Fighters who went DOWN in weight to aid their careers!

[Kimmy]

Throughout history the norm was for a fighter to gradually increase weight as they get older and go up through the divisions. Lately, this trend is reversing. With Shane Mosley and Oscar De La Hoya returning to welterweight, it can be also beneficial. Can anyone think of big name fighters who decreased their weight and had success in doing so?
Fabrice Torizo comes to mind. He was the WBA crusierweigt champ then returned to the lightheavyweights where he has enjoyed more success. Thomas Hearns and Sugar Ray Leonard both bounced from the light heavyweight division to the middleweight division ( and bck again in Hearn`s case.
Anyone know of some others?

[jack_the_rippuh]

Ummm.............Vassily Jirov, "Sugar" Shane Mosley, and Bernard Hopkins

[Bombardier]

Sugar Ray Robinson moved down a class after he un-retired, didn't he?

[Super_Lightweight]

hmm

1) Mosley hasn't looked good ina while and will not neccessarily have similar success at 147 as he had before.

2) The same goes for De La Hoya. Both he and Mosley are past their prime.

3) Sugar Ray Robinson never really came down from anything. He challenged for the lightheavyweight title one time but he only weighed 157 for that fight (which he lost due to heat exhaustion). Ray Robinson consistently weighed around that weight and just slightly higher for the rest of his career.

4) Hopkins has never moved down in weight after having success in a higher weight or after having spent any significant time in a higher weight. He had one fight at lightheavy in his 1st fight which was never his true weight-class anyway. He lost that fight by decision.

5) Jirov is not back at cruiserweight yet so one cannot speculate on how well he might do when he comes back. He has to prove himself again at that weight.

6) Leonard fought LaLonde for a lightheavyweight "title", but LaLonde was not a real lightheavy and Leonard himself weighed 165 for that fight. Ray never fought at that weight again. When Ray came back down he lost to Hearns (says a draw on his record but even Ray admits he lost), lost to Terry Norris at 154 and was TKO'd by Hector Camacho. Ray was past his prime when he fought Hagler so he was definitely past his prime when he fought all of these guys.

7) Hearns captured a lightheavyweight belt, then came down and had success. Hearns came back down and was TKO'd by Iran Barkley.

From all this evidence, it seems very unlikely that Mosely and De La Hoya will have the same kind of success as they had in their pasts. We will see though. One never knows.

[Super_Lightweight]

hmm

Roy I forgot to mention went down, and look at him.

I think going down in weight is very hard to do, and especially hard to do when you are older. It is also unhealthy for your body and brain.

[Kimmy]

Roy I forgot to mention went down, and look at him.

I think going down in weight is very hard to do, and especially hard to do when you are older. It is also unhealthy for your body and brain.

Yes, Roy Jones is the most recent fighter to do this and it effectively ended his career in doing so. I think younger fighters can get away with it more but when your older your body can`t take constant changes in weight.
Antonio Margarito recently challenged who the jr middle title and was beaten but came back to welter and won a title fight, he attempts to win another in a few weeks.
Pernell Whittiker was a welterweight and moved up for one fight at jr middle, then returned to welter with little difference in his performances.
Arturo Gatti, frustrated at making weight jumpred up to welterweight and was destoryed by De La Hoya, moved back down and won a title! ( Gatti had two fights at welter before fightig Oscar, against Eric Jakubowski and Joe Hutchinson, he blew Jakubowski them away without trouble but was forced to go ten rounds with Hutchinson ).