The reality of weight classes

[deathofaclown]

155-160 is Middleweight, not just 160. And so on for all the other divisions.

This is why catchweights are nonsense and should be obsolete. Once you can't make 154 anymore and are campaigning at 155 or 156 i.e Canelo, you are technically in the middleweight division so you should be fighting guys even if they weigh 160. That is the whole point of the divisions and they they range between 154-160, 160-168 etc..It's not in the rules that you must weigh in dead on the maximum weight allowed, hence Manny weighing in at 145 for a WW fight.

In my opinion if you can't make a weight anymore, you simply go to the next weight class. So for Canelo and Cotto, start fighting middleweights because you can't make LMW and don't be dragging guys to 157 like Geale. I don't care about A-sides and B-sides. You can't make LMW, you are fighting at 155 or 157 or whatever, so technically you are middleweight division, so fight as middleweights.

I really don't mind a catchweight if it means a really fair fight where 2 guys in different weight divisions meet halfway just to make it happen. But literally campaigning in your own weight class no matter who it's against, and it is technically part of an official weight class just makes a mockery of things and defending a MW title at 157 just pisses all over the history of it. Defend it how it's supposed to be defended, at a limit of 160, or vacate it so somebody else will do the honour of defending it the way it's supposed to be. This goes for all weight classes too.

[JJRod]

155-160 is Middleweight, not just 160. And so on for all the other divisions.

This is why catchweights are nonsense and should be obsolete. Once you can't make 154 anymore and are campaigning at 155 or 156 i.e Canelo, you are technically in the middleweight division so you should be fighting guys even if they weigh 160. That is the whole point of the divisions and they they range between 154-160, 160-168 etc..It's not in the rules that you must weigh in dead on the maximum weight allowed, hence Manny weighing in at 145 for a WW fight.

In my opinion if you can't make a weight anymore, you simply go to the next weight class. So for Canelo and Cotto, start fighting middleweights because you can't make LMW and don't be dragging guys to 157 like Geale. I don't care about A-sides and B-sides. You can't make LMW, you are fighting at 155 or 157 or whatever, so technically you are middleweight division, so fight as middleweights.

I really don't mind a catchweight if it means a really fair fight where 2 guys in different weight divisions meet halfway just to make it happen. But literally campaigning in your own weight class no matter who it's against, and it is technically part of an official weight class just makes a mockery of things and defending a MW title at 157 just pisses all over the history of it. Defend it how it's supposed to be defended, at a limit of 160, or vacate it so somebody else will do the honour of defending it the way it's supposed to be. This goes for all weight classes too.

I agree. It's bs what Nelo and Cotto do.

But at the same time this really ends up hurting them in the long run. IF Nelo can't make 154 I imagine he probably doesn't make 155 easy. He probably struggles to get down to that.
Cotto seems to do it out of leverage. He makes you lose that extra lb or so because he can. But he is getting older and cutting down the extra lb or so might end up hurting him more than his opponent.

[Eff Pandas]

I don't think most care about catchweights. Its a easily forgotten aspect of the fight for the vast majority of fans even some who'll make it a big deal on Friday, but by Sunday its whatever.

Personally I like fighters taking any control of their career that they can so I'm a fan of more catchweight fights. If certain boxers don't like it than they shouldn't agree to it. Once someone agrees to a catchweight its like agreeing to a certain glove or ring size. Lotsa **** impacts the outcome that never gets mentioned, but both sides have agreed to. Catchweight is just one of them, but for some reason its the one who has a small minority of fans all excited about.

[ИATAS]

The 172 pound weight class is pretty stacked. Chavez, Ward, Fonfara, Paul Smith. List goes on and on!

[Boxfan83]

My thought is, if a fighter is to small for lets say the MW division but to big for JrMW, why not just come in between at or around 157, theres nothing stating you cant come in small, if thats a weight you are comfortable at than its probably best. The last 2-3lbs is usually what puts a fighter through hell anyways. Where the fighter typically gains his advantage is during the re-hydration period so itd be smarter if guys did more re-hydration clauses in the contract vice catchweights. Imagine telling Chavez Jr he couldnt weigh more than 180 the day of the fight or telling Keith Thurman he couldnt gain more than 10lbs? Theyd lose a major advantage. For a guy like Canelo, his catchweight clauses will eventually bite him in the @$$, hes young now and can put his body through rigorous draining but with his build, he may not be able to do it for much longer without a setback, he already looks lethargic and lacks energy for 3mins of fighting each round. As for Cotto, personnaly I think Cotto is now barely big enough for 154...

