Biggest size advantage at a non-Heavyweight weight class?

[Beanflicker]

aka boxing's best weight cutter. Seeing the size difference between JCC jr vs Martinez was another indication that obviously some guys are cutting much more weight to get into their weight class than others.

This is no disrespect to these guys, as cutting weight is a part of the sport. It seems like there are certain guys (JCC Jr and Froch come to mind) who always seem bigger, thicker than their opponents.

Who do think was the biggest weight cutter and was a giant in his weight division? Early Oscar De La Hoya at LW was rediculous. Who was the biggest?

[TigerFan]

I remember controversy about Gatti weighing something like 20 pounds over the contracted weight for his fight with Joey Gamache. Gamache suffered brain damage in the fight and never fought again.

Boxer injured in 2000 fight sues Gatti - Boxing- NBC Sports

[JonnyFolds]

Even though it eventually caught up to him, JLC was a monster fo a Lightweight for years. He had his bouts with the scales after the first Corrales fight, and up until he actually fought with "other" welterweights. Even in the Hatton fight, I thought he looked weight drained at 140.

Didn't Zsolt Erdei weighed in on a recent match at 178 or so fight night to Fragomeni's 199 or so fighting for the WBC cruiserweight belt.

I guess he plans on retiring with his "0"? I think he was a completely unmarketable European fighter. These guys should be calling names out and brushing up on their English if they want to get any following stateside or otherwise. That's how I feel about the mexicans fighters coming to the US anyway

[superheavyrhun]

I remember a Michael Lomax fight a few years ago where he fought some French welterweight who was 6'5" tall...and Lomax was generally the taller fighter when he fought, but this French guy was just huge. Lomax is probably 5'11" or so, but just thinking about your average welter around 5'8" going up against someone who was 6'5" would be ridiculous.

[IamInuit]

aka boxing's best weight cutter.(Erik Morales at 122) Seeing the size difference between JCC jr vs Martinez was another indication that obviously some guys are cutting much more weight to get into their weight class than others. They are not fighting in their weight class. Most likely 2 divisions starved to gain the advantage the night of the fight.


This is no disrespect to these guys, as cutting weight is a part of the sport. It seems like there are certain guys (JCC Jr and Froch come to mind) who always seem bigger, thicker than their opponents.

Jr is a fight time light-heavyweight.

Who do think was the biggest weight cutter and was a giant in his weight division? Early Oscar De La Hoya at LW was rediculous. Who was the biggest? I'll stick with Morales with an honourable mention to Donaire. When he moved up to fight Sydorenko it looked like he was fighting a child.

No offense with thee bolds in the quote. A peeve at times. Good stuff man.

[jamiebhoy]

I remember controversy about Gatti weighing something like 20 pounds over the contracted weight for his fight with Joey Gamache. Gamache suffered brain damage in the fight and never fought again.

Boxer injured in 2000 fight sues Gatti - Boxing- NBC Sports

That was one of the most dramatic KO's you will ever see. It's a reason there should be secondary weigh ins. Not the actual weigh in the day of the fight but a second one fight day to make sure there has not been an over hydration/gain that can cause someone serious damage.

There should be a percentage limit on what you can gain overnight and you should only be a max of 7-10lbs over the contracted weight. Or, anything over results in a percentage of your purse being taken.

I don't get calling yourself a WW champ at147 with a walking around weight of 165 and fight night weight of 158 !! WTF

[donnydarkoIRL]

There was definitely 10 - 15lbs here.

[TitoFan]

I was a huge Tommy Hearns fan, but I sometimes thought it was a bit unfair watching him come in at 147 with that huge height and reach advantage. Most shorter fighters had absolutely no chance against him. Although the weight draining did take it's effect on some fights, most notably the first Leonard fight (one of my favs of all time), when Leonard fought through some heavy eye damage and began cracking those skinny ribs and finally pounding Hearns into submission in the 14th round.

[donnydarkoIRL]

I was a huge Tommy Hearns fan, but I sometimes thought it was a bit unfair watching him come in at 147 with that huge height and reach advantage. Most shorter fighters had absolutely no chance against him. Although the weight draining did take it's effect on some fights, most notably the first Leonard fight (one of my favs of all time), when Leonard fought through some heavy eye damage and began cracking those skinny ribs and finally pounding Hearns into submission in the 14th round.

He had almost 5 inches of height on Hagler.
I think height can be a disadvantage if fighters know how to handle it.

[armyash]

I remember controversy about Gatti weighing something like 20 pounds over the contracted weight for his fight with Joey Gamache. Gamache suffered brain damage in the fight and never fought again.

Boxer injured in 2000 fight sues Gatti - Boxing- NBC Sports

That was one of the most dramatic KO's you will ever see. It's a reason there should be secondary weigh ins. Not the actual weigh in the day of the fight but a second one fight day to make sure there has not been an over hydration/gain that can cause someone serious damage.

There should be a percentage limit on what you can gain overnight and you should only be a max of 7-10lbs over the contracted weight. Or, anything over results in a percentage of your purse being taken.

I don't get calling yourself a WW champ at147 with a walking around weight of 165 and fight night weight of 158 !! WTF

I agree 100%. It defeats the object of having weight divisions to some extent. There should definitely be a max amount a fighter can put on between the weigh in and fight night.

I watched that Gatti fight this morning and it was shocking it was like watching a grown man beat up a boy, I really felt bad for Gamache to be left with some form of brain damage as a result must have been devastating. Poor bloke.

[Beanflicker]

Yeah the Gatti/Gamache thing is a good example. Poor Gamache didn't have a chance in hell.

[beenKOed]

I don't have an answer for the largest weight difference but I never liked the change away from the same day weigh-in. No one likes to see large weight differences in a fight but you can't say the larger fighter is cheating.

The same day weigh-in was changed to protect dehydrated fighters. The thing that always pissed me off about it, and this sounds insane, the rule change actually protects the larger fighter from the smaller fighter because he had to drop more weight! The change never made sense to me.

A percentage of weight gained in a second, same day, weigh-in would be a fair solution but then you would have dehydrated fighters in the ring because the larger fighter would try to make that percentage of weight gained cutoff.

What would be the penalty for missing the cutoff percentage? I don't know about you guys but I'll be wanting to see that fight whether the larger fighter makes the percentage or not. So, like always, it comes
down to money. How much, to whom?

I'd like to see some changes and I know it could be done fairly but I'm not holding my breath.

[donnydarkoIRL]

We'll still cut weight; impose same day weigh ins and we'll just get hurt more seriously.

[Dark Lord Al]

6'4 Bob Foster v 5'8 Dick Tiger , big difference.

[Beanflicker]

6'4 Bob Foster

I think it was worse that guys like him and Hearns had so much power even though they were lanky. Made it harder for guys to overcome the reach advantage