Isn't Weight Division Hopping a Form of Ducking?

[Mitchell Kane]

It can be.

There are fighters who did NOT use it that way, though....Felix Trinidad for example.

[Scipio2009]

yes canelo style. i'm a 154 pound fighter! now im a 155 pound fighter! now im a 164.5 pound fighter!

Alvarez has stuck to the point that he was a junior middleweight chasing the biggest fights possible; Cotto at 155lbs, Khan at 155lbs, Chavez Jr at 164.5lbs.

The moment he sets his sights on 160lbs and chasing middleweight glory, he'll do what he was as amiddleweight.

[Real King Kong]

Moving up in weight should be for 2 reasons...can't make the weight anymore, and to make a big fight. It's strange to me that people want ggg to move up to 168 just for the sake of doing so. There's no real names in that division, and no real point of talking about it now that ward is gone and ggg can still make 160. If he's able to clean out mw...he should look to make a cw fight against whoever the top lhw is at that time.

[Tony Trick-Pony]

Moving up in weight should be for 2 reasons...can't make the weight anymore, and to make a big fight. It's strange to me that people want ggg to move up to 168 just for the sake of doing so. There's no real names in that division, and no real point of talking about it now that ward is gone and ggg can still make 160. If he's able to clean out mw...he should look to make a cw fight against whoever the top lhw is at that time.

Yes. And there's a lot to be said about cleaning out a whole division. That is rarely done these days and GGG is on the verge. Would be crazy to do at this point.

[boliodogs]

I like the champions like Hagler, Monzon, Hopkins, Duran, Trinidad, Bob Foster, Duran and GGG who stayed at one weight and ducked no one. They only moved up if they out grew the weight class.They all had 10 or more successful title defenses in one weight class. Very few champions fighting today have defended their title 10 or more times. Look at Broner. He has been a champion at 130, 135, 140 and 147. How many successful title defenses has he made at any of these weights? Has he ever been the best in the world at any weight? There are usually 4 champions in a weight class. A boxer can always weight jump by trying to fight the weakest of the 4 champions or fight somebody who isn't very good for a vacant title.

[boliodogs]

I accidentally listed Duran twice, but hell, he's double good.

[Tony Trick-Pony]

I accidentally listed Duran twice, but hell, he's double good.

Haha. Oh Duran's worth mentioning a hundred times.

Yes, I think this hurts legacy for the most part. When you think of 'who was the best welterweight of all time?', well, the division hoppers just aren't going to be mentioned. Even take Roy Jones. If he has a legacy anywhere, it's at light heavy. And even there, he lost to Tarver and Johnson and Calzaghe, etc.

[Jsmooth9876]

Would you guys rather have GGG stay at 160 and wait on a big showdown with Charlo perhaps or move up to fight a nobody at 168? I'm in the camp of a Canelo and Charlo fight being bigger than anything at 168 unless ZURDO can somehow unify the belts over a year or 2.

Great fighters take the big fights at their weight before moving up. Charlo had already been struggling with weight but took the Williams fight. Jack knew he couldn't make 168 anymore but took the Degale fight before moving up. Not that they are great in the classical sense but you get what I mean.

[Redd Foxx]

Ah, ok. I didn't know the weight was hurting him like that. Thanks for the info...

FWIW, most would disagree. Frampton's move was considered one of the biggest ducks of the last few years. People go on about that all the time. Leo could face the same criticism but, I think he might have an excuse as he looked like he needed to go up, to me at least.

[Tony Trick-Pony]

Would you guys rather have GGG stay at 160 and wait on a big showdown with Charlo perhaps or move up to fight a nobody at 168? I'm in the camp of a Canelo and Charlo fight being bigger than anything at 168 unless ZURDO can somehow unify the belts over a year or 2.

Great fighters take the big fights at their weight before moving up. Charlo had already been struggling with weight but took the Williams fight. Jack knew he couldn't make 168 anymore but took the Degale fight before moving up. Not that they are great in the classical sense but you get what I mean.

I think GGG's got some good fights at 160 looming- Canelo, Charlo, Eubank Jr. and BJS if that can EVER be made. He's got nearly all of the belts which makes a difference. Contenders start coming out of the woodwork. Funny how one champion cuts through a lot of BS.

Anyway, yes. Hats off to Charlo and Jack. They fought the dangerous fight when they could have just moved up.