Well he started winning titles at 130 so it's a long long way up. Cutting to the chase tho he had two fights there in his life. In his first he beat an undefeated Felix Sturm and in his second he was beaten by one of the greatest middleweights in history. Hopkins was slowly on the slide at 160 but he was still fighting at a pretty decent level.
A) Because he had already made several weight jumps. At middleweight, he no longer had the size advantage over his opponents that he usually enjoyed. B) By that time he was worth over 100 Million Dollars, and was no longer hungry.
This. I think there was funny business involved getting him down below 147 to be honest but a career of fighting welterweights and lightweights I’m sure it’s hard to adapt. Especially when he was a part-time fighter at that point.
It was a combination of things with Oscar. I think he wanted the big competition. but his choices were wrong as far as weight. He struggled as he got older and got washed up a little, but still put on good fights. A younger Oscar might have done ok at middleweight. But everything was his left hand.. If that did not work, he would not be as effective.