Hi all, I've just started boxing again, I'm 25, nt boxed since 16, and I was just wondering what the average height of welterweights and light welterweights were, and also the average reach. I used to box at lightweight, I'm still 5"7 as I was then, but have filled out a bit, I'm currently 69kg, but I carrying a bit of fat on the mid drift, about enuf to pinch wi thumb and finger, I've got good power, my reach is 71", I no I can slim probs 10-14lbs off the belly, my question is would I b better to stick at welter where I no my powers gud or slim up so I've gt more of a size advantage, any advice much appreciated
It makes no sense when people say stuff like this. Everybody is different. If I told you you're too short for welter but you didn't feel comfortable at any other weight what good is that to you? Find a weight you feel you perform best at and stay at that weight whatever weight division that puts you in.
Ok thanks guna try trimming the fat, getting dwn to light welter, if I felt better at welter I cn always put the weight back on in muscle mass, thanks
I don't think there's a formula for optimal height/weight. Like Virus suggest, everyone's different - too many factors to consider. I think as a rule of thumb, most people will say try to get to the lowest weight possible, naturally. I'm 5 8, and compete at 139 (light-welter). I only drop 3 or 4 pounds to get to that weight. Oddly enough, most of my opponents are still taller than me even at this weight. FFS - i fought a guy that was 6'5 at 139 - but that's pretty rare. I'm gonna drop to 132 - lightweight this year and see how that goes. Only problem is, I might not be able to look at myself in the mirror. BTW - you suggested that you feel more powerful at a higher weight. If anything, the opposite is true. The main idea behind cutting weight is to fight smaller and presumably less powerful guys. So you shouldn't be concerned about sacrificing power, unless you are losing weight in muscle, or extreme dehydration. Getting lean and losing fat has 0 effect on power/strength. If anything, it should benefit your stamina and allow you to hit harder in later rounds than a fatter version of you.
It depends on you obviously, it's like somebody saying to Thomas Hearns your too tall for Welter, or saying that Sam Langford was too short for heavyweight
yeah, everybody is different, and it depends on how you feel comfortable fighting, too. If you like to box long from the outside and work off the jab, it behoves you to be tall for your weight class. I was 5'8'' and boxed from 118 to 130 lbs, but had much more success at the higher end of that even though I was no longer very tall, absorbing punishment better and being more "solid" at the weight. When I get over 140 I think I get tired more quickly and welterweights in general seem to hit hard enough to trouble my chin and break my nose, so I always liked 130. If you can take the shots and are defensively responsible, the higher weight guys really are a bit slower, so you don't need to think as fast. height isn't everything.
Aramini, i see what your saying about me losing weight n gaining power, as long as it's fat I'm losing, which it is, so my speed also increase should it not? This is why I posted, coz I was worried that I would struggle against true welterweights, which I now think I would, and coz the bit o fat I'm holdin (it's not a lot) but it's making me unable to compensate with speed, Defo Gunna cut dwn to light welter, making sure I only lose the fat though, hopefully it'll make me a bit shaper as well, thanks for the info n comparisons to your own boxing experience has reallyconfirmed that putting the effort into dropping a weight is Defos worth it
