https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1eY5WpfK38
OLEKSANDR USYK (Ukraine)
WBC Cruiserweight World Champion, 1st Title Defense
WBO Cruiserweight World Champion, 5th Title Defense.
Age: 31 / Date of birth: January 17, 1987
Residence, birthplace: Simferopol, Ukraine
Record: 14-0, 11 KOs / Total rounds: 105 / World championship fights: 5-0, 2 KOs
Height: 6’3″ – 190cm / Reach: 78″ – 198cm / Stance: Left-handed
Manager: Egis Klimas / Trainer: Sergei Vatamanyuk
MURAT “Iron” GASSIEV (Russia)
WBA Cruiserweight World Champion, 1st Title Defense
IBF Cruiserweight World Champion, 3rd Title Defense
Age: 24 / Date of birth: October 12, 1993
Residence: Big Bear Lake, California / Birthplace: Vladikavkaz, Russia
Record: 26-0, 19 KOs / Total rounds: 120 / World championship fights: 3-0, 2 KOs
Height: 6’3.5″ – 192cm / Reach: 76″ – 193cm / Stance: Right-handed
Advisor: Leo Khorolinsky / Trainer: Abel Sanchez
WBC CRUISERWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONS
1. Marvin Camel (US) 1980
2. Carlos de Leon (P. Rico) 1980 – 1982
3. S.T. Gordon (US) 1982 – 1983
4. Carlos de Leon (P. Rico) * 1983 – 1985
5. Alfonzo Ratliff (US) 1985
6. Bernard Benton (US) 1985 – 1986
7. Carlos de Leon (P. Rico) * 1986 – 1988
8. Evander Holyfield (US) 1988
9. Carlos de Leon (P. Rico) * 1989 – 1990
10. Massimiliano Duran (Italy) 1990 – 1991
11. Anaclet Wamba (France) 1991 – 1995
12. Marcelo Dominguez (Arg) 1995 – 1998
13. Juan Carlos Gomez (Cuba) 1998 – 2002
14. Wayne Braithwaite (Guyana) 2002 – 2005
15. Jean-Marc Mormeck (France) 2007
16. O’Neil Bell (US) 2006 – 2007
17. Jean Marc Mormeck (France)* 2007
18. David Haye (UK) 2007 – 2008
19. Giacobbe Fragomeni (Italy) 2008 – 2009
20. Zsolt Erdei (Hungary) 2008 – 2010
21. Krzystof Wlodarczyk (Poland) 2010 – 2014
22. Grigory Drozd (Russia) 2014 – 2015
23. Tony Bellew (UK) 2016 – 2017
24. Mairis Briedis (Latvia) 2017 – 2018
25. Oleksandr Usyk (Ukraine) 2018 –
* Regained
WBC TOP 10 CRUISERWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONS
1. Evander Holyfield (US)
2. Zsolt Erdei (Hungary)
3. Juan Carlos Gomez (Cuba-Germany)
4. Krzystof Wlodarczyk (Poland)
5. Tony Bellew (GB)
6. Carlos De Leon (P. Rico)
7. Wayne Braithwaite (Guyana)
8. Grigory Drozd (Russia)
9. Anaclet Wamba (France)
10. Jean Marc Mormeck (France)
GENERAL INFORMATION ON THE CRUISERWEIGHT DIVISION IN THE HISTORY OF THE WBC
21 world champions have been recognized by the WBC, of whom only two have regained the title: Carlos de Leon (Puerto Rico) three times, Jean Marc Mormeck (France) one time.
73 cruiserweight world championship bouts have been held in the history of the WBC.
MEMORABLE FIGHTS
Jan. 27, 2018 Oleksandr Usyk W12 Mairis Briedis – Riga, Latvia
Apr. 1, 2017 Mairis Briedis W12 Marco Huck – Westfalenhalle, Germany
May 29, 2016 Tony Bellew TKO3 Ilunga Makabu – Liverpool, England
Sep. 27, 2014 Grigory Drozd W12 Krzysztof Wlodarczyk – Moscow, Russia
May 15, 2010 Krzysztof Wlodarczyk TKO8 Giacobbe Fragomeni – Lodz, Poland
Oct. 24, 2008 Giacobbe Fragomeni TW8 Rudolf Kraj – Milan, Italy
Mar. 8, 2008 David Haye TKO2 Enzo Maccarinelli – London, England
Jan. 7, 2006 O’Neil Bell KO10 Jean Marc Mormeck – New York, New York
Apr. 2, 2005 Jean Marc Mormeck W12 Wayne Braithwaite – Worcester, Massachusetts
Oct. 11, 2002 Wayne Braithwaite TKO10 Vincenzo Cantatore – Lombardia, Italy
Feb. 21, 1998 Juan Carlos Gomez W12 Marcelo Fabian Dominguez – Buenos Aires, Argentina
July 25, 1995 Marcelo Fabian Dominguez TKO9 Akim Tafir – Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France
July 20, 1991 Anaclet Wamba TKO11 Massimiliano Duran – Palermo, Sicily
July 27, 1990 Massimiliano Duran WDQ11 Carlos DeLeon – Capo d’Orlando, Sicily
May 17, 1989 Carlos DeLeon TKO9 Sammy Reeson – London, England
Apr. 9, 1988 Evander Holyfield TKO8 Carlos DeLeon – Las Vegas, Nevada
Feb. 24, 1982 Carlos DeLeon TKO8 Marvin Camel – Atlantic City, New Jersey
Mar. 31, 1980 Marvin Camel W15 Mate Parlov – Las Vegas, Nevada
Dec. 8, 1979 Marvin Camel D15 Mate Parlov – Split, Croatia
WBC Statistics by Luis Medina.
