On Monday, the WBC officially announced that the cruiserweight world title is now vacant. Noel Mikaelian, the previous champion, had been instructed to defend his belt against the unified WBA and WBO champion David Benavidez in May; however, he chose to fight Jai Opetaia last Saturday on the undercard of the Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn event instead.
Mikaelian’s WBC title was not at stake during his bout with Opetaia in Las Vegas, where Opetaia secured a stoppage victory in the ninth round. Following this, Michael Cieslak, who held the WBC interim cruiserweight title, was promoted to full champion status and has been mandated to defend his belt against David Benavidez. The clash between Benavidez and Cieslak is scheduled for December 12 in Arizona.
Additionally, the WBC decreed that the winner of the December 12 fight must face Jai Opetaia next. After Opetaia’s win last weekend, both he and Benavidez confronted each other in the ring, signaling what many regard as not only one of the best cruiserweight bouts but one of the finest matchups across all boxing divisions recently. If everything aligns, these fighters could eventually battle over three major belts.
Meanwhile, the IBF cruiserweight title remains vacant, with plans to order a title fight between Viddal Riley and David Nyika, though no official decision has been announced yet. Opetaia is also engaged in a legal dispute against the IBF, seeking to regain the championship he was stripped of earlier this March.
Fan Take:
This shakeup in the cruiserweight division is electrifying for fight fans, setting the stage for some of the most compelling matchups in recent memory. The potential unification battles could elevate the division’s profile and bring fresh excitement to boxing’s landscape.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
