in professional boxing and while each division produces their fair share of greats, cruiserweight boxers are often some of the most overlooked. They don’t always get the respect they deserve, but we’re going to salute our hats to them today.
The cruiserweight division, also known as the junior heavyweight division, was created by the World Boxing Council (WBC) in 1979. At the time, there were several smaller heavyweights that couldn’t quite keep up with the bigger heavyweights. They set the original weight limit at 190 lbs.
In 1982, the World Boxing Association (WBA) created a junior heavyweight division. The International Boxing Federation followed in 1983 and the World Boxing Organization (WBO) finally followed suit in 1989. Today, the weight limit for cruiserweight boxers is 200 pounds.
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Who Are the Best Cruiserweight Boxers Ever?
Cruiserweight boxers have come a long way since debuting in 1979. The first WBC title fight occurred on December 8, 1979 between Marvin Camel and Mate Parlov, but the fight ended in a draw. The first champion was Camel after he defeated Parlov in the March 1980 rematch.
Ossie Ocasio became the first WBA champion in 1982 and Camel returned to the world stage as the first IBF cruiserweight champion in 1983. Boone Pultz was the first WBO champion in 1989. Since then, there have been a number of cruiserweight boxers to write their own legacy.
In fact, we’re going to highlight some of those cruiserweight boxers below in our top-20 list of the best cruiserweight boxers of all-time. Camel, Parlov, Ocasio, and Pultz had legendary careers as some of the firsts, but you won’t find them on our list of greats – let’s see who made the list:
20. Carl Thompson
Carl Thompson, also known as ‘The Cat,’ is a retired British boxer that made his pro debut on June 6, 1988 and fought his final bout on November 26, 2005. He finished his career with a 34-6-0 record and 25 knockouts. He was 6’0’’ with a 75’’ reach and fought in an orthodox stance.
Thompson started his career 8-0, but lost three of his next four fights before going on a nine-game winning streak. He won the WBO cruiserweight title in 1997 and defended the title twice. He then won the IBO title in 2001, lost it in 2001, regained it in 2004, and defended it once.
19. Magne Havnaa
Magne Havnaa is a retired Norwegian boxer that made his professional debut on October 3, 1986 and fought his final fight on February 12, 1993. He finished his career with a 19-3-0 record and 11 knockouts. He was 6’3’’ and tragically died in a boat accident in 2004 at the age of 40.
Havnaa started his career by winning his first 14 fights, but lost to Angelo Rottoli and Boone Pultz in back-to-back fights in 1989 – the Pultz fight was for the WBO cruiserweight title. He later won the rematch in 1990 to gain the title and defended it twice – once in 1990 and again in 1991.
18. Orlin Norris
Orlin Norris, also known as ‘Night Train’ and ‘The Juice,’ is a retired American boxer that made his professional debut on June 16, 1986 and fought his final bout on November 3, 2005. He finished his career with a 57-10-1 record and 30 knockouts. He was 5’9’’ with a 70’’ reach.
After five years of competing as a heavyweight, Norris moved down to the cruiserweight division where he immediately won the vacant WBC-NABF cruiserweight title. Two years later, he won the WBA cruiserweight title and defended his title four times between 1994 and 1995.
17. Jeff Lampkin
Jeff Lampkin, also known as ‘Prime Time,’ is a retired American boxer that made his pro debut on June 18, 1980 and fought his final fight on June 27, 1997. He finished his career with a 39-19-1 record and 34 knockouts. He was 6’1’’ and usually fought with an orthodox stance.
Lampkin started his professional career 16-0 and was even 21-3 in 1983, but fell to 28-13-1 by 1988. Between 1988 and 1992, he went on a nine-fight win streak and won the IBF cruiserweight title – a title he defended once in 1990. He went just 2-6 between 1992 and 1997 when he retired.
16. Virgil Hill
Virgil Hill, also known as ‘Quicksilver,’ is a former American boxer that made his pro debut on November 15, 1984 and fought his final bout on February 28, 2015. He finished his career with a 51-7 record and 24 knockouts. He was 6’0’’ with a 77’’ reach, and fought in an orthodox stance.
Hill spent most of his career as a light heavyweight, starting 30-0 before suffering his first loss. By 1988, he was a two-time WBA, one-time IBF, and lineal champion as a light heavyweight. He then became a two-time WBA cruiserweight champion towards the end of his illustrious career.
15. Al Cole
Al Cole is a retired American boxer that made his professional debut on March 25, 1989 and fought his final fight on September 3, 2011. He finished his pro career with a 35-16-3 record and 16 knockouts. He was 6’4’’ with an 80” reach and normally fought in an orthodox boxing stance.
