How to reinstate Same Day Weigh-Ins

[MastaBlasta]

You want to watch drained fighters fight because they had to do what they could to make weight earlier in the day?
Not very entertaining, its better this way because they get to rehydrate, eat, rest up and come in fresh.
No one has more advantages than anyone else.

Fight dehydrated? No, of course not. Fight at your hydrated weight, in your proper division, yes absolutely. That's how it was done for generations.

If you have to go water-less, to fight in a lower weight division, you are fighting in the wrong division. Then rehydrating into a higher division, fighting a naturally smaller guy ... you are a weight bully.

[MastaBlasta]

If there is a way to measure hydration/dehydration level at a high accuracy, regulating agencies can use that to ensure safety of same-day weigh-ins.

Problem with combat sports is many fighters cut weight to unhealthy levels. Why? To gain size advantage on the ring-YES.
But if we dig deeper, these weight limits has become a dangerous over-simplification of "levelling the playing field" among combatants of different sizes. The weight limits has been abused because of this over-simplification.

If we really want safety, we should at least look at hydration level of the body. Disallow sever hydration at weigh in.

If a fighter fights dehydrated again and again, nature is gonna impose it's own penalty on them. I'm not pushing for fighters to fight dehydrated. Just the opposite: get hydrated, then fight in the PROPER DIVISION.

You don't specify what the "simplification" is about guys fighting within weight division limits. What would that be?

LoL, I'm a bit older I guess. Everyone back in the day wold tell you to "pick on somebody your own size!" Bigger guys would beat down bullies picking on much smaller people. It's called fairness.

And yes, sometimes guys too small can whoop bigger guys (better heart, more skills, faster, etc.) But there IS such as thing as "just too dayum big". It's like fighting your little brother ... that ain't a fair fight ... until he gets bigger.

Professional fighters should fight in the proper division.

[MastaBlasta]

They won't do it due to fighter safety. Instead they're likely looking at second day rules like the IBF has, or the 30-15-1 program the WBC is implementing.

I get your point, but fighters should fight hydrated, in the proper division. nothing unsafe about that. Trying to drain down to fight smaller guys is cowardly, and if you get your body in trouble, you kinda deserve it.

[MastaBlasta]

If fighters just did the right thing, fight hydrated in the proper division, promoters/networks/providers would never have to worry about fights being canceled at the last moment ... and all thos penalties would never need to apply. It's simple really ....

Those type of new rules would give boxers a lot of incentive to fight at their normal weights. That would be a win for everyone ... like in the old days.

[Blond Beast]

You want to watch drained fighters fight because they had to do what they could to make weight earlier in the day?

Not very entertaining, its better this way because they get to rehydrate, eat, rest up and come in fresh.

No one has more advantages than anyone else.

Well said. A lot of Fighters will always have to kill themselves to make weight. Having to make weight the same day u have to fight someone will give the worst results in the ring. The hardest punchers aren’t even necessarily the heavier guy in the ring. People will miss weight. If it’s on the same day that really limits the time to negotiate a deal. So many times I hear a guy who had to drop tons of weight is at a disadvantage, yet somehow if someone weighs more in ring he’s at an advantage. It’s a bit of a paradox depending on the outcome. If u both made weight that’s good enough for me.

[Nicamex]

You want to watch drained fighters fight because they had to do what they could to make weight earlier in the day?

Not very entertaining, its better this way because they get to rehydrate, eat, rest up and come in fresh.

No one has more advantages than anyone else.

They would move up to a more natural weight. There would be less weight draining, they cut a lot of weight because they have 30-35 hrs to rehydrate. Same day weigh ins make you compete at a more natural weight. We'll see less weight mis matches.

[PRINCEKOOL]

They won't do it due to fighter safety. Instead they're likely looking at second day rules like the IBF has, or the 30-15-1 program the WBC is implementing.

It would most likely improve fighter safety.

No fighter is cutting weight then gaining it back in a matter of hours etc

No top elite fighter anyway.

[Mooon]

They should do it. Like the old days.

[soul_survivor]

They won't do it due to fighter safety. Instead they're likely looking at second day rules like the IBF has, or the 30-15-1 program the WBC is implementing.

I think the fighter safety argument doesn't really hold up in 2020.

Fighters cut huge amounts of weight to make their division, regardless if it is a day before the fight or 12 hours or less, they then put on exceptional amounts of water weight in the hours that follow and this on/off process has a debilitating effect on a fighters health.

Add to that the fact that some fighters, in particular those with teams worth 100 of thousands, often fight in a division or two below their best weight but then put on weight and beat up on much smaller, less prepared fighters. We have seen how this can lead to serious injuries throughout the sport.

It would then be safer to actually have the weigh in day of the fight, forcing the majority to fight in their most natural division/train more effectively. Plus, with modern understanding of nutrition and hydration, a 12 hour period is enough to hydrate back into a safe zone if too much weight has been put on.

What the IBF currently has is rarely implemented and no idea about the WBC but they are probably so corrupt it wont matter.

[_Rexy_]

It would most likely improve fighter safety.

No fighter is cutting weight then gaining it back in a matter of hours etc

No top elite fighter anyway.

exactly. They're cutting weight, then going into the ring depleted and getting killed. It's one of the reasons they got rid of same day weigh ins.