Are Weight Classes as Important As Most of Us Think?

['b']

People generally end up in the lowest weight class than they can possibly fight in, so they have bigger frames and are generally stronger as well.

Having said that, I'd favour Andre Ward to outbox a few cruiserweights, and if Tony Bellew miraculously ended up with a heavyweight title, I think Andre Ward could beat him (obviously after putting the work in at the gym and putting on some more lean mass)

[Scipio2009]

Where you start doesn't matter; some folks debut early, while others start later.

The real worth of weight classes comes when you're comparing grown men. Once genetics have room their course, and the body fills in, you generally don't see fighters grow much further.

On every fighter on your list, find where they were at at 28, and then give them a weight class of 28-year old on either side, and you've got a cogent rule of thumb to work from.

[SN!PER]

Weight classes are limiting the sport.

Let me fight Golovkin.

[daggum]

now that iv rehydration after the weigh in is legal they dont really matter.

[PensionKiller]

In sports that are competitive, 5% difference is enough.

F1 works in 0.1% margins...
Other sports work in 1% margin..
Boxing is hard to judge since time isn't a factor in winning as such, but we can be looking at 5 to 10 % margins. This could be food, training too little or too much, and weight classes etc...

Boxing is an established sport with events everywhere in the World. Charity matches on a weekday to amateur and pro across the world. When you have quite a lot of boxers out there, weight class is very important. Some take advantage...

Yes some smaller guys fight bigger guys, but there is still some form of hand picking involved. For example Mayweather only fought above 150 3 times.

Oscar was a legit fight.
Canelo was still green and at a catchweight.
Conor had zero pro boxing matches...

Even with his skills, size will eventually matter.

[H-Tok]

Manny Pacquiao started at flyweight
Roy Jones started at middleweight
Roberto Duran started at lightweight
Floyd Mayweather started at lightweight
James Toney started at middleweight
Ray Leonard started at welterweight
JMM started as a featherweight
Ray Robinson started as a lightweight
Mike McCallum started as a light middleweight
DLH started as a super featherweight
Broner started as super featherweight
Julio Cesar Chavez started as a super featherweight
Tommy Hearns started as a welterweight
Henry Armstrong started as a featherweight
Jack Dempsey started at 145 pounds
Evander Holyfield started as a light heavyweight
Floyd Patterson was a middleweight
Michael Moorer started as a light heavyweight
Archie Moore started as a middleweight (his biography the ageless warrior is a great read)
Ali started as a light heavyweight
Tony Bellew started as a light heavyweight
Edison Miranda started as a middleweight
Fonfara started out as a welterweight
Guillermo Jones started out as a welterweight
Sadam Ali started as a lightweight
Robert Guerrero started as a featherweight
Whitaker started as a lightweight
Nonito started as a flyweight
Eric Morales started as a super bantamweight
Miguel Cotto started as a light welterweight

There are lots of cases in amateur boxing where a fighter will move up 45 pounds in weight and still be at the top, world champs and all. In amateur wrestling too.
In gym you see sparring sessions b/w featherweights and middleweight, middleweight and heavyweights and so on and so forth. I've seen sparring between featherweight and heavyweights - Team Argentina.
Freddy Roach wanted Manny to fight DLH after witnessing DLH getting outboxed by Ivan Calderon who was a flyweight. I can go on and on, and on but my shoulders are hurting. Let me know what you think or share some other examples too.

It's called progression!

/thread

[Citizen Koba]

Where you start doesn't matter; some folks debut early, while others start later.

The real worth of weight classes comes when you're comparing grown men. Once genetics have room their course, and the body fills in, you generally don't see fighters grow much further.

On every fighter on your list, find where they were at at 28, and then give them a weight class of 28-year old on either side, and you've got a cogent rule of thumb to work from.

Roughly this ^.

Typically fighters reach their full physical size and strength by about 27 or 28. Prior to this of course they will be coming up weight classes because they are still growing into their bodies. In addition at around age 30 -31 you will often see fighters move up one more weightclass as it becomes increasingly difficult to healthily cut weight, even though they aren't actually significantly bigger in the ring.

[deanrw]

Back in the day when there was 8 weight classes it mattered more. 1 weight class jump back then could = 8-20lbs. Young fighters grow into new weight classes. Some move up or down to chase more money or opportunities.

This new fad of younger guys dehydrating the hell out of themselves to make lower weight classes is funny. There are lots out there who basically gain 20lbs in 1 day. You see those guys move up once they get into their 30's and their body starts to reject that torture.

Look at Rigo and GGG. They did not need to move up as they were fully grown adults when they turned pro. Some of the guys they fought probably had a good weight advantage over them come fight night. They handled it fine.

[Dip_Slide]

Weight classes do matter and I think they matter a lot more than people think at the higher weight classes where weight gaps are bigger. All fighters get down to the lowest weight they can possible get down to anyways so this means if you're not doing that like everybody else then you will be fighting naturally bigger guys, who punch harder, are usually taller, wider and can take a punch a lot better. These are all natural advantages that being naturally bigger brings.

You have to adjust your style and your body to fighting bigger fighters, plus a lot of fighters make these weight jumps at a young age where their bodies are still growing.

[Tony Trick-Pony]

There are WAY TOO MANY divisions, for sure.

105, 108, 115, 122, 130 at a minimum can go and would actually make for better fights.