We don't need a "bridgerweight" division in boxing

Discussion in 'World Boxing Forum' started by Mario Salomone, Nov 13, 2020.


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  1. Mario Salomone

    Mario Salomone New Member Full Member

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    Nov 13, 2020
    Dear friends, I'm Mario Salomone, from the italian boxing website boxe-mania.com. Since boxing fans are protesting all over the world against the introduction of the bridgerweight division and since we are all sick of these senseless reforms made by the main boxing organizations that are lowering the credibility of the sport, I would like to make our voice count. I have just launched a petition on the famous platform change.org in order to collect the negative opinions of the fans and give a strong signal to Mauricio Sulaiman and to the World Boxing Council. Now I need your help to make the number of signatures grow. If you believe, as I do, that this changement is just another strategy to collect more sanctioning fees and that it could be harmful for boxing, please sign the petition and share it with your friends and relatives. Thanks!

    Here is the english version of the petition: http://chng.it/QgmW2cGp
     
    Mario Salomone, Nov 13, 2020
    Mario Salomone, Nov 13, 2020
    #1
    The Underdog, sasto, lobk and 3 others like this.
  2. catchwtboxing

    catchwtboxing Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    God bless you, but if the WBC sees dollar signs, it is going to happen.

    Love your country, by the way. My favorite place in the would is Aqueduct park in Rome. No tourists...no crowd...no entrance fees. Just quiet, amazing Roman engineering, and a nice little cafe called La Dulce Vida nearby where you can get an expresso or gelato while walking among the giant ruins.

    And Cammerelle should have turned pro.
     
    catchwtboxing, Nov 13, 2020
    catchwtboxing, Nov 13, 2020
    #2
    sasto, Mike_b and SHADAPBLAD like this.
  3. Decker

    Decker Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Hello Mario.
    Let me ask you. If boxe-mania.com was around when the CW division (long overdue IMO) was created did they launch a petition against it?
    If not, why not?

    The CW division was needed a generation ago for the same reason a SCW division is needed now or very soon. The trend in the size of the HW champions continues to get bigger. Therefore I disagree with you. Why not petition to go back to only 8 weight classes? After all light WW, light MW, super MW and others were created "to collect just more sanctioning fees and that it could be harmful for boxing."
     
    Decker, Nov 13, 2020
    Decker, Nov 13, 2020
    #3
  4. El Gallo Negro

    El Gallo Negro Active Member banned Full Member

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    Olyksander Usyk needs to be annointed a two division champion.

    This is the best chance to make that happen. He can go fight a Marco Huck or somebody and get another cheap belt.

    He's certainly not stepping in there with an AJ or a Wilder or whyte
     
    El Gallo Negro, Nov 13, 2020
    El Gallo Negro, Nov 13, 2020
    #4
    chacal likes this.
  5. Mario Salomone

    Mario Salomone New Member Full Member

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    Nov 13, 2020
    Hi Decker.
    First of all, let me clarify that this petition is a personal initiative, nothing to do with my website.

    I can't say what i woud have done in 1979 since I was born in 1989, but I honestly believe that what's happening now is pretty different. The question that we should all make to ourself is: how can we understand if we need a new weight class? In my humble opinion the answer to that question is: when fighters coming from the lower division are almost always unable to compete against the bigger guys, maybe it's time to consider a changement.

    But right now, that's very far from the truth... Many cruiserweight have been able to put on some pounds and to offer to the fans a lot of interesting contests between the heavyweights in the recent past. As I wrote down in the petition, Oleksandr Usyk and Murat Gassiev today are considered very dangerous contenders, but I can make a lot of other examples. Mairis Briedis for intance simply destroyed a big and strong heavyweight like Manuel Charr with one single blow some year ago. Tomasz Adamek schooled Chris Arreola who was very well placed in the heavyweight rankings. David Haye won a world title outboxing the giant Valuev and then destroyed some bigger guys like Ruiz, Harrison and Chisora; I know that he lost against Klitschko, but he was still able to do better than many "real heavyweights" did against the ucranian. Even Marco Huck, who certanly is not my favourite boxer, was able to be highly competitive against a world class heavyweight like Alexander Povetkin losing on points a fight that could go either way.

    What I'm trying to point out is that in this era the fights between big heavyweights and big cruiserweight are very interesting and very often not predictable. Putting between them another weight class, expecially if the other boxing organization will follow the path, would just split the talent: you would see a lot more dull world titles, and you would need to wait even more to see the best guys fight each other. So why should we do that?
     
    Mario Salomone, Nov 14, 2020
    Mario Salomone, Nov 14, 2020
    #5
    The Senator, Boxingfan2, sasto and 4 others like this.
  6. chacal

    chacal F*** the new normal Full Member

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    Oh, man, that comment is sooo mean.
    :roflmao:
    I couldnt help but to laugh my ass off
     
    chacal, Nov 14, 2020
    chacal, Nov 14, 2020
    #6
  7. Pakkuman

    Pakkuman I'm not hot. I'm just BIG. banned Full Member

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    Sulaiman needs that bag, though. Which is the only reason he made the weight class. Come to think of it, the WBC loves Clenelo and Clenelo also made CleneloWeight for 5 fights...
     
    Pakkuman, Nov 14, 2020
    Pakkuman, Nov 14, 2020
    #7
    Jackomano likes this.
  8. Mario Salomone

    Mario Salomone New Member Full Member

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    Nov 13, 2020
    I know, I know. But sometimes you have to fight windmills to feel alive :)

    Since a lot of boxing fans are protesting against this new diabolic plan all over the world on social media and on boxing forums, I just tought that it could be nice to give them the opportunity to officially put on paper their discontent. But I'm perfectly aware of the fact that even if this petition will be subscriped by a lot of people, Sulaiman would just laugh at it and go on. But still, there's no harm in trying.

