Thread: Why not have same fight night weigh ins again?

As we all know the reason with the weight divisions is to keep the fights fair. So why not have same fight night weigh ins and then the boxers go into the ring the same night? Wouldn't this be fair than having one guy balloon up to 20 or 25 pounds to hydrate himself while the other guy can only muster up like 10 pounds?

A clear example is the Clottey-Corrales fight at welterweight a few years back. Corrales came into fight night around mid 150s while Clottey went in around low 170s. Can anyone really tell me that this was a "fair" fight? Or Paul Williams coming into a welterweight fight and then ballooning up to mid 170s for his opponent.

So why is it consider a fair fight when a guy comes in at the weight of a light heavyweight for a welterweight fight?
So what's wrong with having a level playing field? There are now 17 weight classes instead of the original 8. If a guy is struggling to make weight and has to drain himself then move up in a weight division.

Back in the day Sugar Ray Robinson met Jake Lamotta for the Middleweight championship at their same fight weight they were on the scales hours before. Legendary fights and was fair for both sides.

Why would you want to see zombies trying to hit each other? It's dangerous stuff mate and it's a good thing they don't do it anymore IMO

Originally Posted by Kel

Why would you want to see zombies trying to hit each other? It's dangerous stuff mate and it's a good thing they don't do it anymore IMO

Agree with Kel on this one, too many chances of a serious injury or another death. Boxing gets a bad rap as it is, I can't imagine if there were some serious incidents how it would keep any positive image.

IMO just too risky.

Originally Posted by Kel

Why would you want to see zombies trying to hit each other? It's dangerous stuff mate and it's a good thing they don't do it anymore IMO

Then they should fight in another weight class. Another example is Arturo Gatti-Joey Gamache fight at 140 pounds, Gatti on fight night was 160 pounds according to HBO's unofficial scales and Gamache was 142. Is that really a fair fight?

Or how about regulating on how much weight a fighter can fight at by fight night. Let's say it's a lightweight match and a fighter can't be more than 10 pounds over 145 pounds by fight night? When you have one guy outweighing another by 15-20 pounds how fair is that fight?

It's actually better for fighters health if you ask me. Fighters wouldnt be able to cut down as much weight and would have to fight higher weights that they can make the weight comfortably. To balloon up after weigh in like some of these guys, just shows they were dehydrating themselves which is what leads to the brain injuries.

Originally Posted by No Contest

It's actually better for fighters health if you ask me. Fighters wouldnt be able to cut down as much weight and would have to fight higher weights that they can make the weight comfortably. To balloon up after weigh in like some of these guys, just shows they were dehydrating themselves which is what leads to the brain injuries.

Exactly and in reality it's much safer. Take for example Sugar Shane Mosely walk around weight is 165 or 170 pounds, then train and fight at middleweight then and the guys that fought at middleweight and keeps on ballooning to cruiserweight by fight night should fight at a different weight than they are in. Or someone like Ricky Hatton was 152 at fight night then he should fight at Jr. Middleweight and the guys at Jr. Middleweight that has been dehydrating themselves at Jr. Middleweight should go up to super middle weight or something.

Watching Paul Williams fight at welterweight and then ballooning close to a light heavyweight on fight night makes you go what the fuck?

Originally Posted by Kel

Why would you want to see zombies trying to hit each other? It's dangerous stuff mate and it's a good thing they don't do it anymore IMO

Because of the 24 hour weigh-in, it gives fighters the opportunity to fight in a weight class he doesn't qualify for. Same day weigh-ins, remove the temptation to use unnatural methods for making weight in a lower weight division. If the arguments of the proponents for the 24 hour weight-ins were actually true, we would have the same system for amateur boxing and Olympic events. In any event the 24 hour weight-ins defeat the purpose of defining a weight class in the interest of fairness and competitive matches.

