How many weight divisions should there be?

The original eight plus cruiser.

 

The original 8 plus Minimumweight and Cruiserweight

 

x 2

 

I don't believe number of weight-classes is the problem, it's the number of belts. If You follow boxing and look at top 10 in each weight-class, there are great match-ups to be made in each division from Strawweight to Heavyweight.
I don't understand the problem to be honest. It gives people of every size and body type to find a division best suited for him where He can compete with people close to his size. If someone wants to challange himself, He can always move up.

...I'd keep it as it is, just remove the Bridgerweight since it's a bit nonsensical (Probably 90% of Heavyweights could make it, They just don't because it's not worth it for them or are lazy so don't want to diet) and maybe bring back all Cruiserweight and bump up the "new one" 5-10 pounds.
Light Heavy: 175.
Holyweight: 190
Cruiserweight: 210
Heavyweight: 210+

...even 4 belts wouldn't be a big problem if those organizations were honest, but that's another story.

 

Has to be the right answer.

 

I think they can eliminate cruiserweight if they are going to do "day before weigh in" shenanigans. Cruisers of today are essentially heavyweights. A "cruiserweight" today can be 210-220 pounds in the ring. How is that any different from a prime Sonny Liston or Muhammad Ali or Mike Tyson, all who were between 210-220 in their prime? If cruiser was 176-199 on fight night as it was intended to be, keep the division. If not, scrap it.

And I think same day weigh ins for all divisions should be the norm.

 

I agree with this.

But I'd make the divisions heavier, to better reflect the current era.

It could look something like this:
Heavy 220+
Cruiser 200-220
Light heavy 180-200
Middle 160-180
Welter 145-160
Lightweight 135-145
Feather 135-145
Banta 130-135
Fly 125-130

And as other mentioned: Only one world championship (& regional championships) per division & fight day weigh ins.

 

Minimumweight definitely shouldn't be included. It's been the most thinly talented class in boxing since its existence. Even 108 has double the participants and it has the second lowest total.

Personally, I think the classes should be molded around good scientific data, as in, what's healthy for most while not watering down the talent pool. 17 divisions is absolutely too much though and is one of the most ignored factors for why we don't get many of the fights we should. As I said in an old article, imagine 105 and 108 never existed and Mark Johnson, Ricardo Lopez, Yuri Arbachakov, Humberto Gonzalez, Michael Carbajal, etc., were all forced into the flyweight division. We aren't only getting the Carbajal-Gonzalez rivalry out of that like we got in real life.

Imagine Hopkins and Golovkin didn't have their classes hollowed out by 154 and 168... Well, if Golovkin had the addition of Lara and Trout, plus Alvarez, the Charlos, Andrade, and others sooner, no one would be saying that. But it's a constant now.

Of course you would have to adjust the weigh-in process too, probably by going the IBF route by enacting weight caps, preferably by percentage.

 

How about a weight division for every pound?? We have our 135 pound champ and we have a 136 pound champ.

 

Your weights may be gr8t given the size of guys today-& if there were same day weigh ins.
But given near & sometimes ocer 10% rehydration is common, do we want CWs near & over 230?
That might be desirable if your intention is to effectively have a good sized HW & a SHW division.

Wherever the numbers are chosen, it does make sense not to have a full 25 lb. swing between the 2 divisions below HW.
A little more than lighter weights makes sense due to being proportionately the same-but we do not need 3 lb. divisions for the little guys, & maybe up to 15 lbs. between divisions at the heaviest weights!

 

Original 8 but keep 168lbs.

 

Yo that is redonk-ulous man!

That deeply discriminates against men who cannot make the round # of a whole pound-you want to have a man at say 197 *barely* have to face a naturally larger man of very nearly 198 pounds?!?

At least you sensibly eliminated the huge possible disparities enabled by any unlimited division.
But you still could have a relatively small boned bordeline...253 lb. man forced to do combat with a very close to 254 lbs. behemoth...
Or say a mere/hardly even 686 lb. man compelled to battle a leviathan that virtually dwarfs him in bulk...at basically 687!

How can you be so Callous & Insensitive?!?!?!?

At minimum make sure that it is parsed down to 1/16th that: i.e., weigh ins & divisions calibrated

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Unless that is deemed too big a disparity...