Noel Mikaelian
WBC Cruiserweight Champion
Bio
Right then, Noel Mikaelian is one of the most underrated champions in world boxing. The Armenian-born German is a two-time WBC cruiserweight titleholder, and he got the green belt back around his waist in December 2025 by outpointing the durable Badou Jack. With a record of 28-3 and 12 knockouts, he is the definition of a craftsman.
Make no mistake, Mikaelian is not a one-punch knockout artist — his game is built on timing, ring intelligence and a high boxing IQ rather than concussive power. He picks his moments, controls range, and wins the chess match. In a division getting deeper by the month, that smart, durable style has kept him at the top.
Now he sits at the centre of the sport's hottest political storm. A blockbuster unification with Jai Opetaia had been all but agreed for a Ring Magazine card, only for the WBC to order him to defend against unified force David Benavidez instead. It is a brutal choice: chase the legacy fight with Opetaia, or accept a mandatory against one of the most feared punchers on the planet.
How Mikaelian answers that question will define his career. My money says a proper champion chases legacy — but whatever he decides, he has earned the right to be talked about as one of cruiserweight's genuine kingpins.