Did fighters of the past make so much weight????

well sometimes they wieghed them in the ring so there wasnt this big thing if they made or didnt make wieght it wasnt as strict as it is now

 

The old timers usualy had to weigh in imidiately before the fight which meant that they youlf not dehydrate themselves and then put the weight back on in the next 12 hours.

Having said that they often did dehydrate and purge themselves to make weight and paid the price for it in the ring. Alternatively if they needed to gain weight they would drink gallons of water.

 

There was a time when boxers weighed in just before a match, inside the ring. Joe Gans had to make the then LW limit of 133 pounds (his gear included) just before his first scheduled 45 rounder with Nelson in Goldfield. There were other bouts where the same stipulation was in place.

When that isn't the requirement, boxers frequently dehydrate for a weigh-in, then rehydrate before the match. An early point of contention in originally arranging a match between Hagler and SRL was the insistence from Leonard's camp that Hagler likewise weigh in at the MW limit for fight time itself. They objected to the notion of an early weigh-in, on the grounds that Marv would actually enter the ring weighing around 168.

Willard and Johnson were weighed on a scale brought into the ring just before their match in Havana, but an early weigh-in was applied for Dempsey/Willard. To favorably influence the odds, Kearns had Dempsey artificially inflate his weight by gorging himself on milk and bananas. While Dempsey certainly felt bloated at the weigh-in, his temporary bump in weight had the desired effect, as he officially was recorded as weighing 188. But this was only a momentary increase in weight, and his authentic weight at fightime was around 180.

For Duran's second match with SRL in New Orleans, Roberto weighed in at the WW limit of 147, and then had some food and fluid before fight time. Duran's actual weight when he entered the ring was 240 pounds. After Leonard won the bout, Duran went to the bathroom and instantly lost 90 pounds, clogging the toilets in the Superdome for the only time before Hurricane Katrina.

 

Do you have the real figures?

 

I've heard this story before and i don't buy it. To me it sounds just like another story to make the David/Goliath effect even bigger.

Fact of the matter is that Dempsey weighed around 190 pounds before and after this fight.

Those promoters always have a very creative mind when it comes to stories that will lead to popularity or attention.

Of course, Dempsey's promoter will not be so happy to tell the story where they promised Harry Wills a title shot if he beat some guy, and when he did, of course he didn't receive his shot.

 

No, I just made a very conservative estimate. But to look at Roberto today, it appears that he's been constipated since the Camacho rematch. I didn't want to be anywhere near Canastota for induction weekend this year, because I was afraid he might drink a glass of prune juice to celebrate.

 

Well, Kearns did admit to using cement on Dempsey's handwrappings.