Why is being a 'insert x' division world champion a compliment?

That's one man. Do we actually know how many fighters have made those specific jumps on a championship level?

 

Rigo couldn't handle 8 pounds against Loma. He looked a 11 year old dwarf. Tapia couldn't handle 8 pounds against Barrera, MAB looked like goliath.

 

There was alot more to both of these fights than just weight discrepancy. I'm still wondering what the data bears out.

Tapia had already won a featherweight title before facing MAB and he was in his mid 30s fighting an elite up and comer.

Rigo was possibly 40+ fighting the top p4p fighter in the world in the middle of his prime

 

I 100% disagree with examples like this -- particularly Loma. These guys go up multiple weight class before the tiny differences start mattering.

135 to 140 for Loma is not huge because 5 lb is huge, it's huge because he's already come up from 126.

They experience the cumulative effects of fighting multiple weight classes above their levels. They can compensate for it to a degree, but eventually they reach the tipping point.

Having weight classes separated by a couple pounds is ******ed.

 

If you cant appreciate the physical prowess of the highest performing athletes and Arnold era bodybuilders you're probably Andy Ruiz jr

 

It's not. Actually, it's harder to go up from 120 to 135. Diminishing returns and all.

There's at least 10 WW champs who've been elite MWs and/or champions, whereas I can't think of any BW champs who've been elite LWs.

 

Going from 120 to 135 would be harder than going from 147 to 160. It's a 15 pound difference vs a 13 pound difference.

 

Because winning a championship in 1 weight class is hard as it is, because you have to beat the champion of the talent pool the size of your division. Assume 2000 top pros at WW, you have to beat the champ on that 2000.

Now to claim another title, not only do you give up weight advantage you previous had, but you also have to beat another champion of that talent pool. So now in theory you’re the best of 4000 competitors.

Which is why it’s such a big deal for guys like Inoue to go up and face Donaire, Chocolatito has to stop going up, Mikey got shown up when he went up in weight. To do it for 2-3 divisions is very impressive for the most part. Any more than that and you’re usually looking at an ATG provided they’ve actually fought top opponents as they went up.

 

Pac, JMM? Not elite LW resume but they were definitely elite LWs, as well as elite BW.

 

I think historically FW to LW was one of the toughest climbs to make if I recall, just by sheer amount that failed vs succeeded - mentioned by Larry Merchant on one of the telecasts.

CW to HW May possibly and logically be the hardest too.

 

Marquez and Pac never fought at BW.

 

The power difference is more pronounced in the lighter weights, has there been an instance of a weight gain of more than 5 pounds between weigh in and fight night in any weight up to lightweight?

 

He had multiple title defenses at 122, that’s bantam, well super bantam. And tbh he made an even greater jump as he came from FlyW so the logic behind BW to LW is the weight jump, that weight jump is covered in the jump from Fly to LW.

I thought JMM started at 122 but it seems it was FW.