It's harmless waterweight. There are 200-190lbs fighters at 155lbs in the UFC. 7lbs is nothing today with the methods used.
Why did you say "Ward was more of a SMW" when we are talking about Foster? SMWs today are as big as LHWs from yesterday.
I disagree. We have to at least entertain the idea that making 168 could weaken him because he was already cutting weight to make 175; it's not at all the same as McClellan coming down from 190, even if that particular rumor were true. To answer the OP, I think Foster could hold the belts for a very long time, but I doubt very much he goes undefeated.
\ He was cutting weight in a different era today the average fighter is cutting thereabouts of 20lbs. 7lbs is nothing.
You're playing a little too fast and loose with your assumptions for my liking. There is no proof that Foster, himself, was not coming down from 20 pounds above light heavyweight, especially in his 30's when he was champion. Modern techniques might have facilitated an easier cut, but everyone reacts differently to making weight. We mustn't merely suppose that earlier eras automatically make for smaller fighters. Bob Foster probably could make super middleweight today, but it wouldn't put him in the same size category as Andre Ward, for example. The first two years of Ward's career was at 160 with his fight night weight being no higher than 170 (look up Kolle and Molina).
I am sorry but Bob never weighed over 188lbs as a HW with no restrictions to his eating he had to actually bulk lol and even then couple of months later he'd be coming in UNDER the LHW limit. Cutting 20lbs of water just wasn't in the cards in the era. I don't think you understand how cutting is done these days.
Same argument as saying would be bigger today on PEDs or w/e bull****. He was what he was and his ass would be a 168/175.
Fighters prefer to go down not up. Which is why our LHWs are 185+ and scared of cruiser and our CWS are 210-220 ect. Bob could go as low as 160 without breaking a sweat. The LWs today are 150+ on average.
If you want to prove that weigh in rules were the only issue, go figure out if fighters were dropping down one or two weightclasses when the rules changed. I don't think you'll like the answer.
Losing actual weight with a little sweat is entirely different then drying out by 30lbs and being Godzilla amongst Geckos. Show me a few examples of a fighter drying out 25lbs before the rule change?
Foster coming in at 188 means he cut less weight, not none. I'm not sure whether you're implying he gained more muscle mass for his camp for Frazier, but he certainly would not have bulked up, as you put it, as he was light heavyweight champion at that time. And I believe he already had a scheduled defense going in because he was under pressure to defend within a period of a few months. There's no secret to weight cutting, by the way. Yes, great strides have been made that allow for more weight to be cut in less time, but that's not the point. The point is that fighters' weights, in any era, more often than not, represent the lowest their bodies can function in a fight. There's no telling what kind of strain draining additional weight will have on Bob Foster.