New Brizel Editorial: Mairis Briedis at Cruiser versus Heavyweight Crossroads
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
*Photo credit: Santija Zandersone Leta
Mairis Briedis, at age 35, has risen to become the top-ranked cruiserweight in the world. Breidis, 27-1 with 19 knockouts, Riga, Latvia, has held the World Boxing Council Diamond, World Boxing Organization, and now the International Boxing Federation World Cruiserweight titles. With a majority 12 round loss to Oleksandr Usyk, and a majority 12 round decision win over Yunier Dorticos, Briedis is at his career crossroads.
Since Usyk and Murat Gassiev have moved up to heavyweight, should Briedis follow? There is no money in the cruiserweight division such as the riches of the heavyweight division bring. Briedis will turn 36 years old in January 2021 as the top-ranked cruiserweight in the world. Should he stay in the division or go? From Steve Cunningham to Marco Huck, others have tried to make this rise up to heavyweight. Others, such as Leon Spinks and Eddie Chambers, have actually gone down from heavyweight to cruiserweight, with mixed results.
Briedis, like Usyk, would be facing the likes of Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, Deontay Wilder, Andy Ruiz, Filip Hrgovic, Tony Roka, Daniel Dubois, Luis Ortiz. Dillian Whyte, Alexander Povetkin, Jarrell Miller and Michael Hunter at the top of the heap. This means Briedis, like Usyk, would have to test himself first with such durable opponents as Michael Hunter, and Dereck Chisora.
To remain at cruiserweight, unification bouts against Kevin Larena, Armen Goulamirian and Ilunga Makaku are the best options now for Briedis on the table (and Lawrence Okolie if he wins the vacant WBO Cruiserweight title over ex-champion Krzysztof Glowacki at O2 Arena in Greenwich in December 2020).
Briedis must decide to move up or not. The heavyweight division is rich in hungry talent, and if Breidis moves up, there would be no turning back. Perhaps the best option, like Marco Huck when he challenged Alexander Povetkin for the WBA heavyweight title, is for Briedis to remain at cruiserweight but take a heavyweight world title bout if an opportunity arose to move up while still keeping the lower title. Given the huge size and power of modern super heavyweight fighters like Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder, technical skill by a smaller cruiserweight seems insufficient to move up to the heavyweight division. Briedis is a small 6’1″ and fights between 196 and 209 pounds.
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