Weight classes

[Ben Bolt]

Heavyweight - unlimited (origin)
Cruiserweight - 200 lbs (1980)
Light heavyweight - 175 lbs (origin)
Super middleweight - 168 lbs (1984)
Middleweight - 160 lbs (origin)
Light middleweight - 154 lbs (1962)
Welterweight - 147 lbs (origin)
Light welterweight - 140 lbs (1959)
Lightweight - 135 lbs (origin)
Light lightweight - 130 lbs (1959)
Featherweight - 126 lbs (origin)
Light featherweight - 122 lbs (1976)
Bantamweight - 118 lbs (origin)
Light bantamweight - 115 lbs (1980)
Flyweight - 112 lbs (origin)
Light flyweight - 108 lbs (1975)
Mini flyweight - 105 lbs (1987)
Some weight classes, like lt. welter or
lt. lightweight, have an older story than dated,
though not universally recognized.

The basic eight divisions have grown into 17.
How many is needed to crown a true champ based on weight differences?
I can see the cruiserweight as an important addition to the old eights.
How about the rest? Are they needed, if so which of them are, or are some only devaluing the meaning of what makes a ‘world champion�.

As I’m not a fighter at elite level myself, I find it hard to form my own opinion.
If I would be a 108 lbs fighter, fighting a 112 lbs opponent, is that like giving away some 25 lbs at heavyweight?

Apparently, the Klitschkos dominance in recent years have had WBC/WBA to
think about launching an 18th division - the super heavyweight class. Drooling to lay hands on some more sanction fees, I guess. Nevertheless, would we welcome it?

Fighting a guy your own weight and size, it’s about safety. And that’s good.
Still, I do have second thoughts about if 17 (or soon to be 18?) classes really are the best thing for our sport.

[nivek535]

lol original 8 is better.
the well deserving winner will not lose a fight due to a 10lbs difference. unless they are identical in all fields except weight. which then, unfortunately, the heavier deserves it.
now u win titles in multiple divisions, oh yay. you probably couldnt even get a single title in the 8 divs

[Humean]

Heavyweight - unlimited (origin)
Cruiserweight - 200 lbs (1980)
Light heavyweight - 175 lbs (origin)
Super middleweight - 168 lbs (1984)
Middleweight - 160 lbs (origin)
Light middleweight - 154 lbs (1962)
Welterweight - 147 lbs (origin)
Light welterweight - 140 lbs (1959)
Lightweight - 135 lbs (origin)
Light lightweight - 130 lbs (1959)
Featherweight - 126 lbs (origin)
Light featherweight - 122 lbs (1976)
Bantamweight - 118 lbs (origin)
Light bantamweight - 115 lbs (1980)
Flyweight - 112 lbs (origin)
Light flyweight - 108 lbs (1975)
Mini flyweight - 105 lbs (1987)
Some weight classes, like lt. welter or
lt. lightweight, have an older story than dated,
though not universally recognized.

The basic eight divisions have grown into 17.
How many is needed to crown a true champ based on weight differences?
I can see the cruiserweight as an important addition to the old eights.
How about the rest? Are they needed, if so which of them are, or are some only devaluing the meaning of what makes a ‘world champion�.

As I’m not a fighter at elite level myself, I find it hard to form my own opinion.
If I would be a 108 lbs fighter, fighting a 112 lbs opponent, is that like giving away some 25 lbs at heavyweight?

Apparently, the Klitschkos dominance in recent years have had WBC/WBA to
think about launching an 18th division - the super heavyweight class. Drooling to lay hands on some more sanction fees, I guess. Nevertheless, would we welcome it?

Fighting a guy your own weight and size, it’s about safety. And that’s good.
Still, I do have second thoughts about if 17 (or soon to be 18?) classes really are the best thing for our sport.

I think that from a weight and size perspective only the cruiserweight division is necessary. All the other 'junior' weight classes seem more like part of the proliferation of opportunities and titles than being actually necessary from the standpoint of fairness and safety. The weight classes are being terribly undermined anyway, at the moment not only is the typical junior welterweight an actual welterweight but even the typical lightweights are really welterweights. Instead of the 135 and 140 divisions being 'lower' classes than 147 in terms of weight and size they are really 'lower' in terms of quality, picking up belts and support before moving 'up' to fight the better boxers. Example, on fight night against Gavin Rees Adrian Broner was a 150 pound lightweight, then he moved up 5 pounds to become a 155 pound welterweight against Maidana and then he moves down in weight to become a 154 pound junior welterweight against Molina.