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Current undefeated WBO and WBC World Jr. Heavyweight Champion Oleksandr Usyk (14-0-0), 11 by way of Knockout, is on the verge of making history as he faces WBA and IBF Jr. Heavyweight Champion Murat Gassiev, for the Jr. Heavyweight Unification Championship Title Bout in the World Boxing Super Series tournament finale. The stage is set as the Ukrainian fighter seeks to become the first ever undisputed Jr. Heavyweight Champion of the world to hold all titles simultaneously. Let’s highlight the amateur and professional accomplishments thus far, from WBO Jr. Heavyweight Champion superstar.
Oleksandr Usyk was born in Simferopol, Crimean Oblast, Ukraine. At the age of 15, he used to practice association football and trained at the SC Tavriya Simferopol specialized sports school of Olympic reserve. By the year 2002, Usyk transitioned to the sport of boxing standing out within the amateur field. In 2006, Usyk won a bronze medal in the Middleweight division at the European World Championships held in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. In 2008, Usyk move to the Light Heavyweight division winning the Strandja Cup also held in Bulgaria. That same year Usyk participated at the Summer Olympics Games held in Beijing, China and won gold medal in the Light Heavyweight division at the European Amateur Boxing Championships held in Liverpool, England.
The Ukrainian fighter continued his successful amateur career, as Usyk moved to the Jr. Heavyweight division and won a silver medal at the Boxing World Cup held in Moscow, Russia in 2009. He then earned bronze medal the same year at the World Amateur Championships held in Milan, Italy; On 2011, Usyk won a gold medal at the World Amateur Championships held in Baku, Azerbaijan; followed by a gold medal at the Summer Olympic Games in London, Great Britain.
By 2013, Oleksandr Usyk turned professional signing with K2 Promotions and officially debuted in the Jr. Heavyweight Division on November 9th 2013, defeating Felipe Romero via KO in round five held at the Sports Palace, Kiev, Ukraine. On October 14th 2014, in just his fifth professional bout, Usyk challenged WBO Jr. Heavyweight Intercontinental Champion Daniel Brewer, winning by TKO in round seven, held at the Arena Lviv Stadium, Lviv, Ukraine. The newly crowned WBO Jr. Heavyweight Intercontinental Champion defended his title successfully on four occasions winning each bout by TKO. By 2017, Usyk raised the bar within his team recruiting highly acclaimed trainer Anatoly Lomachenko, father of the two-time Olympic gold medalist and current WBO World Jr. Lightweight Champion and pound per pound fighter of the world, Vasyl Lomachenko. Oleksandr Usyk also added 2017 “Manager of The Year” Mr. Egis Klimas.
With only 9 professional fights, Usyk challenged undefeated WBO World Jr. Heavyweight Champion Krzysztof Glowacki, on September 9th 2017, at the Ergo Arena, Plac Dwóch, Poland. By way of unanimous decision, the Ukrainian fighter won WBO World Jr. Heavyweight Championship title. Such accomplishment draw attention from boxing experts who considered the former Olympian standout as a threat in the Jr. Heavyweight division. Subsequently, Usyk defended successfully his WBO World Jr. Heavyweight World Title against a respectable opposition of former world champions.
On July 1st 2017, Oleksandr Usyk joined the World Boxing Super Series Jr. The Heavyweight tournament, defending his WBO World Jr. Heavyweight Title against former WBO World Jr. Heavyweight Champion Marco Huck (40-4-1) in the quarterfinals. Usyk’s superb footwork and punching combination overwhelmed the former WBO champion who eventually lost via TKO to the Ukrainian fighter. Consequently, Usyk qualified to the semi-finals and faced undefeated (23-0-0) WBC Jr. Heavyweight Champion Mairis Briedis in a unification championship bout held on January 27th 2018, at the Arena Riga, Riga, Latvia. In an action-packed fight, Oleksandr Usyk won by unanimous decision and unified the WBO and WBC Jr. Heavyweight Championship.
The World Boxing Super Series Jr. Heavyweight tournament finale is set, and all titles are at stake as WBO/WBC Jr. Heavyweight Champion Oleksandr Usyk faces undefeated IBF/WBA Jr. Heavyweight Champion Murat Gassiev (26-0-0) in a highly anticipated Jr. Heavyweight matchup.
History will be written as the winner will reach a milestone becoming the first ever Undisputed Jr. Heavyweight Champion of the World, to hold all titles from the four major boxing organizations. Could the outcome pave the way for the Heavyweight Division? Watch and see! May the best man win!