This weekend will see Australia’s Jai Opetaia defend his IBF world cruiserweight championship against Italian Claudio Squeo, 17-0 (9), at the Gold Coast Convention Centre in Broadbeach, Australia (the fight is to be shown exclusively on DAZN).
While Opetaia holds the IBF title and comes in after a slew of impressive victories over Mairis Briedis (twice), Jordan Thompson, Ellis Zorro, Jack Massey, and David Nyika, he is but one of a host of impressive cruiserweights hovering at world level.
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Ramirez, who is listed by BoxRec as the best cruiserweight in the world, actually won his first title down at super-middleweight when the tall man, seemingly impossibly thin, outpointed German-Armenian Arthur Abraham over twelve rounds in Las Vegas. That fight in 2016 was for the WBO super-middleweight crown, which Ramirez then successfully defended against Maksym Bursak, Jesse Hart (twice), Habib Ahmed, and Roamer Alexis Angulo.
Despite the run of big names and being handsome, Ramirez has still not become a superstar on the level of Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez (does anyone know why a fight between the pair has not been made?). Instead, he picked up the WBO cruiserweight championship last November, handily outpointing Chris Billam-Smith over twelve rounds in Riyadh.
Next up for Ramirez is what could be a tough fight in California against the Cuban Yuniel Dorticos, 27-2-0 (25), on 28 June (in a card that will also be shown on DAZN).
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After Ramirez and Opetaia sits Chris Billam-Smith, who returned in April following his lost to Ramirez. At the Tottenham Hotspur stadium, on the undercard of Eubank Jr-Benn, Billam-Smith won a comfortable twelve-round decision over Brandon Glanton.
Billam-Smith, who headlined Selhurt Park Football Ground for his fight against Richard Riakporhe a year ago, is bubbling under for another run at championship level. Still young, with only 23 professional fights on his record, there is no reason to think Billam-Smith is no longer at his peak.
In fact, he may just be getting started.
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Poland’s Cieslak might have flown a little under the radar, but he has a big, winnable fight at the end of the month when he travels to Montreal, Canada, to face Jean Pascal.
Pascal, 37-7-1 (21), may be a big name, but he is considerably older at 42 and tends to blow hot and cold. The former policeman won his last fight, against Terry Osias in Montreal, but lost widely to Germany’s Michael Eifert, 13-1-0 (5) in 2023. In fact, one has to go back nearly six years to Pascal’s last great victory, which was over Badou Jack in Atlanta in 2019.
Pascal also has plenty of wear-and-tear. His fight with Carl Froch, a minor classic, took place in 2008, and he has shared the ring since with Bernard Hopkins (twice), Chad Dawson, Lucian Bute, Sergey Kovalev (also twice), Yuniesky Gonzalez, Eleider Alvarez, Dmitrii Bivol, and Marcus Browne.
There has been a clear sense in recent years of Pascal’s career winding down. It may be that Cieslak, who has lost only to Lawrence Okolie and Ilunga Makabu, might be that final piece that finishes the Pascal jigsaw.
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He may be tied up with an ordered rematch against Norair Mikaelian, but Jack would also seem to be circling the end of his career, much like old opponent Jean Pascal. At 41 years old, the Stockholm-born fighter won the WBC cruiserweight title against Mikaelian in May, but a controversy stoked by his management has led to an ordered rematch.
Should Jack come through this one – and he should, given Mikaelian is not a great cruiserweight – there is every chance that he could aim for one last big fight in the division before retirement.
Chris Billam-Smith, anyone?
There are a few old timers still hanging around the division who are always able to put on a good show.
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