Cruiser Division Boxing

(The perennial middleweight contender won a super middleweight title by handing Eubank his first loss in 44 pro bouts. Eubank was dropped in the eighth round. Collins was floored in the 10th. Like many of Eubank’s title bouts, it was a closely contested bout that could have gone either way.)

To compete in the masters division you must be 35 years of age or older and have never competed as a pro athlete in any combat sport. To compete you must get a physical with your doctor and have him/her clear you as fit to box. If you are age 45 and older you must have an exercise EKG (also known as stress test) and that is good for 5 years. Download the medical form from the link below.

Of the 192 injuries reported, 67 occurred during a fight and 125 during training. Boxers with more than 3 fights a year were substantially more likely to sustain an injury than those with less than 3 fights a year.

Len Hutchins, #1 WBA, and Victor Galindez, #2 WBA, fought for the vacant WBA belt. Victor then knocked out Len in the 13th round and won the WBA world champion title. Victor had 68 fights during his career, of which he won 55, with 34 of them won by knockout. In 1980, he finished his career as a boxer. In 2002, Galindez was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.

Before the NBA was founded, a magazine called the "Police Gazette" maintained a list of world champions. Ironically, the magazine wasn’t even a boxing magazine, yet it filled the role for the sport. Today’s version of the Police Gazette would be The Ring magazine.

(Benn overcame the fearsome American middleweight titleholder in a fight that was breathtakingly savage, dramatic, inspirational and ultimately tragic. In the opening round, Benn was knocked clear out of the ring by McClellan, who was engaging in his first super middleweight bout after making three consecutive first-round KO defenses of the 160-pound title he wrested from Julian Jackson. Somehow Benn made it back into the ring, where the two bombers attacked each other like pit bulls to the near ecstasy of the passionate British crowd. McClellan dropped Benn again in the eighth round but the Brit refused to stay down. The American challenger began noticeably blinking down the stretch of the battle of attrition. He took a knee mid-way through the 10th round and was counted out before collapsing in his corner. McClellan spent weeks in a coma and though he eventually came out of it, he suffered permanent brain damage that severely impaired his memory, eye sight, hearing and ability to walk.)

Muhammed Ali is famous for his hard work inside the ring and out – including his passionate activism for black civil rights and humanitarian work. Inarguably, Ali is deserving of every penny there is to his name.

The last two victories of Makabu's winning run have been defences of his titles, but his level of opponent in those fights doesn't match up to the ability of several contenders hoping to get a shot at his title this year.

Beginning with England’s James Figg, who in 1719 became boxing’s first recognised champion, the sport generally produced one champion at a time, allowing fans and historians to follow reasonably clear lineages . Contenders had to defeat the champion, to become the champion, or if no champion existed due to a retirement, other ring achievements were assessed.

At the peak of his career in the 90s, Holyfield was earning more than $30 million a fight. With such impressive paydays, it’s little surprise that Holyfield’s total earnings were so high, upwards of $300 million. Unfortunately, Holyfield wasn’t as skilled at money management as he was in the ring, and bad financial decisions left him with a net worth of only $1 million.

The suggestion that a fight must now be "sanctioned" by an ABC organization - with a glittery belt on the line - in order to be for a world championship, is propaganda, perpetuated by promoters and sanctioning bodies, who rely on each other to remain relevant. When Jack Johnson defeated Tommy Burns, he received no belt. Neither did Jack Dempsey when he savaged Jess Willard for the title in 1919. No sanctioning bodies were needed.

Hailing from the vibrant island of Puerto Rico, Wilfredo Gómez emerged as a boxing sensation, with his name forever etched in the annals of the sport. Born in 1956, Gómez became celebrated for his explosive punching power and relentless killer instinct inside the all boxing division ring. Gómez earned a legendary reputation for his ability to deliver knockout blows, which was well-deserved due to his ferocious punching. His style was precise and calculated, often luring opponents into his methodical combinations before unleashing devastating power punches that could end fights in an instant.

Alvarez reigns supreme. Atop the 168-pound division and atop boxing as the sport’s biggest star and most prolific talent. In due time, he’ll identify another challenge. Perhaps a move to light heavyweight. Perhaps a fight with budding superstar super middleweight David Benavidez, who returns to the ring next Saturday in his native Phoenix.