The Ugly Truth: Weight Classes Are An ABSOLUTE FARCE.

[Wiley Hyena]

**** that though! If amateurs can do it so should pros. So yeah, Dominicano I am with you on this one.

I agree. Day of weigh ins will eliminate this whole dangerous process and fights will be made at the right weights. Boxing is an "at your own risk" industry. At some point the fighters have to take personal responsibility for themselves.

[RAESAAD]

I was watching the Pacquiao-Barrera card closely this weekend. While watching, I took particular notice of the fighters' weights. The following are actual fight-night weights. Not the fake "weigh-in" weights.

Panchito Bojado was 159 on fight night, and Steve Forbes was 156. For a (supposedly) Junior Welterweight bout.

Antonio Davis was 140 for a featherweight bout.

Marco Antonio Barrera was 138 for his SFW bout.

MANNY PACQUIAO WAS 144 POUNDS COMPLETELY RIPPED.

Now, we have all known for awhile that the weigh-in procedures need to change. But the weigh-in for a big fight has become (appropriately) another marketing event, and it is hard to do that on fight day. At least for a big PPV fight.

Further, Arturo Gatti was 159 lbs and destroyed Gamache. Miguel Cotto was often in the high 150's, and Ricky Hatton has stated that he likes to be 154 on fight night for his JWW bouts, and he was closer to 160 for Collazo.

For their weight-disputed fight at lightweight, Castillo and Corrales were 148 amd 149, respectively.

Joshua Clottey has been nearly 170 pounds on fight night. Oscar Delahoya was 166 pounds for 'The World Awaits'.

I think the pound-for-pound rankings are CLEANER when guys are actually fighting people their own size. For example, nobody thinks it is "unfair" for Mayweather to fight Baldomir & Delahoya who outweigh him by nearly 20 pounds. But the perception would be that it would be "unfair" for PBF to fight Pacquiao, a man four pounds his junior. If Pac can fight a guy six pounds lower, why not four pounds higher? Nahmean?

On Dec 8th, Ricky Hatton will outweigh FMJ by six to eight pounds. The same advantage that Floyd would have on Steven Luevano, WBO titlist @ 126.

Zab Judah is 150 on fight night. He can slide down to 140 and make a rematch with Witter, or a "Battle for Brooklyn" with Malignaggi. He is too small for Cintron and Margarito, etc.

Bernard Hopkins played a "weight game" by having a lower weigh-in than Oscar. In truth, Hop turned pro at LHW and now admits that he was stripping himself for years to make middleweight.

Personally, I don't care what division a guy fights at. I use the true number of fight-night weights to determine who can and should be fighting each other. Would it be "fair" for PBF to dry out on fight week and to go dominate a bunch of lightweights?

I would prefer to have "day of" weigh-ins, or at least get rid of all the "junior thises" and "super thats". Go back to the classic divisions: 126, 135, 147, 160, 175, Cruiser, and heavy. You will notice that I added in Cruiser. Because I do not feel that it would be "fair" for Bernard Hopkins to decide to move up in weight, and have to go fight Shannon Briggs or Wlad. The new heavies are too damn big. 175 to 250++ is just too big a jump.

Yo....respek....that took alot of thought.it's moot tho.....

[Steak]

I agree. Day of weigh ins will eliminate this whole dangerous process and fights will be made at the right weights. Boxing is an "at your own risk" industry. At some point the fighters have to take personal responsibility for themselves.

a lot of fighters would still cut weight anyway, and so youd end up with two dehydrated fighters in the ring. not as fun to watch

[RAESAAD]

I think it's a fighters fault and/or trainers fault for putting guys in classes that are hard for them to make or to heavy for them.....I don't give a **** who you are or what you do it's not good for your health to gain and lose sometimes 20+ pounds in a 24-48 hour period.Fix it from there.

[DIOS DOMINICANO]

I think the system is fine, there is no real alternative besides day-of weigh ins because no one in their right mind would come to a fight totally weight drained.

How about if we just got rid of the "juniors" / "supers"?

Would Hatton be a lightweight... or would he have gone to WW a long time ago?

Would ODLH/SSM/ETC have played at 154? Think about them at WW the past few years.

Wouldn't Winky have gone to 160 a long time ago?

[oovavu]

there should be a weight division at every stonage and a max of 2 belts at each division, but theres too much money in it for that sadly.

[DIOS DOMINICANO]

there should be a weight division at every stonage and a max of 2 belts at each division, but theres too much money in it for that sadly.

There are roughly 100 (really) championship belts. That means that guys are paying these ABC organizations 3% of their purse for a belt that is largely meaningless.

Do you think of Malignaggi as "a champion"? Or Cintron? Is Witter "the champion" at 140?

[Wiley Hyena]

I think it's a fighters fault and/or trainers fault for putting guys in classes that are hard for them to make or to heavy for them.....I don't give a **** who you are or what you do it's not good for your health to gain and lose sometimes 20+ pounds in a 24-48 hour period.Fix it from there.

...........right on................

[Wiley Hyena]

a lot of fighters would still cut weight anyway, and so youd end up with two dehydrated fighters in the ring. not as fun to watch

Eventually, if you cut out the supers and the juniors bull****, the boxers would settle in on their natural weights. If they tried to make a weight that wasn't suited for them, they get beat. "Day of" weigh ins and eliminate the supers and the juniors would benefit the sport. And, of course unify the various belts into one universal championship belt would finally seal the deal. We could get back to some real boxing then.

[oovavu]

There are roughly 100 (really) championship belts. That means that guys are paying these ABC organizations 3% of their purse for a belt that is largely meaningless.

Do you think of Malignaggi as "a champion"? Or Cintron? Is Witter "the champion" at 140?

I don't, but theres 2 sides to every coin, if there was less belts and weights then they'd be less fighters to talk about, maybe keeping the current belts and lowering the amount of weights would be best but either way it shouls be open for debate.