From cruiserweight to heavyweight: Usyk, Holyfield, and Haye!

The last three eras of boxing in the heavyweight division have starkly contrasted. Initially, the competitive '90s featured numerous iconic battles, succeeded by the Klitschko brothers' era of unparalleled dominance, and then a revival of the premier division with a contemporary cohort of super heavyweight titans. A common thread among these distinct periods is the presence of a boxer in each who ascended from cruiserweight to heavyweight to clinch the champion title.

In the '90s, it was the famed Evander Holyfield. In the late 2000s and early 2010s, it was the British David Haye, and presently, the champion is Oleksandr Usyk.

Evander Holyfield

The saga of Evander Holyfield exemplifies triumph not because of but despite challenges. The boxer, who effortlessly dominated the first heavyweight class in the late '80s—excluding that intense initial match against Dwight Mohammed Qawi, during which Evander shed 9 kilograms—still failed to capture the due attention and respect from journalists and boxing fans. This oversight was attributed to Mike Tyson's simultaneous, meteoric rise in the heavyweight category. Holyfield, the undisputed world champion in the cruiserweight division, who never garnered significant popularity there, could not outshine the super featherweight Tyson, a luminary within the ring and in the public eye.

Seeking fame and recognition, Holyfield moved up to the super heavyweight division, aiming for a battle with the star Mike Tyson. However, Holyfield's destiny was not to become champion by defeating Tyson, the heavyweight division's central figure at the time. Instead, Evander was surprised by James "Buster" Douglas, who unexpectedly knocked out "Iron" Mike.

Thus, Holyfield faced the newly crowned undisputed champion, Douglas, for the heavyweight title. Evander demolished him in three rounds, becoming the first boxer in history to claim the title undisputed world champion in two weight classes.

Yet, Evander only garnered public acclaim in 1996, following his fight with Tyson. Before this, Holyfield had experienced the highs and lows of winning and losing titles. He engaged in a fierce trilogy with Riddick Bowe, secured victories over past legends like George Foreman and Larry Holmes, and contended with the era's top fighters—Michael Moorer and Ray Mercer. However, after two bouts with "Iron" Mike Tyson, the boxing world fully acknowledged Holyfield.

After the Tyson fights, Evander left the ring without a piece of his ear but gained the public's full respect, a career rejuvenation, and the status of a three-time heavyweight champion. He then went on to a unification rematch with Moorer, faced setbacks in achieving a dual-weight championship against Lewis, and made history against John Ruiz by winning the title for the fourth time. Yet, as sporting age set in, Holyfield found it increasingly challenging, continuing to fight younger opponents into his 40s. He vied for the championship belt three times, but to no avail, as age finally took its toll. In his bouts against Chris Byrd, Sultan Ibragimov, and Nikolai Valuev, victory eluded him.

Holyfield epitomized the essence of a true warrior, pouring his heart and soul into the ring and becoming an indispensable figure among the heavyweights of the '90s. He faced off against all the leading boxers of his era. As a cruiserweight stepping up to the heavyweight division, he made it his domain, becoming the only boxer in professional boxing history to win the heavyweight world championship four times.

David Haye

Following the electrifying bouts involving Tyson, Holyfield, and Lewis, the heavyweight division experienced a lull, entering an era entirely dominated by the Klitschko brothers, who allowed no one near them. Yet, the cruiserweight category made its presence felt here as well.

After unifying several cruiserweight titles in 2008, Britain's David Haye ventured into the heavyweight division. Upon moving to the premier class, the Brit immediately sought a fight with the Klitschko brothers by any means necessary, even sporting a T-shirt featuring the decapitated Ukrainian champions. However, the specifics of organizing the fight led to various cancellations.

Haye opted for what seemed an easier route to the heavyweight title—a match with Nikolay Valuev. The matchup appeared daunting on paper due to the significant difference in their sizes. Haye's height was 191 centimeters with a reach of 198 centimeters, compared to Valuev's towering 213 centimeters in height and 216 centimeters in reach. The confrontation was likened to David versus Goliath, yet what unfolded in the ring hardly resembled a fierce battle.

The battle unfolded as a tactical engagement with minimal activity from both fighters. Each threw the fewest punches possible throughout the match, with the more agile Haye landing more precise strikes in his infrequent advances. The sole moment of peril occurred when Valuev's legs wobbled in the final round, whether from a Haye punch landing on the Russian's head or Nikolay's own cumbersome movement—the verdict—Haye won by a majority decision from the judges, securing the WBA heavyweight title.

