weight class debate as it applies to legacy

[djtmal]

should a fighter who enters pro boxing in their natural, or most efficient weight class, lets say for arguments sake, welterweight and after a couple of shaky fights, scales down to say lightweight and is successful beating naturally smaller fighters, be held in the same regard as a fighter who enters boxing as a welterweight and reigns over that division or moves up and dominates competition in higher weight classes?

discuss....

[jreckoning]

should a fighter who enters pro boxing in their natural, or most efficient weight class, lets say for arguments sake, welterweight and after a couple of shaky fights, scales down to say lightweight and is successful beating naturally smaller fighters, be held in the same regard as a fighter who enters boxing as a welterweight and reigns over that division or moves up and dominates competition in higher weight classes?

discuss....

I would think it depends on his competition. Scaling down isn't against any rule. Moving up is more impressive but if the person is within the rules and makes the weight they are fighting at and beats good comp, good on them.

Both are hard things to achieve but competition not weight class determines this.
Very few guys move up and dominate. I don't think it's particularly easy to drain weight all the time either going to a lower division esp as you get the big money fights you aren't usually as young anymore.

[Stoppage]

I would say moving up in weight is a better accomplishment. Unless you're overweight and you fight at a lower weight class by losing fat.

[djtmal]

Moving up is more impressive but if the person is within the rules and makes the weight they are fighting at and beats good comp, good on them.

ok fair enough but compared to say some of the all-time greats in their respective divisions who never scaled down how do you judge that...

[Pullcounter]

should a fighter who enters pro boxing in their natural, or most efficient weight class, lets say for arguments sake, welterweight and after a couple of shaky fights, scales down to say lightweight and is successful beating naturally smaller fighters, be held in the same regard as a fighter who enters boxing as a welterweight and reigns over that division or moves up and dominates competition in higher weight classes?

discuss....

if a fighter has a couple shaky fights at WW, that means that's not his natural / most effective weight class.

I reject the premise.

[jreckoning]

ok fair enough but compared to say some of the all-time greats in their respective divisions who never scaled down how do you judge that...

if a fighter has a couple shaky fights at WW, that means that's not his natural / most effective weight class.

I reject the premise.

Yeah, my premise would be to always fight at the weight you are best at.
It could be 135 for 15 years, or you could move up when your body demands it.

[djtmal]

if a fighter has a couple shaky fights at WW, that means that's not his natural / most effective weight class.

I reject the premise.

so it is ok in your book to for a welterweight to scale down to lightweight after a loss..

[DLT]

People try to look at this stuff in black & white but you cant. Every situation is different so you have to look at it on an individual basis. Who is to say that he never belonged in that weight class in the 1st place? Like Hopkins had his first fight at LHW and then moved down to MW. Alot of great champs stay at 1 weight basically there whole careers. Is that more or less impressive then someone moving up in weight? Then you might have 2 fighters who move up in weight alot but one guy may do it naturaly and look solidly built at every single weight while the other may move up while being the smallest guy in every weight class he goes to. Its not black & white at all

[Pullcounter]

so it is ok in your book to for a welterweight to scale down to lightweight after a loss..

in my book if you can't cut it at WW, then you probably are actually a lightweight. if you can't make lightweight, you should retire.

[Ryn0]

Depends on the competition in each weight class....