Assessing The Champion and Challengers in New WBC Bridgerweight Division
Editorial By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
The World Boxing Council has taken the lead in establishing a new weight class, and in redefining the weight requirements between boxing classes. Light heavyweight remains at 168 to 175 pounds. Cruiserweight starts at 175 and now goes to 190 pounds instead of the previous 200 pounds limit still used by the WBA, WBO, IBF, IBO, IBA, UBF, UBO, GBC, WPBF and other various major and minor sanctioning bodies.
The new WBC Bridgerweight division runs between 190 and 224 pounds, a sort of junior heavyweight division for cruiserweights moving up in weight short of the full heavyweight division. The IBA and old IBC has a super cruiserweight weight class distinction, though its upper sealing was closer to 210 to 215 pounds, not the 224 pounds Bridgerweight stops at. This makes Bridgerweight a sort of transition division between cruiserweight and heavyweight, and or a division for cruiserweights to enter after exceeding the traditional cruiserweight weight limit, who are not full-fledged heavyweights.
The issue with Bridgerweight is its new status, wich remains a question mark, as most light heavyweights and cruiserweights today eventually move up to heavyweight because they want the big heavyweight money. This does not mean to say cruiserweight and Bridgerweight are not divisions that can yield dividends. That factor depends on promotion, big name status, and other elements., Bridgerweight as a division remains yet obscure, not because it is new, but because it came into existence during the COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus period of worldwide confusion and athletic reserve. The WBC made its Bridgerweight move in the belief the other sanctioning bodies will follow suit at some point. TO date, this has not happened, and BoxRec has not yet recognized Bridgerweight as well. Then again, Bridgerweight is brand new, and all things take time for acceptance and change. Boxing, like all amateur and professional sports, is going through a rough emotional and financial patch during the Coronavirus period. The whole world is.
The weight class distinction adjustment is significant, as fighters like Rocky Marciano and Archie Moore, who fought each other at heavyweight, would have fallen into the cruiserweight division. One wonders if and when 250 or 2160 pounds and up will become a sort of super heavyweight (which the amateurs has) or maximumweight new weight class as well on the higher side of weight as well. Fighters like retired world heavyweight champion Nicolai Valuev, at 300 pounds and up, would fit the category of yet another weight class as well, given Valuev tipped the scales at 310 to 348 pounds and stood seven feet tall. That would seem to be a division one or two steps beyond heavyweight, but such new divisions on the higher edge would only be created if there was significant competition available. To date there is not, and the Russian 50-2 Valuev hadd to fight whoever would fight him in his time despite his size and weight between 1993 and 2009.
Oscar “Kaboom” Rivas, 28-1 with 19 knockouts, Montreal, Canada by way of Columbia, won the inaugural World Boxing Council World Bridgerweight title on October 22, 2021, at Olympic Theatre in Montreal by 12 round decision over Ryan Rozicki. Despite their current activity, neither fighter has an online internet world or regional BoxRec ranking as the BoxRec has not yet recognized the new Bridgerweight division.
Evgeny Romanov of the Russian Federation holds the WBC Silver Bridgerweight title, and as such is the number one contender in theory for the Rivas title in 2022. Elvis Garcia of Mexico holds the WBC Continental Americas Bridgerweight title. Cuban Geovany Bruzon holds the WBC Fecarbox Bridgerweight title. Southpaw heavyweight Jerry Forrestis listed as a ranked Bridgerweight, yet is fighting heavyweight Michael Hunter at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City on December 2, 2021. The 25 names in the WBC ratings include former world cruiserweight champion Marco Huck, former heavyweight contender Artur Szpilka, American Devin Vargas, and Belgium’s Bilal Laggoune. On November 26, 2021, Laggoune was stopped in three rounds by Jack Massey for the vacant IBO World Cruiserweight title.
The quality IBO world rankings has Romanov ranked at 22 at heavyweight worldwide. The remainder of the WBC names in the Bridgerweight ratings are the WBC’s own creation and declaration. It is doubtful the names listed at BRIDGERWEIGHT – World Boxing Council (wbcboxing.com) have any idea or any creative interest in the new division. This leaves the ratings wide open for new challengers and entrants into the WBC ratings legitimately. Theoretically, the NABF, Fecombox, Francophone, International, Inter-Continental, OPBF, Youth World, Latino, Mundo Hispano, USNBC, Mediterranean, and other WBC regional titles remain wide open and available at Bridgerweight, the winners whom will enter the WBC ratings schematic in 2022. Probably the best shot for the new Bridgerweight division, and aspiring Bridgerweights who emerge in 2022, is to fight in tandem for one of the Bridgerweight belts on a major promoter’s card on a Pay-Per-View or well-promoted event featuring other major bouts, so Bridgerweights can find a space.
The new Bridgerweight champion, Oscar Rivas, is a shrunken heavyweight who went out at 234 to 244 pounds. As such, it might be a fair match for a blown up natural cruiserweight to ascend to Bridgerweight. It all depends. The WBC wants to get the Bridgerweight division moving, meaning for the moment titular opportunities and ratings opportunities are solid for boxers seeking to enter the new weight class.
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