Is it no coincidence the greatest fighters of our era fight at walking-around weight?

[jas]

Namely Hopkins, Mayweather, Marquez, Martinez, Rigondeaux and Pacquaio.

They never bloat up. When you are dehydrated, there is a lack of protective fluid around the brain that is impossible to replenish between the weigh-in and fight time. This affects your ability to take a punch in the fight and has serious long-term effects on brain health.

[bojangles1987]

Namely Hopkins, Mayweather, Marquez, GGG and Pacquaio.

They never bloat up. When you are dehydrated, there is a lack of protective fluid around the brain that is impossible to replenish between the weigh-in and fight time. This affects your ability to take a punch in the fight and has serious long-term effects on brain health.

You shouldn't have mentioned Golovkin. This thread will have nothing to do with the subject now.

Rigondeaux's the same. I don't know what he's walking into the ring at anymore, but Bradley was only 148 or 149 against Pacquiao the first time. A lot of the best fighters don't bloat much. It has to take so much out of a fighter's body to work as hard as most do to make weight. Training camp is hard enough just preparing for a fight without having to put extra effort into draining yourself down to a low weight.

It's become common practice to put on 15-20 pounds, though. Even Pacquiao was doing it at the lower weights, he was a huge fighter at 126 and 130.

[Doctor_Tenma]

Not only that but your sharpness is at it's peak while the guy who rehydrated 10-21 pounds has to adapt to the added weight. That's an advantage people don't talk about, in the past I brought this up as well in explaining why Mayweather was insanely accurate.

[jas]

Not only that but your sharpness is at it's peak while the guy who rehydrated 10-21 pounds has to adapt to the added weight. That's an advantage people don't talk about, in the past I brought this up as well in explaining why Mayweather was insanely accurate.

Yea, skip to 2:40 secs, he is at 150 pounds more than 2 months away from his fight. It's truly truly amazing. He must have unbelievable metabolism.

[Tom Cruise]

Pacquaio arguably had the best period of his career fighting well below his walking around weight.

Horses for courses at the end of the day. For some they can gain a big size advantage on fight night fighting well below their natural weight. Guys like Margarito, JCC jr, Clottey etc would surely not have had the success they had without the extra size.

For longevity though i think not draining too much is key

[Ratchet]

Namely Hopkins, Mayweather, Marquez, GGG and Pacquaio.

No. Should have put Andre Ward.


Fighters who fight at walk-around weight don't have to kill themselves making weight so they can completely devote themselves to working on their craft.

[Russian Crushin]

Wlad and i think Froch fights very close to walking weight. If anybody has cut water weight in competition, they know how much it weakens you, esp the ~20 pounds thats common today

[techliam]

I think the 'greatest' of our era tend not to need to fight below their walking weight...if they have the ability not to, theres no need.

I don't think it's the weight that makes them great though, only the reverse

[Black Barty]

1) It's way too early to call GGG one of the greatest fighters of our era.

2) Pacquiao was a HUGE rehydrate guy before he moved up to WW in 2008.

Still, there may be some truth to what you say. If you look at the P4P list, a lot of fighters there don't cut weight.

[Russian Crushin]

Pacquaio arguably had the best period of his career fighting well below his walking around weight.

Horses for courses at the end of the day. For some they can gain a big size advantage on fight night fighting well below their natural weight. Guys like Margarito, JCC jr, Clottey etc would surely not have had the success they had without the extra size.

For longevity though i think not draining too much is key

Same with Hopkins, he was a huge MW and also cuts a lot of water currently, he shouldnt be on that list