How would you recalibrate/change the weight-classes?

you need fewer weight classes like boxing's older days and like they do in MMA. so many bullsyte divisions dilute the matchups. also, imo less guys would be trying to fight below or above their normal weights if there weren't soo many weight classes to take advantage of and win "belts" in.


Does anyone even watch 112 lb men (or thereabouts) fight? I'd prefer some type of minimum wt class with a limit of say 130. Than light weights would be 130-143. Welter would be 143-156. Middle from 156 - 170. Light Heavy from 170-190. Cruiser from 190-215. Heavy 215 plus.

 

I say move the weigh in until 4 hours MAX before fight time. Let them fight at the weight they supposed to be at. You wouldn't have as much weight cutting because guys know they wouldn't be competitive if they did it. It isn't uncommon for middle weights to step into the ring at light heavy. Two full classes above the 'weight limit'. Pure BS.

 

Not bad, I'd just do away with superheavyweight

 

I'd rather for things to kept at 10 if you wanna eliminate weight classes.

120- Bantamweight

130- Lightweight

140- Light Welter

150- Welterweight

160-Middle Weight

170- Super Middle

180- Cruiser

190-200- Light Heavy

200+- Heavyweight

I think the idea of a superheavyweight division would kill the normal heavyweight division. People will see guys like Valuev and Butterbean dominating a higher weight class and automatically figure that the Super Heavies are better.

Not to mention a super heavy division might encourage fat heavies to get FATTER.

 

Well how much interest is there -realistically- in 120 and below?

I hate to count some of the smaller guys out but I can't imagine as a promoter, being excited about fighters below 120...possibly even 130. 126 is a god send of a division though.

 

no matter what your opinion is it aint pure bs, not every fighter kills himself to make the weight. a lot of fighters walk round at their respective 'weight class'

 

Yep.

 

I agree. The powers that be will never let it happen, but I'd love to see a reduction in the number of weight classes.

 

Having guys fighting at 170+ for the 160 title is pure bs. IMO. Better? They guys that walk around 'at weight' would be the guys that should welcome the change.

I think there are too many weight classes and belts, but IMO, they neet to fix fight weight first. Classes mean less when the fights aren't held 'at weight'. It just muddies the picture.

Actually, trying to find a link to WHEN they started the early weigh in's I found this. Interesting solution: [url]http://www.whaledog.com/2006/10/new-jersey-changes-weigh-in-rules.php[/url]

 

Maybe, but I'd rather see a a couple of top ten bantam weights go at it than watch some of the heavyweight "title" and "eliminator" fights we've seen recently. And maybe a flyweight championship bout won't draw enough interest to headline a major main event, but there is nothing wrong with making that kind of fight a supporting bout on the undercard of a big event. Don King had success using a similar strategy with Ricardo Lopez.

In support of your point, though, I admit I have a tough time getting my non-boxing fans friends to show much interest in a fight below Junior middle. I got them to watch Pavlik/Taylor, but despite my efforts, they didn't pay much attention to Marquez/Vasquez.

 

I'd put:

Flyweight: 110

Bantamweight: 120

Featherweight: 130

Lightweight: 140

Welterweight: 150

Middleweight: 160

Supermiddleweight: 170

Cruiserweight: 180

Lightheavyweight: 200

Heavyweight: 200 +


That would prevent fighters from jumping from one class to another almost at will, as it is today, because it would make a real diference, forcing them to fight at their natural wheight class.

Even considering it's a bigger gap at the lower wheight classes, if you consider the percentage of wheight separating them, I think it's an adequate scale.

Once you are an adult and a boxing athlete you will have a natural size and wheight, which puts you into one of the wheight classes.

Well, from there, there will be probably 2 or 3 wheight classes that you could touch if you wanted, even with the 10lbs separation, up or down, the rest is pushing it.

So it doesn't really matter if the lower wheight classes have over 8% of difference in wheight or if the higher don't even make 5%, because a little boxer will not be fighting at CW and a big boxer will not be fighting at Lightwheight, with exception to freaks of nature like Paul Williams and Tua.