By Oscar Pick
THE cruiserweight division is wide open, awaiting its next bona fide star to fill the void left by Oleksandr Usyk.
Since the Ukrainian stepped up to further cement his greatness in the land of the giants, four formidable champions have seized the jewellery that fragmented following his undisputed reign.
And yet, while several mouthwatering unifications have been mooted, one suspects that the coronation of a new, definitive king remains a fair distance away.
With this in mind, there is seemingly an opportunity for someone, hovering just beneath the title-holders, to catapult themselves towards a shot at world honours – that is until, after successfully toppling a champion, they can then lay claim to the cruiserweight throne.
One fighter who strongly insists that he has already taken a notable scalp in his division is Brandon “Bulletproof” Glanton, a 200 lbs contender ranked number three with the WBA.
“I beat [WBC champion Noel Mikaelian] to a pulp in sparring,” the 32-year-old revealed. “I’m the reason why his fight [with Ryan Rozicki] didn’t happen on June 7.
“I cut him, and it was an ugly cut, but my fists were like magnets to his face; I couldn’t miss.
“I’ve got Noel’s balls in my pocket so, if he wants them back, he knows where to find them.
“But what’s the point in mentioning people who I know are afraid of me? He would be an idiot to fight me, but boxing has a lot of idiots, so maybe we can make it happen. It’s probably not beneficial for his health to fight me, though.”
While maintaining a degree of belligerence when discussing potential showdowns with his cruiserweight rivals, Glanton reveals a different side of his character too, one that epitomizes his pure intentions and genuine desire to help others.
Throughout his spell as a collegiate American football player, Glanton struggled to control his weight during the off-season, yet the realization that he needed to make some drastic lifestyle changes only came once he was introduced to boxing.
Soon, he began to build a presence on social media, where his content is designed to not only elevate his profile – through tightly edited clips that are engaging and often humorous – but also inspire people to avoid the mistakes that he made, offering them nutritional and training-related advice.
“I just like giving people a piece of what I’ve done,” he said. “I was 327 lbs [before I started boxing]. If people can give me a moment, and hear what I have to say, then I’m more than happy to save somebody’s life if they’ve got health problems.
“You see the scales, but you don’t really know you’re that big. It’s only when you start throwing punches, and start getting tired, you realize you need to make some changes.”
Having responded to two controversial defeats that, in his view, should have never blemished his record, Glanton now enters a pivotal stage in his career, hoping that his fan-friendly style and captivating personality will see him secure the big fights.
With 20 professional wins under his belt, the California-based pugilist has established himself as a ferocious puncher, amassing 17 stoppages and ending his last outing – against Aleksei Egorov in Russia – with a devastating 11th-round body shot.
But it could be said that his explosive style has largely worked against him, as while he, in theory, sits on the cusp of challenging Gilberto Ramirez, the WBA world champion has expressed no interest in fighting him.
“You give a fat light-heavyweight a world title, and then he holds it hostage,” Glanton said. “It looks like [Ramirez] is going to fight [Yuniel] Dorticos, and then he wants to unify, but I’d love to step on his dreams.
“He’s only in this division because he’s lazy – he doesn’t want to make [light-heavyweight]. I’m 230 lbs right now, and I don’t struggle to make the weight. That guy doesn’t belong in this division.”
With Ramirez representing an elusive target, Glanton has begun to consider alternative options.
Last year, he made the trip over to Bournemouth, where Chris Billam-Smith claimed the WBO strap after outpointing his former stablemate, Lawrence Okolie, at the Vitality Stadium.
And Glanton, enthralled by the event, now wishes to face the Brit in his hometown.
“[The atmosphere] was electric; I loved it,” he said. “The people were amazing; the stadium was amazing. Those events in the UK are something special. I wish we had that kind of support over here.
“Bring me to Bournemouth and [Billam-Smith] won’t make it out. I’ll leave with his belt and, quite possibly, even his wife. If I make it to Bournemouth, don’t blink!”
Of course, it would be impossible to discuss the world’s most elite cruiserweights without mentioning IBF champion Jai Opetaia, arguably the division’s most accomplished operator.
Jai Opetaia attacks Jordan Thompson during their cruiserweight fight at Wembley Arena on September 30, 2023 (Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing)
But while Glanton remains confident in his ability, he knows that, in a clash with the versatile Australian, there would need to be a vastly different approach.
“That guy had a broken jaw and still outboxed Mairis Briedis over 12 rounds,” he said. “Do you know what type of man it takes to be able to do that?”
“For a guy like that, you need to have very specific sparring. I wouldn’t know where to find someone to emulate his style – his agility, his hand-speed, his grit.”
In truth, a clash with any of the four champions is not yet within Glanton’s grasp, which is why, until the moment to prove himself arrives, he remains determined to continue banging the drum for what would be his first world title shot.
“At this point, I think I’ll just have to go round to their houses and slap them,” he said. “I am what boxing wants and needs, yet these guys don’t want to fight me. Champions look to make the most money for the easiest fights these days.
“From their perspective, fighting me is the stupidest thing they could do.”