Why do boxers have to gain weight to fight in heavier divisions?

[SugarRayCurtain]

For example what if Bradley wanted to challenge Miguel Cotto for the MW championship, why is it required that Bradley hit 155lbs upwards instead of his natural weight of 147lbs?
What if a Bradley feels he can beat Cotto at his natural weight of 147lbs, and why cant he challenge where he feels hes at his best weight?
If he won Bradley would still be king of the middleweight divsion despite not being the ring weight.

Another example is Mayweather, his natural fighting weight is 147lbs and a small one at that. But people seem to assume he cant beat champions in heavier divisions just because hes smaller.
Wrong, this man is fully capable of beating MW;s and SMWs because of his skillset, smarts and sheer talent.

I think there is too much emphasis on weight divisions, sure weight helps but it doesnt mean everything.
Its funny how you can have guys like Miguel Cotto who claim to be champions yet they would lose to welterweights.

Its like Roy jones beating John Ruiz, why did he need to put on 30 pounds of muscle to fight this guy? Roy at LHW would have beaten Ruiz with ease.

[Robbie Barrett]

Strength and power become more important the higher up in weight. The fighters would get shoved around and bullied if they don't add mass and their punches less effective.

[Bigg Rigg]

He doesn't have to, he can come in at whatever weight he wants too. Manny fight for his Jr mw title only weighing 144 pounds Lol.

[Elroy1]

What are you some sort of idiot? Boxing is a blood sport and aside of skill, weight is the single most important factor.

Weight limits are there to protect the fighters...

A highly skilled but light boxer can be schooled by a bummier boxer simply because he is heftier.

Oscar De La Hoya might have been a better boxer than Mike Tyson..

But everybody knows that Mike Tyson would have obliterated Oscar De La Hoya.

I wonder why?

[Rath]

What are you some sort of idiot? Boxing is a blood sport and aside of skill, weight is the single most important factor.

Weight limits are there to protect the fighters...

A highly skilled but light boxer can be schooled by a bummier boxer simply because he is heftier.

Oscar De La Hoya might have been a better boxer than Mike Tyson..

But everybody knows that Mike Tyson would have obliterated Oscar De La Hoya.

I wonder why?

why is there a need to insult the man? if you were such a smart guy you could have known that what he is asking was why does a 147lbs fighter needs to go full 160lbs if he wants to fight at that division.

Isaac and Rigg gives an answer, you give an insult props to you man

[SugarRayCurtain]

What are you some sort of idiot? Boxing is a blood sport and aside of skill, weight is the single most important factor.

Weight limits are there to protect the fighters...

A highly skilled but light boxer can be schooled by a bummier boxer simply because he is heftier.

Oscar De La Hoya might have been a better boxer than Mike Tyson..

But everybody knows that Mike Tyson would have obliterated Oscar De La Hoya.

I wonder why?

This is what I mean, people like you assume lighter fighters will always lose to heavier fighters

Case and point with Pacquiao vs Magarito, probably a 15lbs to 20lbs difference between the 2 fighters. And look what happened.
Had Pacquiao gained 6lbs of muscle and weighed 150, he would have been worse not better.

Do you also think a welterweight Mayweather would get destroyed by Cotto just because Cotto is suddenly a MW?
A 147lbs Mayweather would beat a MW Cotto and MW Sergio Martinez
Does this mean hes not really the MW champion just because he doesnt weigh the same?

As I said weight is important but SKILL is more important
Did you ever consider if guys like Pacquiao and Mayweather moved to 160lbs they would be inferior fighters compared to how they were at 147lbs? Because the added weight is not suited to their bodies.

Canelo could have been 30lbs heavier than Mayweather and still got outclassed. Weight means nothing if youre missing the entire fight.

[Wuckoo]

Weight means something when one guy is drained as *****. Don't use pacquiao as examples of fighting heavier guys when he imposed catchweights. The same could maybe be said to an extent for canelo

[betmen]

For strenght and endurance, guys like pac, mayweather or RJJ maybe can win againts opponent 20-30lbs heavier because of their's freakish athleticism but most cannot.the perfect example are pac, may vs mosley. Mosley said that mayweather is incredibly strong, when he hit mayweather in the 2nd round mayweather clinch to him and shane cannot overpower him but that that's not the case with pac because pac is smaller than mayweather. guy like wlad or lenox who use their weight to tire opponent always use this tactic againts smaller man.

Also gaining neck muscle can increase your chin.

[-PBP-]

They don't necessarily "gain weight". They don't cut as much at the weigh in because they don't need too. For example Floyd is 150 on fight night whether he's at 147 or 154.

[Rath]

Weight means something when one guy is drained as *****. Don't use pacquiao as examples of fighting heavier guys when he imposed catchweights. The same could maybe be said to an extent for canelo

yeah like in cris algierri's case Pac drained chris from 140lbs to 144lbs catchweight