The reality of weight classes

[Scipio2009]

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.

Who says that Canelo can't make 154? He's fighting at 155 because 1)he's not fighting for any titles and 2)he's not paying sanctioning fees for beltss at junior middleweight that belong to Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Who say that Miguel Cotto can't make 154? The only fight he was going up to 160 for was the title fight against Sergio Martinez, a smallish middleweight at that. Cotto can easily vacate the belt and fight at 154 again, if that was the move that made sense to him.

I know you're pushing for Golovkin but c'mon

[Ham Porter]

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

This is his fourth catchweight, so yes.

[Barcham]

Who says that Canelo can't make 154? He's fighting at 155 because 1)he's not fighting for any titles and 2)he's not paying sanctioning fees for beltss at junior middleweight that belong to Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Who say that Miguel Cotto can't make 154? The only fight he was going up to 160 for was the title fight against Sergio Martinez, a smallish middleweight at that. Cotto can easily vacate the belt and fight at 154 again, if that was the move that made sense to him.

I know you're pushing for Golovkin but c'mon

Unless he is fighting Floyd for one of his titles, Canelo would not be paying any title sanctioning fees to anyone.

[bigjavi973]

This is his fourth catchweight, so yes.

plastercheater 2, martinez & now Geale (these two being most recent). Who's the 4th?

[boliodogs]

That's just bull**** Middleweight title fights are supposed to be fought at a weight limit of 160 pounds and not a god damn ounce less. If the weight limit is less than 160 it's not a true middleweight title fight but a god damn ***ing catchweight fight. Mayweather vs Canelo 152 weight limit. Not a jr middleweight title fight but a catchweight fight. Cotto vs Geale weight limit 157. Not a middleweight title fight but a catchweight fight. Pacqauiao vs Cotto with a weight limit of 145. Not a welterweight title fight but a catchweight fight. There have been many welterweight fighters in history who won the world middleweight title. Emile Griffith, Ray Robinson, and Carmon Basilio were all welterweights who won the middleweight title. None of them ever defended their middleweight world title at less than the legal, standard, official, traditional 160 pounds. Making the new middleweight limit 157 is a shameful Cotto first. A middleweight can weigh 155 or 145 if they want to but they can weigh as much as 160 pounds in any real middleweight title fight not manipulated by a chicken champion.

[////]

you just find out what weight your opponent struggles to make, go 1 pound lower than that to punish them, then threaten to walk of they don't agree

you can buy wins in boxing once you get popular enough

[Eff Pandas]

Gloves and ring size have the same impact on both fighters, CWs don't.

I disagree. Reyes gloves have long been considered a punchers gloves, a bigger ring is considered a boxers ring. There are advantages to certain boxers with all of these things. Same difference imo with catchweight fights. Basically the bottom line is if you don't like Reyes gloves, a bigger ring or a catchweight & more specifically if you believe any of those things are a hinderance to your chances of winning or your health don't agree to fight under those requirements. Easy game.

[Eff Pandas]

you can buy wins in boxing once you get popular enough

Buying wins happens everywhere in boxing. I'm in amazement all the time with some of the fights that are sanctioned by commissions. I'd rather see that focused on & improved upon than two guys who've agreed amongst each other to fight at a certain weight.

[Ham Porter]

plastercheater 2, martinez & now Geale (these two being most recent). Who's the 4th?

The Pacquiao fight.

Regardless, isn't three fights - all of which a catchweight was requested on Cotto's part - enough for him to have a history?

[JJRod]

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

Well let's see.
He tried to force margarito down to 150 and the fight was in jeopardy of not happening until a 153 catch weight was agreed upon.
(Ironically he would later refuse a Pac rematch at 150)
He forced Sergio to a catchweight of 159.
He is now forcing Geale to a 157 catchweight.

So yeah I'd say he has a history.

But as I said many times before I have no problem with the guys asking for one. It's theirs opponents right not to agree.

In this particular case as I've said about both Cotto and Canelo it ends up IMO hurting them more.