How Big of a Difference Does 3-4 Pounds Make in the Tiny Weights

[Smash]

One thing I like to do before big fights is study their physics at the weigh-ins. Cotto looked severely emaciated. 2 pounds are everything when you're that drained. One of the saddest things in the sport is when a fighter accepts more money to deplete their bodies even further. All for the mighty dollar, no bueno

Manny-Pacquiao-Miguel-Angel-Cotto53.jpg

manny still has those sneakers he cant afford an upgrade

[tonysoprano]

I’d get rid of most of the puny classes. Start at 115. Go up 10 pounds each class to 175. Make CW 190 then put bridgerweight at 205. Everything over that is HW.

Nice and simple.

[ELPacman]

Miguel Cotto was definitively negatively affected by the catch weight of 145 pounds 'For no apparent reason in the opening rounds, he stumbled and lost his balance. I did back Cotto to win the fight, and it was still a awesome performance by Manny Pacquiao. But for sure, without any doubt the catch weight negatively affected Miguel Cotto's overall conditioning and performance vs Pacquaio. I still think Manny Pacquiao would have beaten Cotto even at the full 147 pounds, the only difference in the fight being? That Miguel Cotto would have survived the entire 12 rounds in my opinion'.

Note: Miguel Cotto did appear on the surface to be in tremendous condition 'He made the 145 pound weight limit, and that was his last real solid fight at Welter weight. Those few pounds at elite level are going to not only have an effect on fight night. But they would have also negatively affected is training and preparation for the fight. It is quite simple the intensity of his training sessions and his recovery would have had to be tactically altered to adjust to the target of Cotto making the 145 pound catch weight'.

I think Miguel Cotto and his team at the time, endured the most optimal training camp which they could under the circumstances. But for people who have watched Miguel Cotto's entire career, you could see that his durability and brute strength was a bit lacking in his performance vs Manny Pacquiao i.e. Stumbling about and is balance being off for no apparent reason, and well the conclusion of the fight was Cotto being beaten into submission. The only other time that happened in Cotto's entire career was vs Antonio Margarito I, during their first controversial fight'.

To conclude: Overall I mentioned on a thread the other day about data driven sports 'You replied to one of my posts'. This is a classic case right here, of people within the sports of boxing just choosing to ignore the data and statistics of performances. It is an objective fact that Miguel Cotto's performances and overall conditioning would have been decreased due to the 145 catch weight, which is why tactically Pacquiao's team made the catch weight a fight stipulation. It was still a awesome win, but slightly ruined by the unnecessary 145 catch weight stipulation' etc,

I hear you, but then you got folks calling out that Pac had to be on the juice in order to go through Cotto's punches in that fight. It's just an endless circle, lol.

[HandsofIron]

If you look at the differences between weight classes as a percentage of body weight, the lower weight classes aren't much different than a 5 pound difference from 135 to 140 or a 7 pound difference from 168 to 175.

Strawweight champions move up to light flyweight and get their asses whooped all the time. Flyweights try to move to super flyweight and get wrecked on a regular basis.

I believe every weight class we have in men's boxing is necessary except bridgerweight. And I believe atomweight is necessary in women's boxing, and that will become especially apparent as the divisions start to get more depth as the popularity of the women's game grows.

Weight classes
102: atomweight (women's only)
105: strawweight (+3 pounds)
108: light flyweight (+3 pounds)
112: flyweight (+4 pounds)
115: super flyweight (+3 pounds)
118: bantamweight (+3 pounds)
122: super bantamweight {+4 pounds)
126: featherweight (+4 pounds)
130: super featherweight (+4 pounds)
135: lightweight (+5 pounds)
140: super lightweight (+5 pounds)
147: welterweight (+5 pounds)
154: super welterweight (+7 pounds)
160: middleweight (+6 pounds)
168: super middleweight (+8 pounds)
175: light heavyweight (+7 pounds)
(176+: women's heavyweight)
200: cruiserweight (+25 pounds)
(224: bridgerweight)
201+: heavyweight (unlimited)

If I were going to change anything, I would go
175: light cruiser
185: cruiser
200: light heavy
201+: heavy

Not bad at all but if I had to reshuffle the boxing weight classes, starting from Super Middleweight, it would look something like this:

168 - Super Middleweight/Jr. or Light Cruiser
175 - Cruiserweight/Jr. or Light Bridger
187 - Bridgerweight/Super Cruiser
200 - Jr. or Light Heavyweight/Super Bridger
230 - Heavyweight
260 - Super Heavyweight
Unlimited - Maximumweight

[Smash]

devin haney stores 3 or 4 pounds in his big toe