Thread: weight class issues

Bernard Hopkins was critisized and still is for fighting oscar and tito, but canelo, who is the WBC MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMP refuses make the middleweight limit and its okay. Mind you he didnt win or defend the title at the 160 lb limit but gets excused for everything because hes supposed to be this big star, he should just admit that hes scared shitless of ggg and just stay at jr middleweight and stop pretending. What has happened to boxing, imagine if middleweight actually meant 160and people in charge actually enforced the rules and forced these matches, people would vacate and drop off so quickly.

Originally Posted by Mrhydro

Bernard Hopkins was critisized and still is for fighting oscar and tito, but canelo, who is the WBC MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMP refuses make the middleweight limit and its okay. Mind you he didnt win or defend the title at the 160 lb limit but gets excused for everything because hes supposed to be this big star, he should just admit that hes scared shitless of ggg and just stay at jr middleweight and stop pretending. What has happened to boxing, imagine if middleweight actually meant 160and people in charge actually enforced the rules and forced these matches, people would vacate and drop off so quickly.

Good topic. Actually, I don't remember BHop being criticized too much for those fights. Difference is both Trinidad and Oscar went up in weight to challenge Hopkins at 160. They went to his weight. Nobody asked him to come down, to the credit of both Trinidad and Oscar. In Canelo's case, he's a natural, full-blown MW, who took advantage of his middleweight size and good chin to beat a very game but undersized Cotto. Damn right Canelo is scared shitless of GGG. Been saying that since Day One. Cotto caught hell for avoiding GGG, maybe deservedly so, since Cotto's never had the size to be an elite MW. But with Canelo it's totally inexcusable. The guy walks around at 170+, maybe even bigger. But hey..... DLH says they're letting the fight... (cough)..... "marinate."

Cinnamon Boy has ripened well enough on the vine of pugilism and should be picked now.

The only people that find the Canelo situation acceptable are GBP. DLH is quite frankly embarrassing nowadays.
You have to blame the governing bodies for allowing it to happen and everyone for putting money above titles.

Hopkins did weigh well under 160lb limit for his big fight against Oscar, did he do the same for Tito?

Originally Posted by Master

Hopkins did weigh well under 160lb limit for his big fight against Oscar, did he do the same for Tito?

Hop was a real gym rat. He stayed pretty close to 160 24/7 in between fights. Always in fight shape. Could be that he started at 175 as a fully grown man and had to in order to maintain 160 but he was one of those anomalies that walked around at the same weight he fought at and could fight 25 rounds.

Originally Posted by IamInuit

Originally Posted by Master

Hopkins did weigh well under 160lb limit for his big fight against Oscar, did he do the same for Tito?

Hop was a real gym rat. He stayed pretty close to 160 24/7 in between fights. Always in fight shape. Could be that he started at 175 as a fully grown man and had to in order to maintain 160 but he was one of those anomalies that walked around at the same weight he fought at and could fight 25 rounds.

That was why he was willing to fight Oscar at 156lb?

Originally Posted by Master

Originally Posted by IamInuit

Originally Posted by Master

Hopkins did weigh well under 160lb limit for his big fight against Oscar, did he do the same for Tito?

Hop was a real gym rat. He stayed pretty close to 160 24/7 in between fights. Always in fight shape. Could be that he started at 175 as a fully grown man and had to in order to maintain 160 but he was one of those anomalies that walked around at the same weight he fought at and could fight 25 rounds.

That was why he was willing to fight Oscar at 156lb?

It may have had to do with watching him be totally out boxed by unknown Sturm too. I never bought Oscar as legit middleweight, that match felt more like a mutual business arrangement, a cash grab, where as Tito demolished a current and future full-fledged middleweight champ.

Cotto and Canelo have blurred the line to the point of glaucoma. I hope Khan is allowed to wear plate armor and knocks Alvarez out

It's a generational thing. Old school fans just have to accept it.

Originally Posted by SlimTrae

It's a generational thing. Old school fans just have to accept it.

It is a new fan thing, old school fans do not care. Boxing is littered with excellent catchweight matches, matches where one fighter comes in 'under weight' and 'contracted weight' fights.

It should also be noted Middleweight has not always had a 160lbs limit, much like today, the match limit was dictated by the champ...

Originally Posted by Britkid

Originally Posted by SlimTrae

It's a generational thing. Old school fans just have to accept it.

It is a new fan thing, old school fans do not care. Boxing is littered with excellent catchweight matches, matches where one fighter comes in 'under weight' and 'contracted weight' fights.

It should also be noted Middleweight has not always had a 160lbs limit, much like today, the match limit was dictated by the champ...

The worst catchweight I can think of was Laila Ali @162lbs against A natural 138lb Christie Martin allowed to weigh in with fatigues and combat boots.

Claiming she was 159lbs. Most claim 145lbs @ best. Christie Martin showed more balls than these guys claiming to be warriors. Floyd said GGG is too big, yet The coal miners daughter fought someone who came in as heavy as 168lbs.
Oh, she lost, but what a trooper to even dare to be great.
Got one more rant. Pacquiao fighting for 154 title with a catchweight... not worthy of being written in as an 8 division champ.
Catchweight champ, sure.....

Originally Posted by SlimTrae

Got one more rant. Pacquiao fighting for 154 title with a catchweight... not worthy of being written in as an 8 division champ.
Catchweight champ, sure.....

The fight was for a title, it was not catchweight, Margarito agreed to come in at 150.

Catchweight fights have to by definition be non title, as the two fighters can weigh what they wish, under the Heavyweight limit (200lbs today).

As for eight division champ; it seems every half decent fighter gets some world title to claim, so to stand out the excellent fighters need lots. I do not think in itself it is much more than padding an already excellent resume.

If you want to see weight class issues watch some unlicensed boxing, I went a few weeks back one fighter was 12 stone his opponent was about 10 stone, the little guy got poleaxed a miss match I went as a friend
of my son's was fighting, to be honest the standard was crap I shall not bother again.

If a smaller fighter wants to chance his arm against a bigger fighter so be it. When a fighter gets dragged down below their regular weight class that to me is completely irresponsible on the part of all concerned.

The fact that governing bodies, promoters, athletic commissions and fighters alike will overlook fighter safety in the name of a buck and a paper title says it all.

Originally Posted by Britkid

Originally Posted by SlimTrae

Got one more rant. Pacquiao fighting for 154 title with a catchweight... not worthy of being written in as an 8 division champ.
Catchweight champ, sure.....

The fight was for a title
.Two guys fighting for a title with a combined record of zero wins at that weight.


, it was not catchweight, Margarito agreed to come in at 150.
That's definition enough for me. In order to a agree someone had to request it. Was it the sanctioning body or Pac and his team?


Catchweight fights have to by definition be non title, as the two fighters can weigh what they wish, under the Heavyweight limit (200lbs today).

Technically speaking doesn't discount the fact that Pac couldn't allow a 154lb title be fought and or weighed based on the division:154-159. Title or no title it wasn't contested based on the weight class.


As for eight division champ; it seems every half decent fighter gets some world title to claim, so to stand out the excellent fighters need lots. I do not think in itself it is much more than padding an already excellent resume.

A resume that showed Pac somehow managed to win Superfeather to Super Welter by coming in on fight night around 138-144 dating back to Morales.
Last I checked there is only two weight classes from 138-145.

Not talking about what he weighed the day before.
Rather... Fight night Pac has weighed the above since 2003 or so....that to me is a catchweight king.