light heavyweight

noun

1. a boxer or other contestant intermediate in weight between a middleweight and a heavyweight, especially a professional boxer weighing up to 175 pounds (80 kilograms).

light heavyweight

noun

1. Also called (in Britain)cruiserweight
   1. a professional boxer weighing 160–175 pounds (72.5–79.5 kg)
   2. an amateur boxer weighing 75–81 kg (165–179 pounds)
   3. ( as modifier )

      a light-heavyweight bout

2. a wrestler in a similar weight category (usually 192–214 pounds (87–97 kg))

Word History and Origins

Origin of light heavyweight¹

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

We first met Muhammad Ali as Cassius Clay -- the slender, charismatic 18-year-old light-heavyweight gold medalist in 1960 in Rome.

From The Daily Beast

Former light heavyweight champion Jose Torres described that brutal Manila ballet in conversation as “beyond boxing.”

From The Daily Beast