Ice Cole, The Most Underestimated Cruiserweight Champion Ever
By Robert Brizel, Head RCM Boxing Correspondent
Al ‘Ice’ Cole worked the corners during the undercard at Santander Arena in Reading, Pennsylvania last weekend. Sitting down with ‘Ice’ at the bar of the Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza Hotel after the show, ‘Ice’ looks every bit in shape and as dangerous as he was in his prime. As ‘Ice’ tells it, he beats up the top heavyweights in sparring so bad even now, the real reason the top heavyweights don’t want to fight him isn’t age, it’s just that Ice has got their number.
Ice Cole was a natural world champion under 200 pounds, winning six consecutive cruiserweight world title bouts easily as International Boxing Federation champion between 1991 and 1995. His mistake, like Steve Cunningham and so many others have also made-was to seek glory in the heavyweight division. Ice Cole did NOT beat Michael Grant, Tim Witherspoon, Corrie Sanders, Kirk Johnson, Jameel McCline, Juan Carlos Gomez, Hasim Rahman, Danny Williams and other top heavyweights. Rather, it must be said Ice Cole simply did not belong in the heavyweight division as he lost eleven decisions there.
A fighter should truly be judged where he excels. Ice Cole is still the champion in my book. Working with younger fighters still brings ‘Ice’ the gratification of working with the up and coming prospects. For the truly sincere boxer, that’s the way it should be. I do not believe the heavyweight division is where all cruiserweights should go. I always believed there should be a super cruiserweight / junior heavyweight division from 200 to 215 pounds. All cruiserweights should not be fighting as full heavyweights later on. Al Cole was an unbeaten world champion at cruiserweight, and in my view, should have stayed there. Ice Cole defeated all 27 of his opponents at cruiserweight, a lost statistic but still a sparkling achievement which has withstood the test of time.
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