Also known as ‘Ice,’ Cole started his career 15-0 before suffering his first loss in 1990. Over the next year, he won three consecutive USBA Cruiserweight titles before winning the IBF cruiserweight title. He retained the title five times before moving up to the heavyweight division.
14. Guillermo Jones
Guillermo Jones is a retired Panamanian boxer that made his professional debut on July 17, 1993 and most recently fought on August 13, 2021. He finished his career with a 41-4-2 record and 30 knockouts, including his most recent loss that came after four years of being inactive.
Jones started his career 21-0 as a welterweight and eventually moved to the super welterweight division before settling on the cruiserweight division in 2002. He lost the WBO cruiserweight title that year, but later won the WBA cruiserweight title in 2008 and defended the title three times.
13. O’Neil Bell
O’Neil Bell is a former Jamaican boxer that made his professional debut on February 19, 1998 and fought his final fight on December 17, 2011. He finished his pro career with a 27-4-1 record and 24 knockouts. He stood 6’0’’ tall, had a 75’’ reach, and fought in an orthodox boxing stance.
Bell won his first pro fight, but lost his second. After that, he went on a 17-fight win streak as he became the NBA and NABF cruiserweight champion. A draw in 2002 opened an eight-fight win streak where he won the IBF, WBC, WBA, and The Ring titles (undisputed and lineal champion).
12. Vassily Jirov
Vassily Jirov is a retired Kazakhstani boxer that made his professional debut on January 18, 1997 and fought his final bout on October 17, 2009. He finished his pro career with a 38-3-1 record and 32 knockouts. He was 6’2’’ with a 74’’ reach and fought in a southpaw stance.
Jirov won a gold medal at the 1996 Olympics in the light heavyweight division. After an illustrious amateur career, he joined the cruiserweight division and won his first 31 fights. He won the IBF title in 1999 and retained the title five times before losing it to James Toney in 2003.
11. Marco Huck
Marco Huck is an active German boxer that made his professional debut on November 7, 2004 and most recently fought on August 29, 2020 – a unanimous decision victory. He currently has a 42-5-1 record and 28 knockouts. He’s 6’2’’ with a 77’’ reach and fights in an orthodox stance.
Huck started his pro career with 19 straight wins before suffering his first loss in 2007 – a bout for the IBF cruiserweight title. He then went on a 15-fight win streak that saw him win the WBO cruiserweight title and defend the title 13 times – a record in the division that still stands today.
10. Anaclet Wamba
Anaclet Wamba is a retired Congolese-French boxer that made his pro debut on November 27, 1982 and fought his final fight on December 30, 1994. He finished his pro career with a 46-2-1 record and 23 knockouts. He was 6’3’’ with a 79” reach and fought in an orthodox stance.
Wamba won the first 13 fights of his pro career before suffering his first loss to Horace Notice in 1985. He then won his next 17 fights and won the EBU cruiserweight title. After losing the WBC title in 1990, Wamba won it 1991 and defended the title six times before retiring in 1994.
9. James Toney
James Toney is a retired American boxer that made his professional debut on October 26, 1988 and fought his final fight on May 13, 2017. He finished his pro career with a 77-10-3 record and 47 knockouts. He stood 5’10’’ tall, had a 72” reach, and fought in an orthodox boxing stance.
Also known as ‘Lights Out,’ he started his career 20-0, winning the IBC middleweight title after his 20th win. He won the IBF middleweight title and defended that title six times before winning the IBF super middleweight title and IBF cruiserweight title. He was a three-division champ.
8. Johnny Nelson
Johnny Nelson is a retired British boxer that made his professional debut on March 18, 1986 and fought his final bout on November 26, 2005. He finished his pro career with a 45-12-2 record and 29 knockouts. He was 6’2’’ with a long 81’’ reach and fought in a southpaw boxing stance.
Nelson lost his first three pro fights, but won 21 of his next 24 fights. He then lost seven of his next 11 fights, but went 20-0-1 in his final 21 fights. During that time, he won the WBO title and defended it 13 times – a cruiserweight division record he still shares with Marco Huck today.
7. Dwight Muhammad Qawi
Dwight Muhammad Qawi is a retired American boxer that made his professional debut on April 19, 1978 and fought his final fight on November 25, 1998. He finished his career with a 41-11-1 record and 25 knockouts. He stood just 5’5’’ with a 71” reach, fighting in an orthodox stance.
