New Weight Class?

Max Molyneux · Post by **Max Molyneux** » 11 Jul 2005, 07:41

Found this on Maloney's website.

Is It Time For a New Weight Class?
By Curtis McCormick
Global News Editor

The European Boxing Union announced this week that it's considering adding two new divisions, light flyweight and junior cruiserweight. While the junior cruiserweight addition, at 185lbs, 13 stone 3 or 83.879 kilograms, would be a welcome to the world of boxing, a dialog to amend the heavyweight division is overdue. One classification for all fighters over 190 or 200lbs has been outmoded in the last two decades by large numbers of coordinated athletes topping out at 230lbs and over, such as the 250lb plus Lennox Lewis (pictured). A quick look at the IBO's independent top ten rankings shows that only Chris Byrd (214lbs) and Lamon Brewster (224lbs)

Not needed at all! So if junior Cruiser started at 185lbs would Light Heavy have a little more weight on it?

mickeybeard · Post by **mickeybeard** » 11 Jul 2005, 07:58

I wouldn't have thought so (about the L.heavy limit). It looks like they're just looking to break up the 25lb jump between the l.heavy & cruiser (and have another champ, another EC champ, and more eliminators paying them sanctioning fees...)

jomothepure · Post by **jomothepure** » 11 Jul 2005, 08:05

Although I didn't see evidence on their website just now, I'm sure I saw somewhere that the WBU, who actually have a supercruiserweight division (200-210lb.)

If this was the case, I'm sure it was due to them probably never filling the title, but still...

Tell a lie, Cantatore in 1999

barry · Post by **barry** » 11 Jul 2005, 08:57

Jeez, the thought makes me sick to my stomach...instead of adding, they nedd to be subtracking divisions. Seventeen divisions are ridiculous as it is. The most divisions that boxing needs is ten, or twelve tops, but I'd like to see the traditional eight classes be re-enacted as well as just one champion per division, but we don't always get what we want!

Tantum · Post by **Tantum** » 11 Jul 2005, 10:41

I have maintained my stand for a long time that the weight classes should be...

106 (MIW)
111 (Straw?)
117 (FLW)
123 (BW)
130 (FW)
138 (LW)
147 (WW)
157 (LMW)
168 (MW)
180 (LHW)
210 (CW)
210+ (HW)

There is no point in having the classes as close as they are now, all it does is confuse fans, and give more money to the scummy sanctioning bodies.

By the way, imagine how great 138, and 157 would be.

mrbassie · Post by **mrbassie** » 11 Jul 2005, 10:44

all the "super" and "light" divisions have to go, cruiser too. They've fucked up the sport every bit as much as the proliferation of titles has.

Tantum · Post by **Tantum** » 11 Jul 2005, 10:47

Cruiserweight is fine, there is no need for a 180lb guy fighting a 270lb guy.

barry · Post by **barry** » 11 Jul 2005, 13:37

Heavyweight should be 200 and over, but I like the idea of just 11, or 12.

Manos de Oro · Post by **Manos de Oro** » 11 Jul 2005, 15:56

Imagine there were no light-middleweight division these past few years. No one would be saying how weak and disgraceful the middleweight division had become. And think of all the amazing matches!

Max Molyneux · Post by **Max Molyneux** » 11 Jul 2005, 19:07

I think 6 weight classes wouldn't be so bad like this because the difference in the other weight divisions except for Cruiser don't have enough weight in them.

In my opinion wouldn't be so bad like this.

Heavyweight - Over 210
Light Heavyweight - 170 - 210
MiddleWeight - 154 - 170
Welterweight - 140 - 154
Lightweight - 126 - 140
Featerweight - Below 126

It's no wonder why some fighters can;t stick to their weight classes when there older though because the weight difference in the classes are too small. Only one below Heavyweight that has enough weight in it is cruiserweight.

johnswan1 · Post by **johnswan1** » 12 Jul 2005, 03:45

There is no way a 126 lb fighter would be fighting a 140 lb fighter, the difference is simply too much.

I like having multiple divisions. It's not as though the fighters need to stay there, there is always good appreciation for multi-division champions.

