If you could change the weight classes, how would you do it?

[Johnston]

I don't really get the big gap from lhw to cruiser when there's 4 or 5 pound difference from some of the lighter weight classes

[BrometheusBob.]

The lil guy divisions hold lil appeal to most fans. There are virtually never unification fights in those divisions cuz there is no money cuz no one cares.

I think boxing is better with less bs divisions few care about. I think boxing would be better if people could actually name all the champions like in the old days. Boxing is so confusing with so many weight divisions + so many titles.

That's a very westernized view. There aren't as many western strawweights, which is one part of why you don't really see or hear them being talked about in the west. But I imagine in the countries that produce more straw/fly weight champions, like Thailand or the Philippines etc, that there would be fans more in favor of keeping at least some of the divisions at the lighter weights.

EDIT: Fair point about unifications doe

I guess there is a fair point about there being too many champions. But probably the bigger issue behind that is the number of belt organizations, and number of belts per organization.

I think it has something to do with remembering who the champs are. There's so many divisions and belts you can't keep track of everyone.

Getting rid of 3-5 divisions would help. It would also make becoming a world champ a little harder which makes the accomplishment that much more impressive.

However, I wouldn't get rid of all the little divisions like the the guy above me is suggesting. Those little guys deserve a chance at glory as well.

Yeah, and truth be told the only reason strictly defined divisions even exist is to put belts at each level. Because otherwise, fighters could just workout amongst themselves what the weight limit will be between them for every fight.

I guess I wouldn't mind something like,

105 Straw
110 Fly
115 Bantam
125 Feather
135 Light
145 Welter
160 Middle
180 Light Heavy
200 Cruiser
220 HW
Unlimited (Super HW, for lack of a better term)

There, that's 6 fewer divisions, and including an extra one to separate these 6'6 245 behemoths from chopping off the heads of their more human sized 6'0-6'2 200-220 lb brethren

[N/A]

It would be devastating to boxing around the world if the number of weight classes was reduced. What we would like to see though is unified weight class names as it is very confusing to the public, the media and the networks when the organizations can't agree on what to call the weight classes.

We propose a compromise where some of the lower weight classes use "super" while some of the middle classes use "junior." There are a lot of egos involved among the organizations and the best hope for unified names is a compromise of this nature.

The result would be:


-- HEAVYWEIGHT
-- CRUISERWEIGHT
-- LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT

-- SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT
-- MIDDLEWEIGHT
-- JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHT

-- WELTERWEIGHT
-- JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHT
-- LIGHTWEIGHT

-- SUPER FEATHERWEIGHT
-- FEATHERWEIGHT

-- SUPER BANTAMWEIGHT
-- BANTAMWEIGHT

-- SUPER FLYWEIGHT
-- FLYWEIGHT
-- JUNIOR FLYWEIGHT

-- STRAWWEIGHT

[Eff Pandas]

That's a very westernized view. There aren't as many western strawweights, which is one part of why you don't really see or hear them being talked about in the west. But I imagine in the countries that produce more straw/fly weight champions, like Thailand or the Philippines etc, that there would be fans more in favor of keeping at least some of the divisions at the lighter weights.

Then they can have some random bs title for lil guys in those countries. I wouldn't have a problem with their being more of a nationalistic spin to governing ranking bodies. Like they could have their 8 lil guy divisions in countries where 160 is a HW & we can have our 8 divisions in Western countries where mfers aren't still starving & have stunted growth. There big guys could come to the US & Western countries & our lil guys could go to Japan & those lil guy Asian countries.

I guess there is a fair point about there being too many champions. But probably the bigger issue behind that is the number of belt organizations, and number of belts per organization.

Yea the belts are a problem to, but even if there was one title holder per division 17 champions is ******ed still. 8-12 is about as big as it should be. No one who doesn't hangout on a boxing forum would remember more than 12 title holders probably. And thats what boxing needs. Casual mfers knowing all the title holders so being a title holder matters again to people who don't follow the sport like we do.

[BrometheusBob.]

Then they can have some random bs title for lil guys in those countries. I wouldn't have a problem with their being more of a nationalistic spin to governing ranking bodies. Like they could have their 8 lil guy divisions in countries where 160 is a HW & we can have our 8 divisions in Western countries where mfers aren't still starving & have stunted growth. There big guys could come to the US & Western countries & our lil guys could go to Japan & those lil guy Asian countries.



Yea the belts are a problem to, but even if there was one title holder per division 17 champions is ******ed still. 8-12 is about as big as it should be. No one who doesn't hangout on a boxing forum would remember more than 12 title holders probably. And thats what boxing needs. Casual mfers knowing all the title holders so being a title holder matters again to people who don't follow the sport like we do.

A very reasonable post.


Above I suggested an 11 division split, which would meet your standard :

105 Straw
110 Fly
115 Bantam
125 Feather
135 Light
145 Welter
160 Middle
180 Light Heavy
200 Cruiser
220 HW
Unlimited (Super HW, for lack of a better term)

That leaves us the task of getting to a point where there is one recognized champion per weight. Which I agree is in the sport's best interest.

In a weird way that is unfortunate, because the term 'undisputed' is connected to boxing and is a result of there being multiple champions per weight class. But that's a loss worth taking.

[Eff Pandas]

A very reasonable post.


Above I suggested an 11 division split, which would meet your standard :

105 Straw
110 Fly
115 Bantam
125 Feather
135 Light
145 Welter
160 Middle
180 Light Heavy
200 Cruiser
220 HW
Unlimited (Super HW, for lack of a better term)

That leaves us the task of getting to a point where there is one recognized champion per weight. Which I agree is in the sport's best interest.

In a weird way that is unfortunate, because the term 'undisputed' is connected to boxing and is a result of there being multiple champions per weight class. But that's a loss worth taking.

Eh still too many lil guy divisions for me lol (5 of 11 at 105-135lbs, I'd like 3 I think max), but I like the way you're thinking.

And yea I understand what people say about the term "undisputed" or even "unified", but remember the only reason undisputed or unified means something today is cuz champion doesn't mean as much as it used to. If there was only 1 title holder per division + less divisions the value of the term champion would go up like Warren Buffet just bought it.

[j0zef]

I would poll the fighters and see what they think before I could make a decision like that.

But I'll say this, there aren't any divisions I'm inclined to remove.



Eh, big gap between LH and H seems unrealistic given how big some of these guys get. If anything, there needs to be a super heavyweight division.

Plus you're putting all them strawweights out of work. They might not make headlines here in the west, but boxing fans in the east may feel differently.

My bad, I meant 175 LHW, 200 CW and 200+ HW. Same as now. As for SWs, sure, add 105 to the list.

105 Strawweight
115 Bantamweight
125 Featherweight
135 Lightweight
147 Welterweight
160 Middleweight
175 Light Heavy
200 CW
200+ Heavy