The Catchweight Solution

[OnePunch]

Alot of people take sides on the catchweight issue based solely on which side of it their favorite fighter is on. However, REASONABLE people can agree that catchweights are now reaching the point of absurdity, and something needs to be done. Here is what I would propose:

Catchweights would only be allowed in non-title fights, or in title fights where one participant is moving up into a new division he has not yet campaigned in. And should that participant be victorious, catchweights will be prohibited in any future title defenses.

What this would accomplish is the fighters with the economic clout to entice a sitting champion to ********** themselves (by agreeing to drain down to the point of ineffectiveness) will still be able to get that trinket for their trophy case, and the existing champ can earn some "go away" money.

Champions forcing catchweights in title defenses is making a mockery of the sport. Other than DLH-Hops, Pac-Algeri and now Cottos nonsense, can anyone point to a defending champion demanding a catchweight in a title defense??

Something has to happen.......


Edit: And I need to add Floyd-Canelo to the shame list. Its true that Canelo was the defending champ and not Floyd, but Floyd had fought twice before at 154 so no catchweight should have been permitted.

[The Big Dunn]

Alot of people take sides on the catchweight issue based solely on which side of it their favorite fighter is on. However, REASONABLE people can agree that catchweights are now reaching the point of absurdity, and something needs to be done. Here is what I would propose:

Catchweights would only be allowed in non-title fights, or in title fights where one participant is moving up into a new division he has not yet campaigned in. And should that participant be victorious, catchweights will be prohibited in any future title defenses.

What this would accomplish is the fighters with the economic clout to entice a sitting champion to ********** themselves (by agreeing to drain down to the point of ineffectiveness) will still be able to get that trinket for their trophy case, and the existing champ can earn some "go away" money.

Champions forcing catchweights in title defenses is making a mockery of the sport. Other than DLH-Hops, Pac-Algeri and now Cottos nonsense, can anyone point to a defending champion demanding a catchweight in a title defense??

Something has to happen.......

I agree that a title fight should never be fought under the max weight for the division.

pro boxing has not adjusted weight classes in 100 years. For comparison, the Olympics adjusted weights 3 times for boxing and I believe twice for wrestling in this span.

If you adjust the weights of each class (maybe move MW to 165 and WW to 152) to adjust for the increase in average size of humans, I think the CW issue may go away in the future.

[bigjavi973]

Alot of people take sides on the catchweight issue based solely on which side of it their favorite fighter is on. However, REASONABLE people can agree that catchweights are now reaching the point of absurdity, and something needs to be done. Here is what I would propose:

Catchweights would only be allowed in non-title fights, or in title fights where one participant is moving up into a new division he has not yet campaigned in. And should that participant be victorious, catchweights will be prohibited in any future title defenses.

What this would accomplish is the fighters with the economic clout to entice a sitting champion to ********** themselves (by agreeing to drain down to the point of ineffectiveness) will still be able to get that trinket for their trophy case, and the existing champ can earn some "go away" money.

Champions forcing catchweights in title defenses is making a mockery of the sport. Other than DLH-Hops, Pac-Algeri and now Cottos nonsense, can anyone point to a defending champion demanding a catchweight in a title defense??

Something has to happen.......

[-PBP-]

To me, weights are negotiable between the 2 limits and if you take the money then make the weight and don't complain.

[MDPopescu]

Alot of people take sides on the catchweight issue based solely on which side of it their favorite fighter is on. However, REASONABLE people can agree that catchweights are now reaching the point of absurdity, and something needs to be done. Here is what I would propose:

Catchweights would only be allowed in non-title fights, or in title fights where one participant is moving up into a new division he has not yet campaigned in. And should that participant be victorious, catchweights will be prohibited in any future title defenses.

What this would accomplish is the fighters with the economic clout to entice a sitting champion to ********** themselves (by agreeing to drain down to the point of ineffectiveness) will still be able to get that trinket for their trophy case, and the existing champ can earn some "go away" money.

