Quote Originally Posted by killersheep View Post
Quote Originally Posted by Bilbo View Post
I think you guys are just covering yourselves in red tape and letting rules and regulations blind you to common sense.

The fact that Manny fought Cotto at 145 really made no difference to our enjoyment of the fight.

The important thing is that the best fight the best where possible not that the rules and regulations of a sanctioning body or the strict traditions of a weight class get fully adhered to.

We are human beings not objects. None of us live permanently and only at one fixed weight who really gives a fuck if Manny and Floyd weigh 145 lbs when they fight or 147 lbs?

As long as it's not detrimental to either fighter to lose more weight than they are safely able to I don't care what weight they fight at, I just want to see the fight.

The weight classes exist to allow smaller fighters to fight for world titles against fighters of their own weight, and thus to recognised as the best in the world in their class.

Manny and Floyd have ALREADY proven themselves the best in the world in their weight class, we don't need a sanctioning belt to tell us that. Both Floyd and Manny have been succesful in multiple weight classes so let them fight at whatever weights they want.

As long as neither fighter is drained I really don't see why anyone gives a shit.
Well the thread topic is about the title and it's relativity to actual weight so yeah. Red tape suits for all!
But the 147 lb limit is the MAX limit not the limit they have to fight at. A fighter can weigh in anywhere between 141 and 147 and its a legit weltweight fight under the rules.

A fighter is free to weighh within those limits but not under 140 and not over 147.

As I said in a previous post when the Cotto Manny fight was announced any agreement between Manny and Floyd about catchweight is seperate from the sanctioning body.

If Floyd agrees to come in at 145 and actually weighs 147 it won't mean the fight gets stopped, he won't have broken any sanctioning body rules and he is free to fight at 147.

However, he will have violated a private contract signed between himself and Manny and under those terms would be bound to meet any penalties owing for infracting that stipulation, most likely a fine or cut of profits.

It was the same with his fight with Marquez. He agreed 145 lbs, he didn't even try and make that weight and instead came in at 147 anyway. The sanctioning body don't care at all as he made weight according to their rules but he had to pay Marquez a couple million dollars for violating their private agreement.

Personally I'm all in favour of fighters having the power to negotiate their own contracts and wieght arrangements. Anything that helps faciliate the process of the big fights being made should be applauded.

It's not the weight classes that make boxing, its the fighters.