How Big of a Difference Does 3-4 Pounds Make in the Tiny Weights

[SouthpawRight]

These small classes are each separated by < 5 pounds

[famicommander]

These small classes are each separated by < 5 pounds

If you look at the differences between weight classes as a percentage of body weight, the lower weight classes aren't much different than a 5 pound difference from 135 to 140 or a 7 pound difference from 168 to 175.

Strawweight champions move up to light flyweight and get their asses whooped all the time. Flyweights try to move to super flyweight and get wrecked on a regular basis.

I believe every weight class we have in men's boxing is necessary except bridgerweight. And I believe atomweight is necessary in women's boxing, and that will become especially apparent as the divisions start to get more depth as the popularity of the women's game grows.

Weight classes
102: atomweight (women's only)
105: strawweight (+3 pounds)
108: light flyweight (+3 pounds)
112: flyweight (+4 pounds)
115: super flyweight (+3 pounds)
118: bantamweight (+3 pounds)
122: super bantamweight {+4 pounds)
126: featherweight (+4 pounds)
130: super featherweight (+4 pounds)
135: lightweight (+5 pounds)
140: super lightweight (+5 pounds)
147: welterweight (+5 pounds)
154: super welterweight (+7 pounds)
160: middleweight (+6 pounds)
168: super middleweight (+8 pounds)
175: light heavyweight (+7 pounds)
(176+: women's heavyweight)
200: cruiserweight (+25 pounds)
(224: bridgerweight)
201+: heavyweight (unlimited)

If I were going to change anything, I would go
175: light cruiser
185: cruiser
200: light heavy
201+: heavy

[Dr Z]

If you look at the differences between weight classes as a percentage of body weight, the lower weight classes aren't much different than a 5 pound difference from 135 to 140 or a 7 pound difference from 168 to 175.

Strawweight champions move up to light flyweight and get their asses whooped all the time. Flyweights try to move to super flyweight and get wrecked on a regular basis.

I believe every weight class we have in men's boxing is necessary except bridgerweight. And I believe atomweight is necessary in women's boxing, and that will become especially apparent as the divisions start to get more depth as the popularity of the women's game grows.

Weight classes
102: atomweight (women's only)
105: strawweight (+3 pounds)
108: light flyweight (+3 pounds)
112: flyweight (+4 pounds)
115: super flyweight (+3 pounds)
118: bantamweight (+3 pounds)
122: super bantamweight {+4 pounds)
126: featherweight (+4 pounds)
130: super featherweight (+4 pounds)
135: lightweight (+5 pounds)
140: super lightweight (+5 pounds)
147: welterweight (+5 pounds)
154: super welterweight (+7 pounds)
160: middleweight (+6 pounds)
168: super middleweight (+8 pounds)
175: light heavyweight (+7 pounds)
(176+: women's heavyweight)
200: cruiserweight (+25 pounds)
(224: bridgerweight)
201+: heavyweight (unlimited)

If I were going to change anything, I would go
175: light cruiser
185: cruiser
200: light heavy
201+: heavy

The women and toy divisions of the men's claim that 3-4 pound advantage does make a difference. But shedding off the excess water weight often makes a bigger difference for the opponent as people become water drained by weighing in at the contracted weight.

Personally I would start boxing 112 LBS, and only have a 122 and 132 weight divisions for the small fries requiring that they must weigh in on fight day.


Less divisions in competition in the given divisions, means greater depth and better champions.

It would do wonders for safety too.

[SouthpawRight]

If you look at the differences between weight classes as a percentage of body weight, the lower weight classes aren't much different than a 5 pound difference from 135 to 140 or a 7 pound difference from 168 to 175.

Strawweight champions move up to light flyweight and get their asses whooped all the time. Flyweights try to move to super flyweight and get wrecked on a regular basis.

I believe every weight class we have in men's boxing is necessary except bridgerweight. And I believe atomweight is necessary in women's boxing, and that will become especially apparent as the divisions start to get more depth as the popularity of the women's game grows.

Weight classes
102: atomweight (women's only)
105: strawweight (+3 pounds)
108: light flyweight (+3 pounds)
112: flyweight (+4 pounds)
115: super flyweight (+3 pounds)
118: bantamweight (+3 pounds)
122: super bantamweight {+4 pounds)
126: featherweight (+4 pounds)
130: super featherweight (+4 pounds)
135: lightweight (+5 pounds)
140: super lightweight (+5 pounds)
147: welterweight (+5 pounds)
154: super welterweight (+7 pounds)
160: middleweight (+6 pounds)
168: super middleweight (+8 pounds)
175: light heavyweight (+7 pounds)
(176+: women's heavyweight)
200: cruiserweight (+25 pounds)
(224: bridgerweight)
201+: heavyweight (unlimited)

If I were going to change anything, I would go
175: light cruiser
185: cruiser
200: light heavy
201+: heavy

The women and toy divisions of the men's claim that 3-4 pound advantage does make a difference. But shedding off the excess water weight often makes a bigger difference for the opponent as people become water drained by weighing in at the contracted weight.

Personally I would start boxing 112 LBS, and only have a 122 and 132 weight divisions for the small fries requiring that they must weigh in on fight day.


Less divisions in competition in the given divisions, means greater depth and better champions.

It would do wonders for safety too.

