Let me clarify, this isn't a Calzaghe vs Hopkins "WHO WON?" debate, but I started thinking about how/why Hopkins' 175 lb title was ever on the line in a fight contracted at 170 lbs. I figured you have to move up to a weight class in order to actually win that title. This is in no way trying to take Joe's accomplishment away from him, I'm a giant Hopkins fan and had no problem with the decision going to Joe. Just trying to figure out the semantics of a title fight taking place for a fight 5 pounds below it's own weight class. I figured the fight was non-title since it was at 170, if Joe really wanted the belt couldn't they have fought at 175? Thoughts? Also, is Calzaghe vs Jones at 170, or 175? Is that for the title, and again, if so, HOW?
What the hell are you talking about?The fight wa at 175,they both weighed 173..damn get you'r facts right!
Not only that, but it was for the Ring Magazine belt. Also, even the org. belts can be up for grabs in a catchweight bout. Hopkins fought Hoya at a catchweight of 158 and the belts were on the line.
Even if it was at 170, the title would have been on the line. As long as they were a pound over 168, they would have been considered Lightheavyweights. The Ring mag title is meaningless at 175, however. It's not the Linear championship nor the undisputed championship anymore.
Thanks, I guess with Pavlik vs Taylor at 166, vs Hopkins at 170, Jones vs Tito at 170, I got mixed up. These guys need to cut this catchweight bull**** out and fight in actual weight classes.
158 is middleweight (under 160) The catchweight part was a private agreement between the boxers. If Bernard had come in at 160, he would NOT have been penalized by the belt orgs.
No. So your telling me that if after Roy Jones moved up and won the title from John Ruiz, he could've fought a Heavyweight Title fight with Antonio Tarver at an agreed upon weight of 174lbs????? I'm not buying it. There is a minimum and maximum to each weight division :deal
There's a maximum. As far as I know, there's no minimum. Joe could have defended the WBA belt he won from Ruiz at 193 (same wt he won it). Tarver might have had trouble getting the bout sanctioned as he wasn't a leading contender for the heavywt title. (Not that that seems to matter much nowadays. Holy got a completely undeserved shot at the title recently while being outside the top 20. And apparently, he's getting yet another shot, having done nothing since then and still being well outside the top 20.) But if Chris Byrd had shallenged for Roy's heavywt title and the bout had been sanctioned (quite likely), Byrd could have weighed in at any weight he chose.
he could have fought for the heavyweight title at 174 if taver would have been ranked by the org and the fight was agreed with the org. when the fight is aranged as long as you come in under the limit then you are fine
