The world title situation

[:::PSL:::]

I don't see the big problem with catchweights. The most important thing is the fighters agree to fight not the title or weightclass. The agreed upon weight is meant to make the contest more of an even playing field. So if both fighters can comfortably meet the requirements what's the problem?

Catchweights have been around forever. It's not a modern phenomenon (Both fighters take risks in catchweight bouts - Boxing - ESPN)

Pacquiao seems to be unfairly targeted as the catchweight bully yet just in recent times we've had another "great" fighter - Bernard Hopkins - recording some of his best wins at a catchweight - Winky and Pavlik 170. I don't think history will focus on Hopkins dragging naturally smaller men way above their optimum fighting weight just that he scored a great win.

all that is true dude and a good point with hopkins

was the pac cotto fight for the wbo welterweight champ?

if so has pac really been welterweight world champion when the fight wasnt really at welterweight?

i personally think the answer is no

if they asked wlad to fight pac at 12 stone and if pac won would he be heavyweight world champ?

You do understand that 147 lbs is the welterweight limit right? Which means anyone can still be fighting as ww even if they are at 141.

[erics44]

I don't see the big problem with catchweights. The most important thing is the fighters agree to fight not the title or weightclass. The agreed upon weight is meant to make the contest more of an even playing field. So if both fighters can comfortably meet the requirements what's the problem?

Catchweights have been around forever. It's not a modern phenomenon (Both fighters take risks in catchweight bouts - Boxing - ESPN)

Pacquiao seems to be unfairly targeted as the catchweight bully yet just in recent times we've had another "great" fighter - Bernard Hopkins - recording some of his best wins at a catchweight - Winky and Pavlik 170. I don't think history will focus on Hopkins dragging naturally smaller men way above their optimum fighting weight just that he scored a great win.

all that is true dude and a good point with hopkins

was the pac cotto fight for the wbo welterweight champ?

if so has pac really been welterweight world champion when the fight wasnt really at welterweight?

i personally think the answer is no

if they asked wlad to fight pac at 12 stone and if pac won would he be heavyweight world champ?

You do understand that 147 lbs is the welterweight limit right? Which means anyone can still be fighting as ww even if they are at 141.

yep i understand your dudeness

and if cotto and the wbo agreed then who am i to argue

i suppose it wasnt a massive difference to make the fight a farce

[Fenster]

I don't see the big problem with catchweights. The most important thing is the fighters agree to fight not the title or weightclass. The agreed upon weight is meant to make the contest more of an even playing field. So if both fighters can comfortably meet the requirements what's the problem?

Catchweights have been around forever. It's not a modern phenomenon (Both fighters take risks in catchweight bouts - Boxing - ESPN)

Pacquiao seems to be unfairly targeted as the catchweight bully yet just in recent times we've had another "great" fighter - Bernard Hopkins - recording some of his best wins at a catchweight - Winky and Pavlik 170. I don't think history will focus on Hopkins dragging naturally smaller men way above their optimum fighting weight just that he scored a great win.

all that is true dude and a good point with hopkins

was the pac cotto fight for the wbo welterweight champ?

if so has pac really been welterweight world champion when the fight wasnt really at welterweight?

i personally think the answer is no

if they asked wlad to fight pac at 12 stone and if pac won would he be heavyweight world champ?

That's a poor example dude. Has Wlad ever seen 12 stone? Probably popped out his mummy around that weight. If Pac did fight Wlad though I think it's highly doubtful Wlad's china-chin would stay solid through a Pac attack.

AS for Cotto-Pac. The silly WBO said it was for the welterweight title. Cotto, the WBO champion, agreed to the fight, so Pacster became the WBO "world" champion. It's pretty simple.

[Tysonbruno]

I understand Pavlik and Winky coming to 170lbs but i think it makes a difference when a fighter is having to work even harder to come down in weight it weakens fighters. It is Cottos and Margarito's fault i suppose for agreeing to this but at same time if Pacquiao wants to fight for Welterweight and Light Middleweight titles then let your opponent weigh what he wants as long as he weighs no more than 147lbs or 154lbs. I think even though there fighting inside the weight limit if there not using the governing bodies 147lbs or 154lbs limit then shouldn't be for a world title.

[JazMerkin]

Manny Pacquiao is the ONLY man to have lineal claims in 4 divisions. That's pretty special however you want to spin it. The only fighters with lineal titles in even 3 divisions are Sugar Ray Leonard, Henry Armstrong, Floyd Mayweather & Oscar De La Hoya.

So really, even if you want to dismiss alphabets from the argument, Manny Pacquiao has already set new records. If he was to fight & beat Mayweather, he would have 5 lineal titles (as Mayweather is considered to either already have the lineal title or a fight with Pac #1 v #2 would qualify). The fact is he also beat Clottey at the 147 limit so it's not like he never fought there, even if his tactics against Cotto were a little underhand.

[generalbulldog]

Everyone has made some good points. If it's for some meaningless ABC strap, I don't really care for the catchweights, just the fight being made. But for the lineal and legitimate title I do think it should be at the full weight limit. So I don't really care if Pac is fighting Cotto for the ABC-XYZ welterweight title, but if it's against Floyd it should be at the full 147 limit, because that fight will determine who is the man at the division and the mythological title of p4p best.