Comments Thread For: Drying out: The discomfort of watching a boxer cut weight

[BoxingUpdates]

Usually, the discomfort experienced by someone watching a boxer cut weight is exceeded only by the discomfort of the boxer having to actually cut the weight. It is, for the bystander, a unique, unnerving experience, both voyeuristic and to a degree perverted.
[Click Here To Read More]

[SteveM]

great writing - a great insight

[Bronx2245]

Almost killed Vergil Ortiz Jr.!

[Bro. Steve]

Weigh-in should be at ringside 30 seconds before the first bell. Overweight, you lose. Dehydrated, you lose. Show up at your best weight, and you look better, feel better, perform better, endure better, recover better.

[PBR Streetgang]

Good article. Weight cuts are grueling, nasty business. I wrestled in school and weight cuts were normal business back in the day. Water and food restrictions, rubber track suits, gum, tobacco, laxatives, etc. Those days leading up to weighing were the worst. Maybe a baked chicken breast and a few slices of orange per day until you booked down those last 10-15lbs to get under weight. It's a wonder there was any strength left for the competition....

What some of these guys cut down to is insane and the effects it has on the body. I remember that Gatti/Gamache fight that forced the push for same day weigh-ins.

On a separate note, I enjoyed watching Groves and his two ears with Froch were epic.

[Roadblock]

And some people think CWs dont matter, also shows the doctrine that's been ground into boxing for ever where its a big advantage to be the biggest you can be at the lightest weight, the best modern fighters are staying around their natural weight not drying out much at all, sometimes its better to be healthy than bigger than the other guy.

[elfag]

Ive had to cut weight and usually 10 pounds in the last week and its brutal. i have no idea how they do the 20, 25 and almost 30 pound cuts. And when they do catch weights and say oh whats another 2 pounds, well those last 2 pounds are the worse..... its at the end not losing 2 pounds from being fully hydrated.

and its starts off being hungry at first is hard but then when you are dehydrated, light headed with a migraine, hunger isnt **** it doesn exit and is nothing compared to thirst. you could do water fast all day but being dehydrated and thirsty is next level brutal.

[Roadblock]

Ive had to cut weight and usually 10 pounds in the last week and its brutal. i have no idea how they do the 20, 25 and almost 30 pound cuts. And when they do catch weights and say oh whats another 2 pounds, well those last 2 pounds are the worse..... its at the end not losing 2 pounds from being fully hydrated.

and its starts off being hungry at first is hard but then when you are dehydrated, light headed with a migraine, hunger isnt **** it doesn exit and is nothing compared to thirst. you could do water fast all day but being dehydrated and thirsty is next level brutal.

In the old days you would do sodium loading and then cut the sodium out and the water would literary fall out like a heavy-duty diuretic, its the reverse osmosis of cell with salt build up, originally came from the old dog fighting guys from a 100 yrs ago, the reason they do 20lb and up cuts is to try and be a lot bigger than their opponent it messes them up more anything, no good for a power explosive guy takes all the snap of them.

[alexjust]

Unless you fight at the weight limit of your category, it's a legalized fraud. That is also killing you.

[Englishman LA]

Insightful and well written article. What IS the best/safest/fairest solution to this age-old conundrum? Weigh-in 30 hours before fight time [no more 11am weigh-ins for a main event at 10pm the following day] - to the weight class limit. Check weigh 11am on fight day - no more than 5 pounds over weight class limit. Check weigh an hour before fight time - no more than 10 pounds over? Or govern by percentages [10 pound tolerance much greater to a Flyweight than a Cruiser]. Each of these seems complex. But what's clear is that the current processes aren't fit for purpose, so a change is needed.

Would be great to see an article on fight gloves: materials, dimensions, padding distribution, etc. Are they more/less safe now than 20/30/40 years ago? How much do personalized, color coded gloves cost? Who pays? Are they worth it?