Quote Originally Posted by bzkfn View Post
I'm sticking to my guns o this. If it's for the WBC 154 title, the contracted weight should be 154. They signed for a catchweight when the belt wasn't on the line. Now it is, so if you want to be a world champion at light-middleweight, then the stipulated weight should be just that!
I would have said that doesn't make any rational sense. But for the WBC, there has to be a contract because they removed the weigh-in protections from their rules. Before there is no need to have a "contracted" weight, as long as they are fighting up to the division weight limit. The purpose of a contracted weight is provide leverage over the advantaged larger fighter. That application hasn't changed.

The boxing commissions already have rules in place to protect the fighters at the weight class limit but the 24-30 hour weigh-in rules will hopefully start to change. Massachusetts State Athletic Commission is leading the way in it's young life. They approved double weigh-ins for the MMA last year temporarily and will move to introduce legislation make it permanent. The cap is set at 1.0625 for the second weigh-in that a fighter is allowed to gain. Example, a fighter contracted to fight at 135 pounds can’t come in higher than 143.4375 pounds on fight night. California started in this direction back in 2005 after the Gatti vs Gamache fight, but dropped into the background in order to let other states take the lead in providing evidence that the current unfair practice is unsafe. There is really only two states that can look into this from a medical perspective and that is Texas and Nevada. I wouldn't expect anything unless the esteemed Senator McCain gets his Boxing Act through for a National Boxing Commission.

Personally I don't "think" this the cap makes boxing any safer and "feel" it's actually counter productive toward safety. In the spirit of fairness and the out of respect for safety they should have same day weigh-ins and remove the temptation for "qualifying" to fight at the lower classes to gain an advantage.