Haye became the second cruiserweight after Holyfield to clinch the heavyweight crown, yet similarities between the Brit and the iconic American ceased there. Haye was more known for his rhetoric and appeal to the audience than for engaging in memorable fights. He defended his title twice against the veteran John Ruiz and Olympic champion Audley Harrison, who lacked a noteworthy professional record. In his principal heavyweight contest, Haye was decisively beaten by Wladimir Klitschko, losing on all fronts in a unification match.

The Klitschko brothers fulfilled their long-held ambition of consolidating all heavyweight titles under their family name, continuing their dominance over the division. Haye announced his retirement, then returned with intentions to face Vitali Klitschko. However, he ended up fighting Dereck Chisora, who retired once more, only to come back and face Tony Bellew, who ultimately led him to retire again.

Oleksandr Usyk

Without the need to sequence boxers chronologically for the sake of this text, Usyk would undoubtedly occupy the top spot alongside Holyfield as one of the most distinguished cruiserweights in boxing history. Usyk's journey has many parallels with the story of the legendary American.

The Ukrainian boxer Usyk took merely five years to dominate the cruiserweight division. Surpassing Holyfield's record, Usyk became the world champion in the cruiserweight division in his 10th fight, while it took the American 12 matches to achieve this milestone. Usyk conquered seven fighters to claim the world heavyweight title, becoming the first undisputed cruiserweight champion in the four-belt era.

As the undisputed champion and victor of the World Boxing Super Series, Usyk ventured into the heavyweight division. Here, he encountered a familiar skepticism that Holyfield faced thirty years prior—doubts from many who were skeptical about the success of a former cruiserweight moving up in weight.

A primary concern for most journalists and boxing fans regarding Usyk's transition to heavyweight was his relatively modest size by current heavyweight standards. Usyk stands at 191 centimeters with an arm span of 198 centimeters, similar to Holyfield and Haye, previous cruiserweights who had moved up and succeeded in the heavyweight division. However, it's worth noting that one of the tallest elite super heavyweights during Holyfield's era was Lennox Lewis, standing at 196 cm. By the time of Haye, the division was dominated by the two-meter-tall Klitschko brothers, with size playing a crucial role in Haye's defeat to Wladimir. Usyk competes at a time when the average size of super heavyweights is around two meters, with arm spans well over 200 centimeters. While in Haye's era, only the Klitschko brothers possessed such dimensions at an elite level, the division now boasts a more significant number of prominent fighters like Fury, Wilder, Joshua, Zhilei, Hrgovic, Dubois, Joyce, Bakole, and others.

This situation led to questions about Usyk's ability to compete at the same level as these larger opponents. Additionally, Usyk's less-than-dominant performance against the relatively short but robust Chisora further fueled the ongoing debate regarding his potential success in the heavyweight category.

Oleksandr Usyk, undaunted by skepticism, swiftly pursued his goal of fighting for the world champion title in the heavyweight division. His status as WBO super champion in the cruiserweight class accelerated this ambition.

By his third match in the heavyweight division, Usyk faced off against Anthony Joshua, one of the top three fighters in the division over recent years. This contest was of a significantly high caliber. Whereas Holyfield and Haye secured heavyweight championship belts in bouts against less pivotal figures of their times, Usyk took on a genuine star of the modern heavyweight class. Joshua, an Olympic champion who had retired Klitschko Jr., held three titles and was gearing up for a mega-fight with Fury. Yet, Usyk dismantled Joshua's plans with a remarkable display, decisively winning unanimously in front of a packed Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.

Following that victory, Usyk had a rematch with Joshua, where he successfully defended his title as the unified world heavyweight champion in a more challenging fight. Subsequently, he had a mandatory title defense against another British fighter, the formidable Daniel Dubois. Dubois could not beat the Ukrainian champion, succumbing to a knockout in the 9th round.

Oleksandr Usyk has held the heavyweight championship for over two years, yet it remains premature to declare that he has entirely silenced his skeptics. A significant contingent within the boxing community still views the Ukrainian as undersized for the heavyweight division, maintaining that a well-prepared and sizable super heavyweight could defeat him. Many believe Tyson Fury is such a boxer, against whom Usyk is slated to compete on May 18, 2024, for the undisputed world heavyweight championship title.

This situation parallels Holyfield's career, as he is one of the two boxers who last competed for all heavyweight titles. In 1999, Holyfield faced Lewis in two bouts but could not beat the Brit, who remains the last to be the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, though he is now retired. Achieving undisputed status is an accomplishment still eluding Oleksandr Usyk in his otherwise remarkable career.