It was six years ago that Oleksandr Usyk exited the cruiserweight division following an incredible run that saw him reign as undisputed champion.
As well as closing the door on the weight class he admirably dominated, Usyk also brought an end to the career of Tony Bellew as he stopped the popular Liverpudlian in front of a stunned Manchester crowd.
Without its best fighter and biggest draw, the long-term future for the cruiserweight division looked far from promising and a second World Boxing Super Series tournament, won by Mairis Briedis in 2020, didn’t provide the spark required to return the category to previous halcyon days.
Usyk’s impressive run at heavyweight, a momentous streak consisting of wins against Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, and Daniel Dubois, have made his previous four title reign seem a distant memory.
For Bellew, now established as one of the most respected voices in boxing, cruiserweight was his crowning glory that included a Premier League stadium fight at his beloved Goodison Park that provided the platform for the financial security and world title he desperately craved.
Without cruiserweight glory against Junior Makabu in 2016, there’s no memorable bitter series with David Haye that took his profile to a mainstream level that he’s still profiting from today thanks to numerous high-profile television appearances.
Cruiserweight lost an awful lot in 2018, but could it be on the verge of regaining some of its previous prestige in the shape of Jai Opetaia and Gilberto Ramirez?
After bursting onto the scene with a sensational upset victory over Briedis in 2022, Opetaia, a hero in Australia, has quickly established himself as the world’s best fighter at 200lbs.
A staple of the groundbreaking shows funded by Saudi wealth, Opetaia must be doing something right to impress His Excellency, Turki Alalshikh, as Riyadh shows feel empty without Opetaia enhancing his brilliant credentials on them.
Outside of the ring, the confident Aussie has also created headlines for himself thanks to consistently insisting he will be a force at heavyweight and the time he left Fury’s training camp ahead of his postponed bout with the mercurial Ukrainian.
The incident was later played down, but there was just enough in the story at the start to make many believe Opetaia had excelled against Fury, and a news item like that is certain to provide a significant boost for how a fighter may be perceived.
Just when it looked Opetaia was out on his own at cruiserweight, along came an outstanding Mexican who some considered just a little bit too small for boxing’s big men. They don’t think that way now.
More fantasy fights to become reality in 2025
On Saturday night, headlining the inaugural ‘Latino Night’ as part of Riyadh Season, Ramirez demonstrated why he needs be taken seriously by all cruiserweights, and perhaps even some heavyweights.
The boastful ‘Zurdo’ had long predicted success at cruiserweight, but respectable wins at super-middleweight, that saw him claim a world title, and light-heavyweight, including a 2022 loss to Dmitry Bivol, wasn’t enough to convince some within the boxing community he could be a success one weight division below heavyweight.
Those people look stupid now.
Against Chris Billam-Smith this past weekend, Ramirez unified the cruiserweight division with one of the best performances of 2024 as he dominated the likeable Brit over 12 largely one-sided rounds.
The belief beforehand was that Billam-Smith's size would be a crucial factor, but the man from England’s south coast couldn’t cope with Ramirez’s speed and accuracy.
Ramirez’s victory was more than just another notch on his record. It was a statement of intent, and a message delivered to Opetaia that the cruiserweight division doesn't belong to him. Not by a long shot.
With Turki Alalshikh responsible for many decisions within boxing today, the list of dream fights in boxing have moved from fantasy to reality.
With many fight fans urging the new Ring magazine owner to constantly dip into his funds to stage fights like Fury vs. Joshua, Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford, and Artur Beterbiev vs. Bivol 2, His Excellency may start to receive a new request.
A major fight with huge ramifications at cruiserweight didn't seem possible just a few months ago, but thanks to the superb efforts of Opetaia and Ramirez, 2025 could see the division once again restored to former glories.