Do we need weight classes in boxing anymore?

[Sweet Jesus]

160 is the LIMIT, not the weight class. Middleweight is anywhere from 154.01 to 160 LIMIT. 155 is middleweight and if the champion wants to make that the CW, it's his prerogative. Cotto or any other opponent has the right to weigh as much as 160 if they choose, but they would have to pay a penalty as per the contract (see Mayweather-Marquez).

Again... if the fight is within the WEIGHT CLASS, not just the LIMIT and both parties agree to it...

What is the issue?

Why do we need weight classes then? Answer the question that this thread poses.

[Scott9945]

Mayweather didn't request the catchweight. JMM did.

Pacquiao-Torrecampo was also at a catchweight.

Mayweather offered the catchweight to lure an aging lightweight to move up. Then he weighed what he wanted to anyway. There's nothing noble about that.

[Sweet Jesus]

Mayweather offered the catchweight to lure an aging lightweight to move up. Then he weighed what he wanted to anyway. There's nothing noble about that.

That's funny. You really think JMM would have turned down the payday over 3 extra pounds? You don't think.

[Scott9945]

That's funny. You really think JMM would have turned down the payday over 3 extra pounds? You don't think.

If the extra weight wasn't a big deal to JMM, he wouldn't have made about 600K extra when Floyd defaulted on the catchweight.

[ThePrince]

Why do we need weight classes then? Answer the question that this thread poses.

We need weight classes to create parity in competition, in order to make sure that one combatant does not hold too much of a weight advantage over another. Catchweights are an extension of that.

And since you brought up the fact that there are 17 weight classes now... did you know that there were originally only 8 weight classes?

• Heavyweight [176 lbs plus; at least 75.3 kg; over 12 stone, 7 lbs]
• Cruiserweight [175 lb maximum; 79.5 kg; or 12 stone, 7 pounds]
• Middleweight [160 lbs maximum; 72.7 kg; or 11 stone, 4 pounds]
• Welterweight [147 lbs maximum; 66.8 kg; or 10 stone, 7 pounds]
• Lightweight [135lbs maximum; 61.4 kg; or 9 stone, 9 pounds]
• Featherweight [126lbs maximum; 57.3 kg; or 9 stone]
• Bantamweight [118lbs maximum; 53.6 kg; or 8 stone, 6 pounds]
• Flyweight [112lbs maximum; 50.9 kg; or 8 stone]

So since CWs bother you so much... how do you feel about the 9 extra divisions we have now (Light Heavy, Super Middle, Light Middle, Junior Welter, Super Feather, Super Bantam, Junior Flyweight, Strawweight, Minimumweight). Are these all bull**** divisions too?