Are weight classes in boxing designed to protect the bigger man?

[pesticid]

I know I am going against the grain here but hear me out first, then decide for yourself and post accordingly.

In Boxing speed, agility and reflexes are pretty much the deciding athletic factors as far as who will have an advantage in a boxing match, especially if it's the amateurs where the fight is only 3 rounds.

You see a lot of people move up in weight in both amateurs and professional ranks and they move up in weight with great success.

Here are some examples - Pacquaio from 106 to 150, Mayweather from 130 to 154, James Toney from 156 to heavyweight, Roy Jones from 160 to heavyweight, Duran from 126 to 175, and so on and so forth.

Margarito or Cotto's size weren't a factor against Pacman. Canelo's size wasn't a factor against Mayweather.

Same goes for the amateurs. Arlen Lopez started at 132 and move up to 165where he is currently the World Champ at that weight.

If you've been to any boxing gym and sparred or witnesses sparring b/w small guys and big guys. A lot of times the smaller guy wins. I've seen kids at 110 pounds beating up 130 pounders and you don't have to be at a gym you can go youtube some sparring sessions where small guys beat up on the bigger guys, in some cases actually embarrassing them.

Watch Rigo when he spars bigger guys in the gym, they can't even touch him.
Golovkin sparring bigger guys, he is just too fast for them and he is not even a fast middleweight.

How many guys come from a higher division to a lower and have the same success?

[Robbie Barrett]

It's pretty simple. A more skilled fighter can overcome someone with a size advantage, but size is an advantage.

[.!WAR MIKEY!.]

It's pretty simple. A more skilled fighter can overcome someone with a size advantage, but size is an advantage.

to a certain point its true but theirs a reason why Mayweather didnt want to face Canelo at 154 and thats because its true a more skilled fighter will overcome someone with a size advantage but only to a certain point.

[pesticid]

It's pretty simple. A more skilled fighter can overcome someone with a size advantage, but size is an advantage.

I agree and I think size is an advantage mostly when exhaustion come into effect or the smaller faster guy isn't using his advantage which is speed.

Gamboa is a perfect example of this against Crawford. I thought Gamboa won the first 4 rounds but then got tired and overconfident and boom the bigger man started hitting him and he no longer had the bounce to evade shots that he was evading earlier. That's why Pacman and Mayweather are unique because they are able to maintain their speed resistance for all 12 rounds even against bigger guys that push the pace on them.

[pesticid]

to a certain point its true but theirs a reason why Mayweather didnt want to face Canelo at 154 and thats because its true a more skilled fighter will overcome someone with a size advantage but only to a certain point.

Great post! Obviously somebody at 106 won't be able to beat somebody at cruiser.

[pesticid]

Which makes me wonder why is Kell Brook trying to go so heavy against GGG. He will lose the only advantage that he has.

[Madison Boxing]

yeah, tyson fury wouldnt stand a chance against pacquiao or someone like that would he lol. never heard such a ****** thing in my life

[Helm]

Oh come on...

They spar with bigger guys because they are better and have to challenge themselves.

Obviously more weight and size is a huge advantage, generally speaking.

[deathofaclown]

to a certain point its true but theirs a reason why Mayweather didnt want to face Canelo at 154 and thats because its true a more skilled fighter will overcome someone with a size advantage but only to a certain point.

Or the fact that Canelo's team are the ones who suggested 152 to start with and Floyd's team went with it.

[Citizen Koba]

Which makes me wonder why is Kell Brook trying to go so heavy against GGG. He will lose the only advantage that he has.

This ^. Puzzles me too. Seems to me Kell's giving up his best assets in order to what? Try to outmuscle GGG? Golovkin ain't going to be beat like that anyway, and the further Kell strays from his familiar fighting weight the more he's ******** on his stamina and possibly his speed and timing being just out of tune with the extra mass.

I'm assuming there is some sort of game plan for Kell and his 30 day weight is in line with that of other MWs (and the IBF stipulation), but that's just it, Kell ain't a MW - not yet at least - and trying to fight as one ain't going to be to his advantage IMO.

EDIT: Oh yeah. And no. No the weighclasses aren't designed to protect the bigger man. Occasionally counter-intuitive ideas are brilliantly correct, but this ain't one them.