The Little Guys

[Peter Som]

There seems to be little(no pun intended) recognition and exposure below 120 lbs. Naturally so, the fighters are typically shorter and admittedly it looks a little awkward at times. But recently I've been turned on to a lot of really exciting small fighters. First two that come to mind are Roman Gonzalez and Nonito Donaire.

What are the reasons for this? Is it because it's just a relatively new division? Are people just turned off by the smaller fighters? Is it just boxing politics?

Any insight into the matter would be greatly appreciated.

[CutMeMick]

For some time there was this belief that there was no excitement and no big KO's...
This was the general sensus more so around the time Tyson was up and coming.

Thanks to fighters like Ricardo Lopez, Humberto Gonzalez & Michael Carbajal people began to see that this was not the case. Lopez fought on a lot of the undercards with Tyson.

I've always said and will continue to stand by my feelings that lower weight boxers should be rated slightly different than the rest. Heres why. While other division fighters have careers with 30 to 40+ fights the smaller guys have more of 20 to 30 fights. Which is why you see in the lower weights guys with records of 12-1 getting title shots or 19-3 guys defending their title for the 3rd time. Because their careers move along faster.

Just something I've observed over the years...

[beenKOed]

There seems to be little(no pun intended) recognition and exposure below 120 lbs. Naturally so, the fighters are typically shorter and admittedly it looks a little awkward at times. But recently I've been turned on to a lot of really exciting small fighters. First two that come to mind are Roman Gonzalez and Nonito Donaire.

What are the reasons for this? Is it because it's just a relatively new division? Are people just turned off by the smaller fighters? Is it just boxing politics?

Any insight into the matter would be greatly appreciated.

I have always liked the smaller guys myself, they always have the more action packed fights.
Fists flying so fast it's hard to keep up with the action, round after round, you see less and less of that as you move up in weight.
My biggest complaint has always been the lack of exposure the smaller guys get, especially in the the US. It's getting a little better now that boxing--in the US--is having problems producing quality heavyweights but the lighter weights will never get the same attention as the heavier weights.
I've always wanted to see the small guys, consistently, on the same cards with the big guys but that does not happen as much as it should, in my opinion.
Everybody loves the heavyweights--me too--but the little guys offer a lot more action per round, guaranteed!

[greynotsoold]

In my estimation, the smaller fighters generally exhibit a higher level of skill than the big guys because they are so much faster and busier.

[Master]

Agreed smaller fighters are better in every department and the fights are more competitive and action packed p4p. I think this is why their careers are over quicker. They do not get the mainstream attention from boxing fans, never mind the public because they may be seen as a novelty and inferior because they are so small and weigh as much as a teenager.

I loved Lopez, Gonzales, Carbajal, Sot Chitlada, Sun Kil Moon and the Galaxy brothers but only because they were shown on TV.

[Beanflicker]

I think it's a lot harder for the little guys to "break through" because men generally don't have as much respect for guy's that small. A large part of boxing and fight sports has always been the spectacle. We looked at guys like Mike Tyson, George Foreman, Sonny Liston, Joe Louis, Jack Dempsey, ect in awe of their size and power. With all due respect to those guys, it's hard to get that same kind of awe when you're the size of an average woman. When you start dipping below that average male size, you start losing the respect of the average man. It sounds cruel but it's just a fact.

I can't tell you how many times I've been at a bar or with friends and a fight came on the TV with two 120lb guys fighting, and everyone just started snickering and making jokes. I think you really have to be a killer at that weight to "break through".


But yeah as a boxing fan, I agree that the lighter weights provide a certain level of speed and skill that you're simply not going to find north of 160.

[Peter Som]

@CutMeMick: Thank you. Is it because the division is so sparse that their careers are short? Is it lack of promotion and funding as well? All of the above? Either way, I agree. One of my favorite bantemweights to watch so far is Orlando Canizales.

@beenKOed: Word sir.

@greynotsoold: This makes logical sense. The skills exhibited at these lower weights are underrated. Some of the footwork is immaculate!

@Master: An unfortunate reality.

@Beanflicker: All of the above. As I've said earlier, it's a sad reality. Smaller men wont get the same respect as the bigger guys. It makes a lot of sense, boxing, as you said, feeds off the spectacle, the larger than life characters and grit that can only be seen and tested in the ring. You just don't think about that when you think about smaller fighters. Hopefully this is only temporary. It'll be a very slow build, to be sure, but I'm certain that one day boxing will be glorious once more, and the smaller divisions will finally be recognized!

[Mars_ax]

Hardcore boxing fans, tend to like pugs in all weight divisions, but casual boxing fans and/or fans who only watch certain fights and fighters are fickle.

[mightyfighter]

Set up Viloria vs Gonzalez, get HBO or Showtime to pick it up and then it'll bring a little bit more attention

[Beanflicker]

I do think if you have a charismatic guy like Donaire who is KTFOing people left and right, he can certainly break through.