    Unfortunately he had serious problems with his back so he could not fight in long contests. That's why he didn't take part in the World Series of Boxing as well.
     
    Mario Salomone, Nov 14, 2020
    Mario Salomone, Nov 14, 2020
    #8
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  9. chacal

    chacal F*** the new normal Full Member

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    I will not sign, because I'm against change.org too :goofy:

    But certainly I dont like the idea of having this new division. For no special reasons, I dont know, I dont like it. I dont feel that it is necessary, I've not missed this division as a fan, hence, I dont know why should it be created.

    Imho, we are good as we are.
     
    chacal, Nov 14, 2020
    chacal, Nov 14, 2020
    #9
    Jackomano likes this.
  10. Jackomano

    Jackomano Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    This. Mauricio Sulaimán and his father are completely full of it. A few days ago I read his very flawed argument where he says that there has been a linear progression in the weight of heavyweight champions, which isn’t entirely true.

    In his list of 20th century champions I noticed he didn’t include Jess Willard (238) or Carnera (260), who were as big or bigger than any of the 21st century champions he listed. Also, for his 21st Century champions list I don’t see Byrd (210), David Haye (217), or Roy Jones jr. (193), since they don’t support his agenda.

    Here is Mauricio Sulaimán’s very slanted take on the evolution of the heavyweight division.

    “The major division, the heavyweight means the maximum glory. The world heavyweight champion has traditionally been recognized as the most important athlete in the world, the invincible, the gladiator. The heavyweight world champion, initially started at 176 pounds;

    Analyzing the following data , it is clearly shown that in the 20th century there were champions with weights well below the current weights in the heavyweight division :

    Jack Dempsey: 187 lbs
    Gene Tunney: 189 lbs
    Max Schmelling: 188 lbs
    Jack Sharkey: 205 lbs
    Max Baer: 209 lbs
    Jim Braddock: 193 lbs
    Joe Louis: 197 lbs
    Ezzard Charles: 181 lbs
    Joe Walcott Jersey: 194 lbs
    Rocky Marciano: 184 lbs
    Floyd Patterson: 182 lbs
    Ingemar Johannson: 196 lbs
    Sonny Liston: 214 lbs
    Muhammad Ali: 210 lbs
    Joe Frazier: 205 lbs
    George Foreman: 217 lbs
    Leon Spinks: 197 lbs
    Larry Holmes: 209 lbs
    Michael Spinks: 200lbs
    Mike Tyson: 221 lbs
    Buster Douglas: 231 lbs
    Evander Holyfield: 208 lbs
    Riddick Bowe: 235 lbs
    Lennox Lewis: 235 lbs

    Now in the 21st century, we see the different weights on the heavyweight division

    Hassim Rahman: 238 lbs
    Lennox Lewis: 253 lbs.
    Oleg Maskiev: 238 lbs
    Samuel Peter: 250 lbs
    Vitaly Klitschko: 247 lbs
    Bermane Stiverne: 239 lbs
    Deontay Wilder: 219 lbs
    Tyson Fury: 273 lbs

    We have decided to create a new division, called “Bridger,” as it is the necessary bridge to serve the large number of boxers who are between 200 and 224 pounds. This name is inspired by that hero of humanity, that 6-year-old boy who during the pandemic heroically saved his 4-year-old sister from an attack by a wild dog…Yes, this new division is inspired by Bridger Walker!
    https://fightnews.com/a-new-weight-division-bridgerweight/91603
     
    Jackomano, Nov 14, 2020
    Jackomano, Nov 14, 2020
    #10
    Boxingfan2 and The Underdog like this.
  11. JCC

    JCC Member Full Member

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    The fact that today heavyweights are bigger does not imply that a separate category has to be created; you need a new category only if there is an evidence that these “new” bigger men have a physical advantage over the traditional “near 200 pounds”; but this would imply, for example, recognizing that the more traditional heavyweights, for example those of the “golden age” in the 70s (which were typically nothing more than cruisers without dehydration), could not compete with these "super heavyweights". I am sure this is a statement that few would subscribe.
     
    JCC, Nov 14, 2020
    JCC, Nov 14, 2020
    #11
  12. Richmondpete

    Richmondpete Real fighters do road work Full Member

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    creating titles so that more guys can pick up belts is exactly what has watered down the sport
     
    Richmondpete, Nov 14, 2020
    Richmondpete, Nov 14, 2020
    #12
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  13. It's Ovah

    It's Ovah I am very feel me good. Full Member

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    Reference to Cervantes or Deontays?
     
    It's Ovah, Nov 14, 2020
    It's Ovah, Nov 14, 2020
    #13
    Mario Salomone likes this.
  14. HolDat

    HolDat Well-Known Member Full Member

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    HolDat, Nov 14, 2020
    HolDat, Nov 14, 2020
    #14
    Jackomano likes this.
  15. ILikeBoxingForRealz

    ILikeBoxingForRealz Active Member Full Member

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    Not only is it not needed, but the title of the division "Bridgerweight" is just not ringing with people I've talked to about it. Terrible name for a division
     
    ILikeBoxingForRealz, Nov 14, 2020
    ILikeBoxingForRealz, Nov 14, 2020
    #15
    Jackomano likes this.
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