Originally Posted by generalbulldog

As we all know the reason with the weight divisions is to keep the fights fair. So why not have same fight night weigh ins and then the boxers go into the ring the same night? Wouldn't this be fair than having one guy balloon up to 20 or 25 pounds to hydrate himself while the other guy can only muster up like 10 pounds?

A clear example is the Clottey-Corrales fight at welterweight a few years back. Corrales came into fight night around mid 150s while Clottey went in around low 170s. Can anyone really tell me that this was a "fair" fight? Or Paul Williams coming into a welterweight fight and then ballooning up to mid 170s for his opponent.

So why is it consider a fair fight when a guy comes in at the weight of a light heavyweight for a welterweight fight?
So what's wrong with having a level playing field? There are now 17 weight classes instead of the original 8. If a guy is struggling to make weight and has to drain himself then move up in a weight division.

Back in the day Sugar Ray Robinson met Jake Lamotta for the Middleweight championship at their same fight weight they were on the scales hours before. Legendary fights and was fair for both sides.

By your logic then, Chagaev should not have beaten Valuev, but he did. I assume you believe that very few fair fights happen in the Heavyweight division.

I'm with Kel, I think weighing in the day before is safer. There is also alot of pressure on guys to make weight and I think following the way in its good that fighters can take 24 hours to relax, eat sensibly and rehydrate their bodies properly.

If the weight making process was monitored more stringently (a starting weight, a check weight then fight night weigh-in). Then there would be little room for the irresponsible, feather fisted plums who try to ply their trade at lower weight classes.

Corrales, Castillo, Guzman, Campbell and a load of other boxers have tarnished the sport in one way or another by failing to exploit the 'saftey' measures in place for their benifit.

Originally Posted by generalbulldog

Originally Posted by Kel

Why would you want to see zombies trying to hit each other? It's dangerous stuff mate and it's a good thing they don't do it anymore IMO

Then they should fight in another weight class. Another example is Arturo Gatti-Joey Gamache fight at 140 pounds, Gatti on fight night was 160 pounds according to HBO's unofficial scales and Gamache was 142. Is that really a fair fight?

Or how about regulating on how much weight a fighter can fight at by fight night. Let's say it's a lightweight match and a fighter can't be more than 10 pounds over 145 pounds by fight night? When you have one guy outweighing another by 15-20 pounds how fair is that fight?

That would be a better idea than same day weigh-ins

Originally Posted by fan johnny

Originally Posted by Kel

Why would you want to see zombies trying to hit each other? It's dangerous stuff mate and it's a good thing they don't do it anymore IMO

Because of the 24 hour weigh-in, it gives fighters the opportunity to fight in a weight class he doesn't qualify for. Same day weigh-ins, remove the temptation to use unnatural methods for making weight in a lower weight division. If the arguments of the proponents for the 24 hour weight-ins were actually true, we would have the same system for amateur boxing and Olympic events. In any event the 24 hour weight-ins defeat the purpose of defining a weight class in the interest of fairness and competitive matches.

Yeah I see what you mean about the weight advantage but a recent example of a fighter NOT gaining a weight advantage is ODLH. He made the weight of 147 with a couple of pounds to spare and on fight night was still under the 147 limit and we saw what good it did him, he was just awful.

Originally Posted by bzkfn

Originally Posted by generalbulldog

As we all know the reason with the weight divisions is to keep the fights fair. So why not have same fight night weigh ins and then the boxers go into the ring the same night? Wouldn't this be fair than having one guy balloon up to 20 or 25 pounds to hydrate himself while the other guy can only muster up like 10 pounds?

A clear example is the Clottey-Corrales fight at welterweight a few years back. Corrales came into fight night around mid 150s while Clottey went in around low 170s. Can anyone really tell me that this was a "fair" fight? Or Paul Williams coming into a welterweight fight and then ballooning up to mid 170s for his opponent.

