Catch Weight Title fights

[El_Feroz82]

Just had a thought reading another thread. I really don't like catch weight fights and I think it makes a fighter look like a fruit cup, even though it's their team that gets it in the contract, for demanding them. Hats off to Gabe Rosado for making his promoter take the CW out of his title shot contract with GGG I think it was. He should get way more credit for that. Now that is a fighter right there.

Title fights should not be allowed with CW's unless they're being contested between reigning champions from different divisions....like maybe a 154 pounder vs a 147'er with at 150 with the 154 belt on the line. That's still probably crap, but it would be a little easier to stomach. Cotto and team making the 159 was beyond ****** and should never have been for a title along with lots of Floyd and Manny fights.

Boxing needs some stricter rules like this and maybe one ring size, a boxer can use any gloves that are approved, the same drug testing for every fight....it's just disgusting how 99% of the top fighters use these things to have some sort of advantage over their opponents.

I just don't know how you can have a fighters mentality and let your opponent be disadvantaged in any of these ways. Gabe Rosado may not be the best, but he's at least he's an actual fighter.

[racer59]

A title fight should never be allowed at a catch weight. If a fighter wants to show up light, then its cool. But if you are fighting for a title the weight limit should be the same weight that other previous champions won at and not below. Or else its just a tainted championship.

[Dr Rumack]

There's no central authority to dictate any of the things you're asking for.

As for CWs and titles, the only guys who fight at CWs for the most part are the big names. And the organising bodies want to get paid so they'll always play along with the guys who bring significant money in.

If any of them make a principled stance and refuse to sanction a bout, someone else will only be too happy to take their business.

[El_Feroz82]

A title fight should never be allowed at a catch weight. If a fighter wants to show up light, then its cool. But if you are fighting for a title the weight limit should be the same weight that other previous champions won at and not below. Or else its just a tainted championship.

Yup, forgot to mention that showing up light is perfectly fine.

Pretty much everything should be standardized in boxing taking this pu$$y negotiating tactics out of fights.

[Divine Hammer]

imo it depends on the situation. for pac vs algieri, the CW isn't really a big deal since algieri is more than big enough to make the 144 lb limit and pac is small enough that he can drain himself down without issue.

only times when it's an issue is when you set up a CW fight to bring up a small fighter and come weigh-in you don't honor the CW or if you're a champ in a division (fought two champion fights there without a CW) and you demand a champion in that same division to fight you at a catchweight. Also dragging someone down 7 or 8 lbs is also bad.

but if you're a small fighter moving up in weight then a CW seems fine imo. it's not a big deal.

[El_Feroz82]

There's no central authority to dictate any of the things you're asking for.

As for CWs and titles, the only guys who fight at CWs for the most part are the big names. And the organising bodies want to get paid so they'll always play along with the guys who bring significant money in.

If any of them make a principled stance and refuse to sanction a bout, someone else will only be too happy to take their business.

Sadly you are totally right. Pure fantasy on my part I know, I just don't think you should be regarded as having a fighters mentality if you demand, or allow your team to demand these things.

[El_Feroz82]

imo it depends on the situation. for pac vs algieri, the CW isn't really a big deal since algieri is more than big enough to make the 144 lb limit and pac is small enough that he can drain himself down without issue.

only times when it's an issue is when you set up a CW fight to bring up a small fighter and come weigh-in you don't honor the CW or if you're a champ in a division (fought two champion fights there without a CW) and you demand a champion in that same division to fight you at a catchweight. Also dragging someone down 7 or 8 lbs is also bad.

but if you're a small fighter moving up in weight then a CW seems fine imo. it's not a big deal.

I think the CW was probably more for Pac's sake than Chris's.....and if it wasn't a big deal than why is it there....it's becoming a normal thing for big name guys and it's cowardly IMO

[soul_survivor]

All these comments are just so misinformed it's ridiculous. The great Armstrong fought in cw fights, probably the most famous multiweight fighter ever.

I see no harm in a smaller fighter moving up in weight and having a cw challenging a bigger champ, eg pac v cotto or srl v lalonde but there's a difference when a guy who is already a champion in a division fighting another champion in that division for a cw.

[Dinamita 03]

All these comments are just so misinformed it's ridiculous. The great Armstrong fought in cw fights, probably the most famous multiweight fighter ever.

I see no harm in a smaller fighter moving up in weight and having a cw challenging a bigger champ, eg pac v cotto or srl v lalonde but there's a difference when a guy who is already a champion in a division fighting another champion in that division for a cw.

Your talking about a guy who fought at a time when there was only eight weight classes. Not like today when there's a weight class in between each original one. It's more understandable that fighters in the past had cw fights with fewer divisions and weigh-ins on the same day.

[Adamjr91]

Yup, forgot to mention that showing up light is perfectly fine.

Pretty much everything should be standardized in boxing taking this pu$$y negotiating tactics out of fights.

That doesn't need mentioning.

CW fights in this day an age are farcical given the amount of weight division there are.