126 to 175 the golden range

[ODLH Chicano Goat]

It makes a huge difference not only to the little guys but to the bigger fighters aswell. Those 2 and 3 pound catch-weights take a lot out of fighters. Cotto vs Pac, Canelo vs Mayweather, Mayweather vs Marquez (Mayweather ended up saying screw it and came in heavy anyway and paid Marquez an extra 300k), Cotto vs Geale is another one. Those few pounds might not seem a lot but they affect the fighters performance big time.

[ELPacman]

It makes a huge difference not only to the little guys but to the bigger fighters aswell. Those 2 and 3 pound catch-weights take a lot out of fighters. Cotto vs Pac, Canelo vs Mayweather, Mayweather vs Marquez (Mayweather ended up saying screw it and came in heavy anyway and paid Marquez an extra 300k), Cotto vs Geale is another one. Those few pounds might not seem a lot but they affect the fighters performance big time.

This one bugs me. You're saying Cotto didn't look amazing in the first 4 rds? He went down in the 3rd, got back up and put up an amazing fight. 4th rd was back and forth until he went down again and looked hurt. Now from that point on, Pac took control. So Cotto would have done better otherwise?

The only thing I'm against is that the ref stopped the fight in the 12th when Cotto look so bad earlier, they could of stopped it a few rds sooner. If he's in the 12, just let it go to the end Margarito style. He earned the punishment to see the bell, geezous.

[elfag]

I do believe the lower weights should be consolidated some, it would also drive more interest in them.



A few pounds does make a huge difference though. This is because weight cuts are involved. a few pounds in normal life with your walk around fully hydrated weight is no big deal

but when you are cutting weight the last few pounds are the hardest, they are the point where you are debating on giving up, i mean look at how many of these guys paid fines of a million dollars because they couldnt make it, its that hard.


but when guys are 5 pounds apart on fight night, then they are the same weight class.

[PRINCEKOOL]

This one bugs me. You're saying Cotto didn't look amazing in the first 4 rds? He went down in the 3rd, got back up and put up an amazing fight. 4th rd was back and forth until he went down again and looked hurt. Now from that point on, Pac took control. So Cotto would have done better otherwise?

The only thing I'm against is that the ref stopped the fight in the 12th when Cotto look so bad earlier, they could of stopped it a few rds sooner. If he's in the 12, just let it go to the end Margarito style. He earned the punishment to see the bell, geezous.

Miguel Cotto was definitively negatively affected by the catch weight of 145 pounds 'For no apparent reason in the opening rounds, he stumbled and lost his balance. I did back Cotto to win the fight, and it was still a awesome performance by Manny Pacquiao. But for sure, without any doubt the catch weight negatively affected Miguel Cotto's overall conditioning and performance vs Pacquaio. I still think Manny Pacquiao would have beaten Cotto even at the full 147 pounds, the only difference in the fight being? That Miguel Cotto would have survived the entire 12 rounds in my opinion'.

Note: Miguel Cotto did appear on the surface to be in tremendous condition 'He made the 145 pound weight limit, and that was his last real solid fight at Welter weight. Those few pounds at elite level are going to not only have an effect on fight night. But they would have also negatively affected is training and preparation for the fight. It is quite simple the intensity of his training sessions and his recovery would have had to be tactically altered to adjust to the target of Cotto making the 145 pound catch weight'.

I think Miguel Cotto and his team at the time, endured the most optimal training camp which they could under the circumstances. But for people who have watched Miguel Cotto's entire career, you could see that his durability and brute strength was a bit lacking in his performance vs Manny Pacquiao i.e. Stumbling about and is balance being off for no apparent reason, and well the conclusion of the fight was Cotto being beaten into submission. The only other time that happened in Cotto's entire career was vs Antonio Margarito I, during their first controversial fight'.

To conclude: Overall I mentioned on a thread the other day about data driven sports 'You replied to one of my posts'. This is a classic case right here, of people within the sports of boxing just choosing to ignore the data and statistics of performances. It is an objective fact that Miguel Cotto's performances and overall conditioning would have been decreased due to the 145 catch weight, which is why tactically Pacquiao's team made the catch weight a fight stipulation. It was still a awesome win, but slightly ruined by the unnecessary 145 catch weight stipulation' etc,

[djtmal]

It only affects Floyd Boys who cry about Manny vs Cotto & Oscar, yet get selective amnesia when you mention Canelo and that Marquez fiasco.

[ODLH Chicano Goat]

This one bugs me. You're saying Cotto didn't look amazing in the first 4 rds? He went down in the 3rd, got back up and put up an amazing fight. 4th rd was back and forth until he went down again and looked hurt. Now from that point on, Pac took control. So Cotto would have done better otherwise?

The only thing I'm against is that the ref stopped the fight in the 12th when Cotto look so bad earlier, they could of stopped it a few rds sooner. If he's in the 12, just let it go to the end Margarito style. He earned the punishment to see the bell, geezous.

One thing I like to do before big fights is study their physics at the weigh-ins. Cotto looked severely emaciated. 2 pounds are everything when you're that drained. One of the saddest things in the sport is when a fighter accepts more money to deplete their bodies even further. All for the mighty dollar, no bueno

Manny-Pacquiao-Miguel-Angel-Cotto53.jpg