Simply put, the current heavyweight division is too generous with their allowable weight differential. Why is most every other division split into closely related weight differential except Heavyweight? I propose the following to help "even the playing field" and ensure more "genetically even matched fights" like almost every other division. -Heavyweight is anyone weighing 201 - 225 pounds -Super Heavyweight is anyone weighing 226-250 pounds So 24 pound is the most differential. from 251 pounds and up it goes by 49 pound differential... -Titanweight is anyone weighing 251 - 300 pounds. -Super Titanweight is anyone weighing 301 - 350 pounds. Imagine the fights this simple and much needed change to the divisions would generate. Look at the facts here on the different divisions and weight class rules: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weight_class_%28boxing%29 This line from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cruiserweight_(boxing) really hits home with the truth about it all... "The division was established in order to accommodate smaller heavyweight boxers who could not compete with the growing size of boxers in that division. While many great heavyweight champions (such as [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocky_Marciano"]Rocky Marciano[/ame] and [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Louis"]Joe Louis[/ame]) weighed around 190 pounds in their career, during the 1970s it became fairly standard that heavyweight boxers weighed 220 pounds or 230 pounds. It was felt by many boxing authorities that asking men weighing between 176 pounds and 190 pounds to fight these larger men was unfair." So, a man who weighed 190 and was asked to fight a man who weighed 220 is considered unfair? That's a 30 pound weight differential. Well last nights "Heavyweight Showdown" had a man weighing 213 (Haye) and 243 (Wladimir). That's an exact 30 pound differential that was deemed unfair in 1970's. What do you all think? I personally find it absurd that a man who weighs 201 could theoretically fight a man weighing 250 and it's considered a "fair fight" in the Heavyweight division? C'mon....:deal
atsch Actually they need to get rid of CW, there would be far more decent HWs if half of them weren't fighting at CW, Hell Adamek has already beaten a top 5 guy in Arreola.
Holyfield was the same weight as Haye in his prime. Holyfield competed well against Bowe and Lewis. And if he were in his prime today he'd compete well with Klitschkos. Haye just wasn't good enough.
I do soooo not agree with this. Heavyweight should always remain the "open class", the "kings of boxing" without weight limits. The thing what a lot of the fans of the lower weighing heavy's are trying to do is put the biggest and strongest away in a new class so their guys can become "the heavyweight champion of the world" without having to face them. Why not upscale the cruiserweight division to 210, how 'bout that?! :hey No wait, then they still want to fight in the HEAVYWEIGHT division, because there's were the money and the fame is! And for the Wlad vs Haye weightdifference... Haye chose to be 213, he didn't have to come in that light, but it would have hindered his running :deal
If anything boxing needs less weight divisions, the current setup with people collecting trinkets moving up and down weights as they please is what is killing boxing next to mma.
Boxing needs to shed divisions (115, 122, 130), not add new ones. I agree the weights are outdated, but watering down the HW division even further seems like a very poor idea. If Haye were good enough, the size difference wouldn't have been a problem.
Holyfield sounds punch drunk. Using Holyfield as an example of why things should stay as they are in terms of weight classes seems a bit counter-productive.