Catchweights: Good or Bad for Boxing?

[TonyGe]

Cotto was not fine, thats why Manny flat refused to fight him without one, even after beating him Manny refused to fight him again without another CW, and Manny knows why.

CWs depend on which way you going because it only has two effects, you will be stronger or weaker. If you go up in weight it will not hurt if you are fighting a guy of similar natural size.

You can see how CWS are so variable because fighters already fight with a 10-20lb swing from weigh-in to fight night weight, that alone opens the door for all sorts of weight differences.

Look at guys that move up many divisions, their fight night weight doesnt vary much at all, take Manny and JMM they were 142-146 fight night with a 130 weigh-in, for them fighting smaller JWWs and WWs is not far from where they always have been on fight night.

I agree a Catchweight where the physically bigger guy comes down works to the benefit of the smaller man.

[STREET CLEANER]

Very few situations would justify CW.

A scenario like JCC Sr and Whitaker which were #1 and #2 p4f.

Two stars that were able to meet down the road like a Jones/Trinidad or Pazienza/Duran fight.

Not this trend that benefits the A side.

[Apollo7]

Neither good nor bad. Just another part of boxing. An agreed upon weight limit for a fight is an agreed upon weight limit for a fight. There will always be one guy who is bigger/smaller/more drained/less drained at a weight. It's up to the fighters to decide what weight they choose to fight at. No excuses imo.

[Roadblock]

Neither good nor bad. Just another part of boxing. An agreed upon weight limit for a fight is an agreed upon weight limit for a fight. There will always be one guy who is bigger/smaller/more drained/less drained at a weight. It's up to the fighters to decide what weight they choose to fight at. No excuses imo.

Yeah I agree to a limit, some big fights fighters are coeerced into accepting a CW they dont want such as Cotto with Manny he wanted a non title fight at the CW weight, Arum wanted the fight and belts on the line, Cotto left Arum as soon as he could.

Its also many times a case of a fighter only thinks he can make a weight as in Oscar at 147 with Manny, you dont get trial runs you get one shot on the day , he didnt even make 150 for Forbes the fight before and Forbes is a LW and was all over him.

Then Oscar is on for 147 with Manny and cannot gain 2lbs after the weigh-in, Oscar guessed he could make it when in reality he couldn't without it really hurting him, Oscar was dead man walking and the worst case of a drained fighter ive seen in many many years.

So CWs might be ok in certain circumstances, but when they really hurt a fighter its no good at all.

[Apollo7]

Yeah I agree to a limit, some big fights fighters are coeerced into accepting a CW they dont want such as Cotto with Manny he wanted a non title fight at the CW weight, Arum wanted the fight and belts on the line, Cotto left Arum as soon as he could.

Its also many times a case of a fighter only thinks he can make a weight as in Oscar at 147 with Manny, you dont get trial runs you get one shot on the day , he didnt even make 150 for Forbes the fight before and Forbes is a LW and was all over him.

Then Oscar is on for 147 with Manny and cannot gain 2lbs after the weigh-in, Oscar guessed he could make it when in reality he couldn't without it really hurting him, Oscar was dead man walking and the worst case of a drained fighter ive seen in many many years.

So CWs might be ok in certain circumstances, but when they really hurt a fighter its no good at all.

I agree with what you're saying too and any knowledgeable fan will know when a guy is just out-sized or weight drained (I.e. DLH Vs PAC). Sometimes though catch-weights mitigate some of the damage as intended. Most of these catch-weight fights happen through greed because these top level boxers ain't starving and if it wasn't for the catch-weights, most of these guys would move up/down a whole division and be even more disadvantaged.

The way I look at it, of you choose to fight at that weight, don't make excuses. The smart fans will still know what's up anyway. They'll know you shouldn't have been fighting at that weight and won't give you credit anyway.