Pictured: Oleksandr Usyk


Part II of TTR's "2018 in Review" focuses on the activity of World cruiserweight champion Oleksandr Usyk and the ten contenders for his lineal title.

Champion: Oleksandr Usyk (16-0, 12 KOs/11-0, 14 KOs including WSB bouts)
- 1/27- Mairis Briedis.....W MD 12
(retained WBO World junior heavyweight title; won WBC World cruiserweight title)
(World Boxing Super Series Tournament Semi-final)
- 7/21- Murat Gassiev.....W UD 12
(retained WBO World junior heavyweight and WBC World cruiserweight titles; won IBF, WBA Super, vacant Lineal, Vacant Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and vacant Ring Magazine World cruiserweight titles)
(World Boxing Super Series Tournament Final)
- 11/10- Tony Bellew.....W TKO-8
(retained WBO World junior heavyweight title and Lineal, WBC, IBF, WBA Super, Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and Ring Magazine World cruiserweight titles)

1- Mairis Briedis (25-1, 18 KOs/37-2 including Bigger's Better Tournament bouts)
- 1/27- Oleksandr Usyk.....L MD 12
(lost WBC World cruiserweight title; also for WBO World junior heavyweight title)
(World Boxing Super Series Tournament Semi-final)
- 7/21- Brandon Deslaurier.....W UD 10
- 11/10- Noel Gevor (AKA Noel Mikaelian; birth name: Norair Mikaeljan).....W UD 12
(for vacant WBC Diamond Cruiserweight title)
(World Boxing Super Series Tournament Quarter-final)

2- Murat Gassiev (26-1, 1 NC, 19 KOs)
- 2/3- Yunier Dorticos.....W TKO-12
(retained IBF World cruiserweight title; won vacant WBA Super World cruiserweight title)
(World Boxing Super Series Tournament Semi-final)
- 7/21- Oleksandr Usyk.....L UD 12
(lost IBF World and WBA Super World cruiserweight titles; also for WBO World junior heavyweight and WBC, vacant Lineal, vacant Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, and vacant Ring Magazine World cruiserweight titles)
(World Boxing Super Series Tournament Quarter-final)

3- Krzysztof Glowacki (31-1, 19 KOs)
- 2/10- Serhiy Radchenko.....W UD 8
- 5/12- Santander Silgado.....W KO-1
- 11/10- Maksim Vlasov.....W UD 12
(for vacant WBO Interim World junior heavyweight title)
(World Boxing Super Series Quarter-final)

4- Yunier Dorticos (23-1, 21 KOs)
- 2/3- Murat Gassiev.....L TKO-12
(for IBF World and Vacant WBA Super World cruiserweight titles; Note: Dorticos came into the bout as the WBA World cruiserweight champion.....the title was declared vacant as a result of Dorticos' loss and Gassiev winning the Super title)
(World Boxing Super Series Tournament Semi-final)
- 10/20- Mateusz Masternak.....W UD 12
(World Boxing Super Series Quarter-final)

5- Denis Lebedev (32-2, 1 NC, 23 KOs)
- 9/7- Hizni Altunkaya.....W KO-3
- 11/24- Mike Wilson.....W UD 12
(Note: Lebedev is listed as "Champion in Recess" by the WBA.)

6- Maksim Vlasov (42-3, 25 KOs)
- 2/3- Olanrewaju Durodola.....W TKO-10
- 11/10- Krzysztof Glowacki.....L UD 12
(for vacant WBO Interim World junior heavyweight title)
(World Boxing Super Series Tournament Quarter-final)

7- Krzysztof Wlodarczyk (56-4-1, 39 KOs)
- 2/10- Adam Gadajew.....W TKO-2
- 6/2- Olanrewaju Durodola.....W UD 10
- 10/6- Al Sands.....W TKO-2

8- Kevin Lerena (21-1, 9 KOs)
- 3/3- Dmytro Kucher.....W UD 12
(retained IBO World cruiserweight title)
- 6/7- Roman Golovashchenko..... W UD 12
(retained IBO World cruiserweight title)

9- Ilunga "Junior" Makabu (24-2, 23 KOs)
- 8/25- Taylor Mabika.....W TKO-4
- 10/26- Paata Aduashvili.....W KO-2
- 12/8- Giorgi Tevdorashvili.....W KO-2

10- Andrew Tabiti (17-0, 13 KOs)
- 5/11- Lateef Kayote.....W KO-6
- 10/13- Ruslan Fayfer.....W UD 12
(World Boxing Super Series Tournament Quarter-final)

Article By: Ken Pollitt