The accepted wisdom amongst actual boxing fans is that belts don't matter - they just want to see the best fights. So now that we, as fans, have taken belts out of the equation, what's wrong with trying to find a weight that levels the playing field? What makes 140 so much more legitimate than 141? 154 than 152? That the very same sanctioning bodies we have no respect for have determined arbitrary weight limits?
So, to come to my thoughts on Mayweather/Alvarez, and any other catchweight fight for that matter: So long as the catchweight is used to level the field and not give one fighter an advantage, it's a good thing. In the case of Mayweather/Canelo (and Pacquiao/Cotto before it), it's a decent compromise between a bigger guy and a smaller guy. It's fair and it gives boxing fans a strong fight which may not have been made otherwise. But belts shouldn't be on the line because belts are awarded in defined classes.
So, to come to my thoughts on Mayweather/Alvarez, and any other catchweight fight for that matter: So long as the catchweight is used to level the field and not give one fighter an advantage, it's a good thing. In the case of Mayweather/Canelo (and Pacquiao/Cotto before it), it's a decent compromise between a bigger guy and a smaller guy. It's fair and it gives boxing fans a strong fight which may not have been made otherwise. But belts shouldn't be on the line because belts are awarded in defined classes.
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