Champions forcing catchweights in title defenses is making a mockery of the sport. Other than DLH-Hops, Pac-Algeri and now Cottos nonsense, can anyone point to a defending champion demanding a catchweight in a title defense??

Something has to happen.......

Yes, I can...

Mayweather vs Canelo (at 152 for the WBA Super World super welterweight title) and mayweather vs maidana II ( at 147 for the WBC World super welterweight title)... right?

[Fetta]

If they agree then its on them. It has always happened and it what it is.

GGG made his bed, screamining A-side this and that, and now he must lie in it.

[Dip_Slide]

I agree that a title fight should never be fought under the max weight for the division.

pro boxing has not adjusted weight classes in 100 years. For comparison, the Olympics adjusted weights 3 times for boxing and I believe twice for wrestling in this span.

If you adjust the weights of each class (maybe move MW to 165 and WW to 152) to adjust for the increase in average size of humans, I think the CW issue may go away in the future.

new weight classes have been added to boxing in the last 30-40 years, back in the day there were only 8 weight classes from Flyweight to heavyweight, now there are 18, changing the names of the weight classes won't help much.

I don't think catchweights should be banned except in case of mandatory title defenses, but I think fighters moving down should get more credit if they win, but if they lose no credit should be taken away from the winner cuz nobody forced anybody to fight if it's not a mandatory defense.

Winner of Canelo Cotto must either fight GGG at 160 or vacate, no catchweight BS, if the winner still wanna fight GGG at a catchweight then the WBC should first strip him of that paper title, give to GGG, then GGG can decide whether or not the catchweight fight is a title fight, anything else is BS.

[The Big Dunn]

new weight classes have been added to boxing in the last 30-40 years, back in the day there were only 8 weight classes from Flyweight to heavyweight, now there are 18, changing the names of the weight classes won't help much.

I don't think catchweights should be banned except in case of mandatory title defenses, but I think fighters moving down should get more credit if they win, but if they lose no credit should be taken away from the winner cuz nobody forced anybody to fight if it's not a mandatory defense.

Winner of Canelo Cotto must either fight GGG at 160 or vacate, no catchweight BS, if the winner still wanna fight GGG at a catchweight then the WBC should first strip him of that paper title, give to GGG, then GGG can decide whether or not the catchweight fight is a title fight, anything else is BS.

I meant adjusting the weights in the classes. I know classes were added, but now we likely need to adjust the weights.

[Bushbaby]

Why did the ts word this tread so specifically?? To conveniently leave out Floyd fighting Canelo at 152. Being a 2 time 154lb champ and heavily criticizing Pacman for catchweight fights.

[Dip_Slide]

I meant adjusting the weights in the classes. I know classes were added, but now we likely need to adjust the weights.

moving a weight class like WW 5 pounds up till 152 is the same as WWs now fighting at 154, these 2 lbs shouldn't make that much of a difference, rehydration weigh ins however like the one the IBF does would help forcing fighters to fight at their natural weight classes, if Canelo isn't allowed rehydrate to 175 he'll be forced to move up a weight class and so on.

What could be done is maybe add a couple of weight classes, I think there has to be an additional weight class between Cruiserweight and Light heavyweight and there has to be a limit on the heavyweight division and a super heavyweight division where there's no limit, this way all them fat slobs can fight each others in a division that nobody cares about, and the real athletes fight at the normal heavyweight limit. The heavyweight limit can be between 220-230 lbs, this way fighters will get in shape and there won't be 40 lbs weight advantage in heavyweight fights anymore.

Weight classes can also be added between Lightweight and Middleweight so that the difference steps is always 5 lbs, then starting from 160 there should be 7 lbs steps till heavyweight. Maybe some of the lighter weight classes can be cancelled so that the gap is also 5 lbs between the consecutive weight classes, these 3 lbs steps always piss me off.