[kafkod]

155-160 is Middleweight, not just 160. And so on for all the other divisions.

This is why catchweights are nonsense and should be obsolete. Once you can't make 154 anymore and are campaigning at 155 or 156 i.e Canelo, you are technically in the middleweight division so you should be fighting guys even if they weigh 160. That is the whole point of the divisions and they they range between 154-160, 160-168 etc..It's not in the rules that you must weigh in dead on the maximum weight allowed, hence Manny weighing in at 145 for a WW fight.

In my opinion if you can't make a weight anymore, you simply go to the next weight class. So for Canelo and Cotto, start fighting middleweights because you can't make LMW and don't be dragging guys to 157 like Geale. I don't care about A-sides and B-sides. You can't make LMW, you are fighting at 155 or 157 or whatever, so technically you are middleweight division, so fight as middleweights.

I really don't mind a catchweight if it means a really fair fight where 2 guys in different weight divisions meet halfway just to make it happen. But literally campaigning in your own weight class no matter who it's against, and it is technically part of an official weight class just makes a mockery of things and defending a MW title at 157 just pisses all over the history of it. Defend it how it's supposed to be defended, at a limit of 160, or vacate it so somebody else will do the honour of defending it the way it's supposed to be. This goes for all weight classes too.

I Agree with this. CWs have a place in making interesting match-ups between fighters from different divisions.

But after what I've seen happening at MW, I now believe they should no longer be allowed in title fights.

They make it possible for fighters with large fan bases to win and hold on to world titles by getting themselves an unfair advantage over their opponents

[kafkod]

I don't think most care about catchweights. Its a easily forgotten aspect of the fight for the vast majority of fans even some who'll make it a big deal on Friday, but by Sunday its whatever.

Personally I like fighters taking any control of their career that they can so I'm a fan of more catchweight fights. If certain boxers don't like it than they shouldn't agree to it. Once someone agrees to a catchweight its like agreeing to a certain glove or ring size. Lotsa **** impacts the outcome that never gets mentioned, but both sides have agreed to. Catchweight is just one of them, but for some reason its the one who has a small minority of fans all excited about.

Gloves and ring size have the same impact on both fighters, CWs don't. They can give one man an unfair advantage over the other, with the possibilty of serious harm - eg brain trauma - to the weight drained fighter.

It's easy to say that they don't have to agree to it, but not so easy for guys like Geale to turn down good pay cheques against the likes of Cotto.

[bigjavi973]

I agree. It's bs what Nelo and Cotto do.

But at the same time this really ends up hurting them in the long run. IF Nelo can't make 154 I imagine he probably doesn't make 155 easy. He probably struggles to get down to that.
Cotto seems to do it out of leverage. He makes you lose that extra lb or so because he can. But he is getting older and cutting down the extra lb or so might end up hurting him more than his opponent.

Cotto has some history of catchweights now? You do know martinez defended that same belt at a catchweight? (and no I dont care williams requested it doe). Do I like this catchweight with geale, no. Does cotto have this "history" of catchweights vs his opponents... no

[RED REP]

I agree. It's bs what Nelo and Cotto do.

But at the same time this really ends up hurting them in the long run. IF Nelo can't make 154 I imagine he probably doesn't make 155 easy. He probably struggles to get down to that.
Cotto seems to do it out of leverage. He makes you lose that extra lb or so because he can. But he is getting older and cutting down the extra lb or so might end up hurting him more than his opponent.

He weighed in at 154.5, he can obviously make 154, i honestly can't defend him. He should get down to the limit.

[JoeKidd]

155-160 is Middleweight, not just 160. And so on for all the other divisions.

This is why catchweights are nonsense and should be obsolete. Once you can't make 154 anymore and are campaigning at 155 or 156 i.e Canelo....

Catchweight makes more sense than weight classes these days. Belts mean nothing and the weight classes mean nothing. GGG would go to Super MW to fight anybody but Ward. GGG would go to Junior MW to fight nobody but Floyd. Floyd would fight Canelo at Junior MW but not GGG. Roy Jones went to HW to fight just Ruiz. What's the "honour" in all that?

There's more honour in 2 guys negotiating a contract and specifying money, location, weight, PED's, gloves, trunks, vitamins... Belts mean squat.