Unbeaten WBA #2 Evgeny Romanov (19-0, 12 KOs) and WBA #3 Zhaoxin Zhang (11-2-1, 6 KOs) will clash in a WBA bridgerweight eliminator this Saturday at the KRK “Uralets” Arena in Yekaterinburg, Russia. Romanov, 38, is unbeaten since making his debut at age 30 in 2016. Zhang, 28, is a former WBA cruiserweight title challenger. The winner will become the mandatory challenger to current WBA bridgerweight champion Evgeny Tishchenko.
The evening will also see the return to the ring of former WBA super featherweight champion Roger “The Kid” Gutierrez (27-5-1, 21 KOs), who will face Zaur Abdullaev (18-1, 11 KOs) in a lightweight fight.
Yawn
The #1 guy in the Ring, Transnational Boxing Rankings, and Boxrec rankings (and #2 in ESPN rankings) has weighed 221 pounds for his last three fights.
A heavyweight who comes in normally at 220 could cut weight to cruiser as well, but usually will stay at heavy since it pays better.
There’s zero reason to add Bridgerweight to the mix. Utterly pointless division.
That’s a fair point and I think most people will agree with you, but the reason I don’t have much problem with the division existing is because I think those type of guys are becoming fewer and further between. Really the only two smaller top heavyweights are Usyk and Wilder and Wilder may be on his way out. So I don’t think giving those guys the OPTION of fighting guys closer to their natural size is a bad idea. They can still compete at heavyweight if they want and, if possible, they can cut down to cruiser as well.
I disagree and have been clamoring for more heavy weight divisions for years. I just don’t like the name. It should be called heavyweight and super heavyweight like in the amateurs. I’d even put a third heavy division in, “dreadnaught class” or something. Meanwhile I’d cut back on lighter weight divisions some separated by a ridiculous 2 or 3 pounds, and even light heavy which is only 7 pounds removed from super middleweight. Meanwhile a guy just over 200 has to be in the same division as some of the giants they have now.
Heavyweight champion of the world used to mean something when boxing was a major sport-dreadnaught champion of the world champion of the world dosen’t have the same importance.
Fair enough. Then I’d rename a class or two below heavy instead, but not with the personal name of someone that Suleiman or someone liked, “Bridger”.
There’s a YouTube channel called RCC: MMA & Boxing you can watch this entire card on, live for free. Unfortunately it looks like it starts at 5am EST, but you can watch it later on.
Like the 5th Bridgerweight fight ever, division certainly is taking off with gems like this fight
What is the bridgerweight ? Anyone over 200 pounds can compete with anyone. Romanov knocked wilder out senseless years ago in the amateurs. He is a powerhouse.
“Romanov knocked wilder out senseless years ago in the amateurs. He is a powerhouse.”
Is that true? I heard about Romanov years ago. Why hasn’t he moved up over the years and improved the level of his competition? The last guy he fought in September was ranked #550 in the world.
Most the Russians not named Bivol or Beterbiev were blackballed due to the current hostilities.
True-most of these giants are slow and not very skilled.
Romanov isn’t a giant. He’s 6′ about 230.
Marciano would clean up this whole division at 185. The bridgerweight is complete nonsense.
Zhang’s win over #1,205 ranked Cruiserweight Rolly Lambert Fogoum solidified him as one of the top Bridgerweights in the World. His second shot at a World title is long overdue.