...whilst staying in the one weight class? All I seem to see now is boxers should be moving up to prove their greatness, take on bigger challenges, bigger men, become 3-4-5 weight World champions to show their worth. Only a small percentage of boxers IMO can successfully move up in weight and compete/dominate at the highest level. It is becoming very regular to see a boxer compete in at least 2 weight classes in their career now. So like the above question asks, if a boxer is capable of staying in the one weight class for however long their career spans (example, Hagler) and maybe dominates for a long time, is that enough to be considered a successful career (HoF worthy/ATG worthy), or do fans of the just sport look for the multiple weight World champions to fill these positions now? *Obviously this one weight class career has to be judged on opposition/resume, longevity, etc...but is it still enough to satisfy fans who like to see boxers move up and fight bigger men?
Of course. This decade we've seen the most dominant middleweight champion in history (Hopkins was a great fighter long before he moved to 175), and two fighters who dominated relatively weak divisions but will almost certainly get into the HOF in Wlad and Wonjongkam. Moving through divisions, while more impressive in my mind, is just an easier way of making big fights, which is what all fighters want.
Well most people clean out a divison and force to move up for bigger things. More money fights. I think not moving up 5 10 lbs in weight shows your noy willing to take a chance. All the greats make a move. No great ever say stay at 135 where career
As long as the division is generally competitive. Many of the divisions now a days simply aren't competitive enough to forge a legacy. You do get the odd guy like Wonjongkam who can do it in the lower weights (I'm ignoring heavyweights for the question btw) but they are a dying breed.
If anyone thinks it's not possible to become HOF-worthy or ATG-worthy staying in one weight class, they're simply ignorant ****s. :conf That's not an opinion either. That's just true. :?
Thinking about it...Ivan Calderon, if he'd of stayed at 105 would have been a shoe in yes for this topic.
One of the true legends of the sport Carlos Monzon fought his entire career ruling the middleweight division. Something like 100 fights. It was enough to see him instated as an ATG. Surely if anyone did similar today it would also attain them ATG status.
I agree, it's just the amount of threads recently about how said boxer should move up, needs to move up, etc is getting on my nerves. Example, Martinez. Martinez is not a big Middleweight, he has not been a Middleweight for a long time. He is virtually a career WW/LMW. Now all you see is people calling for him to jump up again just because he wants to get big money bouts with Mayweather and Pacquiao. Jump up again just like that, like it is just that simple (there is a bigger size and weight difference between Martinez and the Super Middleweights, than there is to Martinez and the top WW's IMO).
Fighters who stay at one weight class (not including HW) are often hated on in the long run especially if there arn't many ATG's fighting in their weight class. Hopkins is an example of someone in recent times who dominated one single weight class for a decade but people consider his best wins to be at LHW whilst his MW resume is looked down upon and he gets accused of fighting smaller men when in reality if any one fighter stays in the same weightclass all the talent moving up in weight to face him are likely to be 'smaller men' in comparison.
Both Pacquiao and Mayweather have already moved up through several divisions to get to Welterweight though. I don't think it's particularly fair for Martinez to ask them to move up yet again if he's not willing to do the same. I understand he wants big fights, but it does seem a bit hypocritical. The point of this thread though, I think, is that a fighter shouldn't have to move up in weight to be considered great, and I think that's absolutely true. History has proven as much.
Thats why a division needs to be competitive. If you look at many of the current divisions you might say they aren't...but in other divisions...**** me they are strong. The current middlweight division has 13 or 14 suitable fighters that if you could line up over the next 5 or 6 years you could make your career on.
I agree to an extent. I don't blame either for not taking the bout at 154lbs, but on the other hand you can argue that both have fought inside the 154lbs limit before...so people shouldn't be so critical on Martinez for asking them to meet in the middle, whilst again not blaming either boxer for not taking Martinez up on the challenge. :good
Of course when you're a heavyweight, there's no question about it. But also in lower weightclasses (certainly the popular ones) I can't see a reason why they should move up if they don't have to, certainly not if there's a steady flow of talent in that division. The reasons for going up are usually 1) Not being able to make the weight anymore. 2) Bigger fights/paydays in a higher division. 3) Avoiding better boxers in your own division. 4) Trying to become the real king in boxing (moving up to HW).