So why is it consider a fair fight when a guy comes in at the weight of a light heavyweight for a welterweight fight?
So what's wrong with having a level playing field? There are now 17 weight classes instead of the original 8. If a guy is struggling to make weight and has to drain himself then move up in a weight division.

Back in the day Sugar Ray Robinson met Jake Lamotta for the Middleweight championship at their same fight weight they were on the scales hours before. Legendary fights and was fair for both sides.

By your logic then, Chagaev should not have beaten Valuev, but he did. I assume you believe that very few fair fights happen in the Heavyweight division.

I'm with Kel, I think weighing in the day before is safer. There is also alot of pressure on guys to make weight and I think following the way in its good that fighters can take 24 hours to relax, eat sensibly and rehydrate their bodies properly.

The HeavyWeight division is unlimited anyway and I never did hint or say that it was unfair there, but my post was more regarding about the lower weight divisions, when a guy comes in at 160 and the other one at 142 for a Jr. Welterweight fight I really don't see that as fair or one guy comes in at 172 and the other at 155 for a welterweight fight on fight night just seems ridiculous.

I just recently read on another forum that there are caps on how much weight a fighter can hydrate himself but its not really enforce by most states in the USA and guys usually just come into a fight at any weight he wants on fight night.

Would be much safer.

Before anybody starts with the 'they'd be walking zombies' hear me out.

It takes longer than 24 hours to fully re-hydrate yourself after struggling to make weight. More like 72 hours to be fully re-hydrated. So the 24-30 hour window isn't as safe as it could be anyway.

Having a weigh in on the day of a fight should prevent fighters from trying to boil down to a ridiculous weight in the first place. Oscar certainly wouldn't have boiled down to 145 if he thought he was fighting 6 hours later. The 30 hour window wasn't even long enough for him, plus he made himself ill boiling down to such a ridiculous weight. IMO same day weigh ins would or at least should prevent the fighters from attempting to fight in a weight class that they have clearly outgrown.

Of course it would mean the light-welterweight division would look completely different. It would be made up of different fighters who actually fight at 140, but imo that's how it should be. It would also prevent fighters from having a 10-14lbs weight advantage over their opponent. See Clottey - Judah for example or Clottey - Chico.

The only worry would be cancelling shows on short notice due to fighters not making weight but i'm sure this could be over-come by at least having a competitve undercard or a main feature should the house fighter or his opponent pull out. It would be less likely to happen anyway with the same day weigh in, as fighters would all be in the same boat of fighing in a weight class in which they are comfortable. If a fighter was struggling to make 140 they could quite easily move up to welterweight without having to worry about facing an actual middleweight come fight night.

It'll never happen but it should do imo.

The real reason for the weigh in a day before the fight is for publicity. It helps sell tickets/PPVs, so I don't think we will being seeing it go anytime soon.


However, I agree that same day weighins would force fighters to fight at their natural weight.

Originally Posted by Kel

Originally Posted by fan johnny

Originally Posted by Kel

Why would you want to see zombies trying to hit each other? It's dangerous stuff mate and it's a good thing they don't do it anymore IMO

Because of the 24 hour weigh-in, it gives fighters the opportunity to fight in a weight class he doesn't qualify for. Same day weigh-ins, remove the temptation to use unnatural methods for making weight in a lower weight division. If the arguments of the proponents for the 24 hour weight-ins were actually true, we would have the same system for amateur boxing and Olympic events. In any event the 24 hour weight-ins defeat the purpose of defining a weight class in the interest of fairness and competitive matches.

Yeah I see what you mean about the weight advantage but a recent example of a fighter NOT gaining a weight advantage is ODLH. He made the weight of 147 with a couple of pounds to spare and on fight night was still under the 147 limit and we saw what good it did him, he was just awful.

The thing with Oscar was he had to use an IV Drip to rehydrate himself. IV drips are used to treat people who cannot rehydrate orally. You have to ask yourself why he couldn't rehydrate orally. Maybe making a weight that he hadn't come close to maing for a good few years had a big say in it.