Kone

The fact that he put a rehydration clause on a guy, who barely had a training camp and nearly got knocked out his last fight, left a bitter taste in my mouth. Also, like others have stated, the IBF wasn't on the line.

 

Well, if there was a limit on weight cutting as I believe there should be my stance on the topic would change. Right now, there isn't a rule and no one is putting a gun to anyone's head making them sign off on a rehydration clause so I'm unmoved by anyone's complaints

 

I think it's a ***** move myself as I think the rules should apply the same for everyone. Only combat sports allow certain athletes to dictate rules in their favour like that and it's both unfair and unprofessional IMO. It undermines the integrity of the sport.

 

Well let's be honest, if there's a rehydration clause then they are both adhering to the same limit. No one's forcing anyone to sign anything so I don't see how you can call it dictation. Fighter a is presenting terms he would agree to fight with. Fighter b decides if he agrees to said terms. What am I missing?

 

It's coercion and I don't like it. I wish every fighter out there offered it would tell the guy trying to dictate terms to take a running jump but money talks and you shouldn't be allowed to buy such an advantage IMO.

 

Define coercion. also don't you make a pretty big assumption assuming that the majority of fighters aren't cutting around the same amount of weight? Last time I checked I don't see fight night weights postedbefore and after every fight

 

A fighter using bribery to coerce their opponent into accepting a fight at a what might be a significant and potentially dangerous disadvantage.

I said already that I would prefer a one championship style system to be put in place but what we have now is the worst option possible in which rich successful fighters are allowed to game the system one way or the other to suit their own needs. I also think we should have a uniform ring size, ropes, flooring etc. It should literarily be all about who is the better fighter not this A-side B-Side BS we're tolerating now.

 

Putting a contract proposal together and offering it rto someone who has a choice whether or not to agree to it is not coercion nor is it bribery. If that were the case every negotiation would in essense be two sides trying to coerce one another

 

In sports there is supposed to be a level playing field. We supposedly hold these contests to find out who is the best athlete not who can game the system the best.

 

isn't this a case of doing exactly that though (levelling)? canelo was the one giving up most of the physical advantages after all. i doubt kova was negatively effected by the clause given he typically comes into the ring at mid to high 180s anyway. maybe canelo was of the mind that kova would opportunistically come in heavier than usual fighting against the smallest man he's fought at pro.

thinking more pessimistically on the other hand, maybe canelo was assuming Kova actually does rehydrate massive amounts like he himself does, and could potentially come in around 195-200lbs. in that case the clause might overly tax kovalev. but canelo would understandably view that sort of weight disadvantage as unfair. so what then if not a clause? either take the risk, or don't bother with attempting a go at LHW at all. the former is a big ask, the latter isn't. you can put the clause out there, no one has to sign it, but given the money at stake it's unrealistic to think opponents would turn it down.

i get what your saying generally though, that it's potentially there to be corrupted.

 

Anyone that hates Canelo Alvarez for such a clause must also have the same hate for Ray Leonard, Oscar Delahoya, Floyd Mayweather, and Manny Pacquiao, as these fighters have done more than Canelo to stack the deck against fighters they've gone in the ring with.

For people's information, Canelo hasn't done any more then any other cash cow that's ever stepped inside a ring.

 

The thing is, it is a level playing field if both fighters agree to the same limit. If canelo could rehydrate 20 pounds and the other fighter 10 you might have a point. Explain how it's gaming the system when terms are offered and each fighter has a choice to either except terms or not. Your telling me that if a fighter chooses to accept the terms offered and receive a paycheck he can then go back and claim he was somehow treated unfairly? If you accept a job offer and then after getting your first paycheck you walk into HR and say you were coerced what do you think they will say?

 

It's fair on paper, but in the specific case of Kovalev, who's on old fighter, already fought Eleider Alvarez and Yarde this year, had in fact almost two camps (the first time the fight got rescheduled) for Yarde and both in Russia (about half a day time difference from where Kovalev lives in the US) it made a huge difference.

 

**** like this is exactly why boxing has dropped in popularity.

 

Yet it is two combatants coming to terms.
And there are hardly many set rules in boxing. A fighter can rehydrate as much as they please. This is why in modern times, actual welterweights are competing at featherweight.