Why aren't double weight fighters as common anymore?

There were no tweener weights back then so there was a greater variance of sizes in each weight division.
Without modern weight cutting you can be a bigger or smaller fighter, without giving up 20+ lbs or killing yourself to make weight.


Plus they are enough disputes between sanctioning bodies already. Imagine the stress trying to maintain belts campaigning at 2 weight divisions.

 

Because champions and top contenders fight less often nowadays.

Fighting as infrequently as they do, it's enough of a challenge as it is to defend against mandatories/maintain a ranking in one division, let alone multiple simultaneously.

 

It would probably lead to more belts and confusion.

WBA Multi-Weight Super Title Belt. WBA Multi-Weight Regular Title Belt. WBC Catchweight Championship Belt. WBC Catchweight Conditional Championship Belt. IBF Intermediate Weight Title Belt. IBF Intermediate Weight Title Belt In Waiting. WBO Indeterminate Weight Championship Belt. WBO Guess The Weight Championship Belt. Ring Magazine Lineal Mixed Weight Championship Belt. WBU Yeah We're Back Bridge to Nowhere Championship Belt. Mad Magazine No Weigh-Ins Required Alfred E. Newman Championship Incarnate and We Don't Test plus What Me Worry Belt!

 

You can’t fight as often today, you don’t want to waste your what… 2 fights a year? between two different divisions, also remember today the idea is to be as big as possible (as a general thing) in whatever weight class you’re in and the process of “making weight” is a bit of a science so maybe it’d create issues? I imagine a 175lber going to 200lbs would have a hard time fighting guys who are 215-220lbs on fight night and peeled up as much as they can be to be at the weight, not worth the risk anymore, back then you could drop in say 160lbs lose and go home to 147lbs and fight next month like nothing happened.

 

I call them combo fighters. And theres a bunch of reasons. Tweeners are one division hopping has replaced double dipping.

The biggest reason is that fighters can't afford losses to top fighters in non title bouts. And thats what combo fighters were mainly doing fighting top fighters in non title bouts. With 4 belts and tweeners all top fighters are in line for some sort of oppurtunity. And risking a 0 or 1 loss record with nothing on the line is not a thing top fighters do.

 

At 450 pounds in 2011 Dustin Nichols was a double weight heavyweight. Does that count?

 

That reminded me of Phillip Ndou vs Cassius Baloyi bout. Before the fight, the announcer said it was being contested for the "Catchweight Championship of the World" (sic). Not sure if that was the theme of entire promotion, but still made me laugh.

 

In the small but well funded private club where I have wrestled in real Submission Wrestling matches, I won the Club Catchweight Championship against a man, a belt that I actually still hold, despite being inactive for quite a while. The Club Manager is after me to defend it soon, with a by the end of the year Defend it or Lose it Ultimatum.

 

the difference between hw and cw is massive.

below that the best guys are moving up and have no interest in defending titles at weights they have moved past.