How big of a difference does 2lbs make in boxing?

um if they are dry as a bone and you tell them you need another 2 pounds it makes a huge difference. This is the truth, it all depends on where your body is at when you must lose another 2lbs, it can indeed be the straw that broke the camel's back, elite fighters don't have much to spare generally they are right on that edge for them at and their division. The bigger the man the less 2lb will affect him unless the above and he is right on the edge, although the bigger man has more buffer and 5lb might affect him like 2lb in a little guy there is always consequences to messing with weight and many don't know what they will be until fight night. The unseen damage is during training to make the weight, it means you train the entire camp with less muscle than you would have, ODH vs Manny is a prime example Oscar was many pounds under where he would normally train having not made that weight for 10yrs off fighting in higher divisions, coming back down a lot after blowing up never works out good. Ask yourself why Manny needed to CW Cotto, it was not offered by Cotto to get the fight it was demanded by Manny beginning at 142 where Cotto told him no way, as it was Cotto never wanted his title on the line and Arum threw him under a bus, and then Manny refused to fight him again without a CW the answer is right there, nobody in the history of boxing manipulated weight like Manny did he would have lost to Cotto and Oscar if they were not drained and he knew it, Oscar especially he was a dead man walking and Manny outweighed him on the night.

I'd say going up it makes almost no difference. Going down 2 could make all the difference in the world. Some of these guys look like zombies at the weigh ins, imagine they had to drop another 2 lbs to make weight. I bet 99.99% of fighter cut weight to make their division limit. having 2 extra pounds to play with would be great for them.

At elite level it’s a lot

Big enough that a fight can be cancelled and the fighter financially punished (if the fight is NOT a CW) In CW fights, it can be the only way to get 2 good fighters to fight each other. If a CW is used to hamper an already horrible version of a fighter, it's shameful.

how much of a difference does 2 lbs make when a fighter is trying to make weight? It's not about the 2 pound, it is because their walking around weight is too high, and can only make the weight comfortably when its a few pounds above the standard. For ex. Some of those guys are Draining 25lbs so if the last time was killing them they want that extra 'breathing space'.

Makes a bigger difference in the lower weights where they often rely on stamina and draining two pounds coming in bone dry not only takes away some power and mental focus but also takes a toll on that stamina

um if they are dry as a bone and you tell them you need another 2 pounds it makes a huge difference.