Why No More Same Day Weigh Ins?

[Anthony342]

What Ben Bolt said was kind of what I was getting at. There should be a limit to how much weight one could go down with dehydrating, at least for safety.

[Scott9945]

There are two real reasons why the same day weigh ins stopped, and they don't really do with fighter safety.

When the scheduled rematch between Spinks and Eddie Mustafa Muhammad was canceled because EMM wouldn't even try and make weight. Spinks refused to concede that advantage and the fight was cancelled, leaving HBO hung out to dry on very short notice. That was the last major fight with a same day weigh in.

Another reason is that the promoters/networks love having that extra day of free publicity for the event.

[ShoulderRoll]

This is another reason to respect the great fighters of the past. They pulled off their accomplishments while not having that rehydration/putting-weight-back-on cushion.

They truly had to be disciplined and actually be in the weight class they were competing in.

[Canelo Phresh]

Divisions would thin out. Most welters would be middleweights and so on.

[Scott9945]

Divisions would thin out. Most welters would be middleweights and so on.

Well there would be a lot of fighters moving up in weight. But the welters moving to middleweight would be replaced by former lightweights. So no real thinning.

That is why comparing fighters (other than heavyweight) from many years ago is inapplicable.