Catchweight : boxer who drains his opponents to come down in weight than the original weight limit of the weight class
Catchweights more often than not are set a couple pounds above the weight division which the "A-side" star fighter regularly competes at, so as to not have to commit so much energy in shedding all the way down. Example: Canelo, 155 lbs. People act like he was fighting boxers who competed at 160. It was Lara, Angulo, Kirkland; specifically junior middleweights, as Canelo was himself. History of boxing filled with it. Plenty and for a good period I'd say even most of past great champions only ever fought at their known division in their title fights. Rarely is it actually used for stars to move up and drain down their opponent from the new division of competition.
Julio Caesar Chavez Jr. is the catchweight king. He doesn't drain his opponents but if he is the star fighter, he comes in at whatever weight he wants and his opponent has to adjust to him.
Absolutely this,the key word being A side as it’s only the giants of the sport that can stipulate such nonsense. This is something Canelo fans fail to understand when they suggest why Golovkin couldn’t anyone he pleased. For the rest of Boxing fraternity they have to make a living by fighting and getting ranked in a particular division.
Golovkin definitely could have made fights with all of his Middleweight opponents at 161 pounds (as Canelo did his JMW opponents at 155) if he wanted to. Hell, he just did it with Rolls.
Catchweights have been around forever. For example, Jimmy Mclarnin fought several of his most notable bouts as catchweights, in the late 30s.
Paul Smith Jr was the catchweight king, but for different reasons! only because he was a fat b*stard and didn't want to make 168 or even 175!
Pacquiao gets so much undeserved hate. Pacquiao weighed in 138 against Hatton and Cotto weighed in 146 against Clottey, then Cotto fights Pac at 145 and people say Pac had the advantage. Then Margo fought him at 150lbs only 1 year later and people still hate. Then Pac fought Floyd at the full 147 limit even though he was much smaller. Oscar made Pac move up 2 weightclasses to 147 while Oscar had weighed 150 in his previous fight.