Also known as ‘Camden Buzzsaw,’ Qawi was just 1-1-1 after his first three pro fights. That spurred an 18-fight win streak that saw him win the WBC and The Ring light heavyweight titles. He won the WBA cruiserweight title in 1985 and defended the title once against Leon Spinks.
6. Jean-Marc Mormeck
Jean-Marc Mormeck is a retired French boxer that made his professional debut on March 25, 1995 and fought his final fight on December 5, 2014. He finished his career with a 37-6-0 record and 23 knockouts. He was 5’11’’ with a 74” reach and fought in an orthodox boxing stance.
Also known as ‘The Marksman,’ Mormeck started his career 3-2 before going on a 28-fight win streak – which included the unified WBA (four defenses), WBC, and The Ring titles. He regained those titles in a rematch one year later, but failed to defend them before switching divisions.
5. Juan Carlos Gomez
Juan Carlos Gomez is a former Cuban boxer that made his professional debut on May 20, 1995 and fought his final bout on November 28, 2014. He finished his pro career with a 55-4-0 record and 40 knockouts. He was 6’3’’ with an 81” reach and fought in the southpaw stance.
Also known as ‘Pantera Negra,’ Gomez started his career 37-0 before suffering his first loss in 2004. During that time, he won the WBC cruiserweight title and defended it 10 times. He then moved up to the heavyweight division and enjoyed win streaks of 5, 5, and 6 to end his career.
4. David Haye
David Haye is a retired British boxer that made his pro debut on December 8, 2002 and fought his final fight on May 5, 2018. He retired with a 28-4-0 record and 26 knockouts. Also known as the ‘Hayemaker,’ Haye stood 6’3’’ tall with a 78” reach and fought in the orthodox stance.
Haye won his first 10 fights and won the English cruiserweight title in 2003. After losing to Carl Thompson for the IBO title, he went on a 15-fight win streak and won the European and unified WBA, WBC, and The Ring titles (one defense). He was also a WBA heavyweight champ.
3. Carlos De León
Carlos De León is a retired Puerto Rican boxer that made his professional debut on August 3, 1974 and fought his final bout on November 24, 1995. He finished his pro career with a 53-8-1 record and 33 knockouts. Known as ‘Sugar,’ he was 6’0’’ tall and fought in the orthodox stance.
De León won 29 of his first 31 fights before defeating Marvin Camel for the WBC cruiserweight title. He retained that title in a rematch before losing it the next fight. He then won the WBC and The Ring titles off and on for the next six years before winning eight of his final 10 pro fights.
2. Oleksandr Usyk
Oleksandr Usyk is an active Ukrainian boxer that made his professional debut on November 9, 2013 and most recently fought on September 25, 2021 – a win against Anthony Joshua. Usyk is currently 19-0-0 with 13 knockouts, but has returned home to fight in the Ukraine-Russia war.
By 2015, Usyk was a WBO Inter-Continental cruiserweight champ and defended it four times. In 2016, he won the WBO cruiserweight title, defended it three times, added the WBC title in 2018, and added the WBA, IBF, and The Ring title six months later to become undisputed champion.
1. Evander Holyfield
Evander Holyfield is a retired American boxer that made his professional debut on November 15, 1984 and fought his final fight on May 7, 2011. He finished his pro career with a 44-10-2 record and 29 knockouts. Many know him from getting his ear bitten off by Mike Tyson.
Also known as ‘The Real Deal,’ Holyfield started his career 11-0 before winning the WBA cruiser title. He defended it once before adding the IBF title to his belt. He then defended both of those titles twice before adding the WBC title to his belt. Holyfield then moved up to the heavyweight division, where he won the WBA, WBC, and IBF titles off-and-on for the next 10+ years.
Who Are the Best Cruiserweight Boxers Right Now?
The cruiserweight division is one of the most overlooked, yet most exciting divisions in boxing. The current cruiserweight champions are Arsen Goulamirian (WBA), Ilunga Makabu (WBC), Mairis Briedis (IBF), and Lawrence Okolie (WBO). They’re some of the best in the division.
Goulamirian has defended his title twice since May 31, 2019 and is currently 26-0 with 18 knockouts. Makabu (29-2) has two title defenses since January 31, 2020 and Okolie (18-0) has two title defenses since March 20, 2021. Briedis has one defense since September 26, 2020.
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Outside of the four current champions we listed above, some of the other top cruiserweight boxers include Yuniel Dorticos, Thabiso Mchunu, Michal Cieslak, Krzysztof Glowacki, Ryad Merhy, Alexei Papin, Mateusz Masternak, Kevin Lerena, and Richard Riakporhe.
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