Thread: What fighters have been successfull at moving up and down in several weight divs?

I know what its like to put on a lot of weight and never ever being able to get back down to the weight I was before trying to put on major mass. What fighter has been able to go up and then move back down? Not even RJ Jr has been able to pull this one off. So, it's safe to say that a fighter can move up but moving back down is the biatch of all biatches. Name some fighters who have blown up and then deflated to become world champs again two or three weight classes down where they once were?. I cant think of any. I am not saying that moving up is easy also as many fighters have been chased back down but what special fighter has been able to move up and down at will? I still cant think of any.

Your favourite fighter went from 130 all the way up to 154 then beat Hatton at 147, and i bet he'd win the title at 140 if he wanted to.....
Cue the Floyd running comment.....

Originally Posted by eagle

Your favourite fighter went from 130 all the way up to 154 then beat Hatton at 147, and i bet he'd win the title at 140 if he wanted to.....
Cue the Floyd running comment.....

PBF?

So PBF is the one? He is the Neo of boxing?


But we dont know that because he never went back down to 140 so you are just speculating. What a waste of talent if this is true though. There is the cement right there and Floyd was unwilling to step in it and leave his mark. But I understand, I have yet to be able to shed 15 pounds after gaining like 80. It was easy for me to put on the weight but I have never ever been able to go back down.

I'm sure the name of De La Hoya is going to come up from his beloved fan club. They'll claim he went up to 160, then back down successfully to 154. But before that ridiculous claim comes up, let me squash it from the get go by stating that 160 shouldn't even count, when all he's got to show for it is his gift against Sturm and his disgraceful, canvas-punching charade against Hopkins.

Other than that, you've got a point. I think RJJ was the closest to do it, but you see where the weight "yo-yo'ing" got him.

Only Floyd Mayweather & Sugar Ray Leonard have done it that I can think of. Manny Pacquiao will have done it if he beats Hatton & Winky Wright will have done it if he beats Paul Williams although he lost when he went up so may not really count. Not many others come to mind immediately. The thing with the two guys who've actually done it is that they were both technically skilled boxers fighting well above weights that were actually suited to them, & the same would be true of Pacquiao in that he really should not have been fighting as high as 147 size-wise.

Henry Armstrong is the only one I can think of beat Petey Sarron for the featherweight crown,after several wins challenged BArney Ross for the welterweight title,then came back down and fought Lou Ambers for the lightweight belt.

Henry Armstrong
Bob Fitzsimmons
Ray Leonard
Micket Walker (?)

I was looking more along the lines of a fighter blowing up to 3 or 4 weight divisions and then deflating back down another 3 or 4 divisions and there are aren't any. Blowing up and moving up can be done as few have accomplished this but none can get back down to where they began. I guess James Toney is a prime example of just how hard losing that weight is once you have gained it. Bless his heart.

Keep your eyes on James Toney. He is on a low carb diet.

Originally Posted by Deanrw

Keep your eyes on James Toney. He is on a low carb diet.

Low cardio more like.Double stuffed Oreos working him out Lol

Pernell whitaker straight through to 154 title ,then down for Welter

Not mutiple divisions but Tommy Hearns pulled it off for Lt.Hvy strap and then back to finally win belt at Middle

Originally Posted by hitmandonny

Henry Armstrong
Bob Fitzsimmons
Ray Leonard
Micket Walker (?)

Yep Sugar Ray Leonard. Thats who I was gonna say.

Hatton..

He went all the way up to 147 then waaaay back down to 140 and won! And he is still champ.

Toney is on the comeback. He said he'll drop weight down to when he only has like 3 neck rolls coming off the back of his fat head. But seriously, I really liked Toney up until this last fight (Oquendo). What a shame.

But more on the topic. I don't think that fighters fancied moving up and down weights until more recent years. Plus there are so many weight divisions it's easier now (relatively). RayRob didn't really go back down in weight once he hit middle, but most of his opponents outweighted him... So he was really doing both... right?

Originally Posted by Danny_G

I guess James Toney is a prime example of just how hard losing that weight is once you have gained it. Bless his heart.

I disagree, Danny.

It's probably easier to lose weight than it is to gain it (gain 'good' weight anyway in the form of lean muscle tissue).

The body doesn't want or need muscles. They are 'expensive' for the body to maintain (you burn a load more calories the more muscular you are). The only reason the body keeps muscles around is because you are forcing it to by resistance training.

The body's main function is just to survive - If you train with enough resistance, your body will need your muscles to be big and strong because it wants to survive your next workout.

If you stop training, your body will happily just get rid of them. The only danger here is that you are more at risk of putting on fat as your muscle size decreases. I imagine boxers would just counter this by doing more cardio.

The only time it's hard to lose muscle weight is when you are genetically gifted. Like my friend, British heavyweight Larry Olubamiwo. He has hardly lost any size and he hasn't done weights for a VERY long time. His boxing training allows him to maintain his size where as that wouldn't be the case for most fighters with muscles the size of his.

As far as losing 'fat' weight. People who find that difficult are either not knowledgable enough and doing the wrong things (Either diet or training) or they just don't have the dedication to pull it off.

I have shit genetics and have lost 7kg (15lbs) in 8 weeks, 5 inches off my waist and 7% bodyfat. (will post my weekly progress pics in the workout log section when I get the chance)

Both muscle and fat loss is easy in my opinion (Well, the principles for fat loss are easy - but it is hard work, which is why for most people dedication will be the deciding factor.)

Losing muscle quickly will hamper someone's performance so yes, Danny you're right about it being more difficult to compete when you come down in weight, unless you've given yourself time to adjust.