On a side note, the 'original' 8 weight classes took a long time to become the 'original' weight classes. They are only 'original' in the sense that they became standardized as the exact weights we know today in Britain in 1909. American fell in line with that slightly later. At the start of the gloved era there were really 5: bantamweight, featherweight, lightweight, middleweight, heavyweight. The actual weights varied.

[Sugar Adam Ali]

I really dont mind the extra weight classes.. Some guys like hatton or tzysu would be drained at 135, but not effective at 147, they were perfect at 140..

What ruins it, is all the different champs in each weight class..
When you have a super champ, regular champ, interim champ, in each sanctioning bodies, guys are winning titles by getting a cherrypick vacant title..

[Ray Corso]

I prefer;
105
112
119
126
135
147
160
175
191
open

junior weight class are for 4, 6, 8 round prelim bouts where there are NO titles on the line! If these classes are done away with you will have proper representation in them.
Ray.

[Ben Bolt]

I prefer;
105
112
119
126
135
147
160
175
191
open

For a while, The Ring in the late 1980s only had the fighters ranked in eight divisions. So did Boxing Digest (though nine, cruiser was added) a few years ago before it ceased to exist. It gave you quite a clear picture of who the top names at the time were.

What ruins it, is all the different champs in each weight class..
When you have a super champ, regular champ, interim champ, in each sanctioning bodies, guys are winning titles by getting a cherrypick vacant title..

That's the most annoying part. Today, there are more champs than challengers.

The weight classes are being terribly undermined anyway.

In a way, the weight limit restrictions are diminished by having the weigh-ins a day before the fight. I doubt (and I’m not alone) it has turned things safer.

An example is Chad Dawson’s latest fight.
And, I remember watching Julio Chavez Jr vs Marco Rubio in a so-called middleweight tussle.
At fight night, Chavez was a lt. heavy and Rubio a full-grown super middle.

[Humean]

I really dont mind the extra weight classes.. Some guys like hatton or tzysu would be drained at 135, but not effective at 147, they were perfect at 140..

What ruins it, is all the different champs in each weight class..
When you have a super champ, regular champ, interim champ, in each sanctioning bodies, guys are winning titles by getting a cherrypick vacant title..

I watched Tszyu-Hurtado the other week and Tszyu was 157 on fight night and Hurtado 156. Porter and Brook were 158 and 156 respectively on Saturday. The four best current welterweights all routinely come in less than 157. I think Tszyu might well have been fine at 147.

In a way, the weight limit restrictions are diminished by having the weigh-ins a day before the fight. I doubt (and I’m not alone) it has turned things safer.

An example is Chad Dawson’s latest fight.
And, I remember watching Julio Chavez Jr vs Marco Rubio in a so-called middleweight tussle.
At fight night, Chavez was a lt. heavy and Rubio a full-grown super middle.

The day before weigh ins certainly make it worse, it would make sense to try and get the fighters at a particularly weight within a certain range on fight night to prevent any dangerous size and weight differences and that would also prevent the distortions I mentioned earlier to the integrity of the weights. However promoters and tv networks do not want fights cancelled within a couple of hours of the fight which might be too likely with how badly organized the sport is.

Chavez jr's weight has been beyond a joke. Hopefully he will now only be fighting super middles and light heavys.

[Ray Corso]

For years a 5 to 8 pound hydration increase was the norm. Then it was stretched to 10 to 12 with the morning before fight weigh in now you have a few guys like Chavez Jr who are at 18 to 20 and that's not near the weight limitation of the class. It's wrong but no one cares or it wouldn't be tolerated.
Ray

[J-champ]

I gotten used to the current divisions but if they tried to add more I would complain.

[SCtrojansbaby]

I don't think it is a big problem but if it were up to me I would get rid of:

light welter
super feather
super bantam
super fly
light fly

if the division doesn't have at least 7 pounds of distance than it is unnecessary