Max Molyneux · Post by **Max Molyneux** » 12 Jul 2005, 06:20

Only a stone difference.

johnswan1 · Post by **johnswan1** » 12 Jul 2005, 06:28

Which is a huge amount of weight between fighters at that level. The lower the weight the greater the difference a stone in weight makes.

lvlarc · Post by **lvlarc** » 12 Jul 2005, 07:00

Max Molyneux wrote:Only a stone difference.

Only?

THEBUTCH · Post by **THEBUTCH** » 12 Jul 2005, 10:07

We don't need any more weight divisions thank you very much. There's enough as there is. Just one more weight class will mean about 10+ boxers claiming they are world champions.

The only thing that needs adjusting in the weight classes, in my opinion, is the light heavyweight limit. That should be increased by a few pounds.

Max Molyneux · Post by **Max Molyneux** » 12 Jul 2005, 10:12

lvlarc_uk wrote:
Max Molyneux wrote:Only a stone difference.

Only?

yeah 126 is 9 stone and 140 is ten stone.

johnswan1 · Post by **johnswan1** » 12 Jul 2005, 10:25

... oh dear...

jomothepure · Post by **jomothepure** » 12 Jul 2005, 11:03

Max Molyneux wrote:
lvlarc_uk wrote:
Max Molyneux wrote:Only a stone difference.

Only?
yeah 126 is 9 stone and 140 is ten stone.

I think the good people arn't questioning your maths, but questioning that 1 stone isn't a lot of difference. I don't say myself (140 appears a physical impossibility to me) but that would be a 140 fighting a guy 10% 'less' than him. In this of course you've got to add in the whole 'on the night' factor and 12 stone guys putting on a stone and stuff. That makes a mockery of the whole thing.

What about the divisions being worked out by % of weight? so a 140 could fight a guy, say, 5% below him. That would be a 7lb limit below the 10 stone div. Then say cruiser was 190, 5% of that is 9.5, so light heavy limit would be 180.5. Right, convinced myself that's quite a shit idea

jomothepure · Post by **jomothepure** » 12 Jul 2005, 16:09

Also interesting:

http://www.boxrec.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=30243

Phenomenal-Nutrition · Post by **Phenomenal-Nutrition** » 13 Jul 2005, 07:27

Whats wrong with you people? A Light-Cruserweight division is essential now the top limit is 200lbs. If a fighter can't make 175 at the moment his career is finnished pretty much. Light Fly probably is a bad idea but I don't know much about those weights - the little guys tell me they need all the categs they have at the moment

I think the divisions are fine the way they are. We wouldnt expect most champs to go up a weight category and beat the top man in that category - so why lose the weight they fight at?

There is plenty of TOP fights to be made if top fighters fight the best in their division - its just they don't usually bother - this is the problem not the amount of divisions.

Max Molyneux · Post by **Max Molyneux** » 13 Jul 2005, 07:38

Only reason why theres too many is so they can make more money! Weight classes with only 4,5,6 or 7 pounds weight difference in them is silly.

jomothepure · Post by **jomothepure** » 13 Jul 2005, 12:48

Phenomenal-Nutrition wrote:Whats wrong with you people? A Light-Cruserweight division is essential now the top limit is 200lbs. If a fighter can't make 175 at the moment his career is finnished pretty much. Light Fly probably is a bad idea but I don't know much about those weights - the little guys tell me they need all the categs they have at the moment

I think the divisions are fine the way they are. We wouldnt expect most champs to go up a weight category and beat the top man in that category - so why lose the weight they fight at?

There is plenty of TOP fights to be made if top fighters fight the best in their division - its just they don't usually bother - this is the problem not the amount of divisions.

I say again I'm not hugely knowledgable on what difference 3 or 4lb would make to a boxer of 8 or 9 stone. Maybe they can feel a difference in strength of their opponent. In which case, you need to tighten up weigh-ins (ie. move them to same day as the fight) to help make sure 'unofficial' weight increases of even more than 4lb don't happen.

Otherwise, I think, after a few ruffled feathers, boxers at super-fly really wouldn't have trouble fighting at bantam weight - the weight addition (assuming they choose to go for the max weight limit) would be quite easily done - could even make sustaining weight easier, if they were doing things like deydrating themselves to make the weight previously.

The plusses I'd see for decreasing weight divisions would be:

- A larger pool of world class fighters in each div, so by default big match-ups and possibilities would surely double (if 2 current divs were merged into 1)
- With more boxers in each division, then managing to become the/a world champ would be more difficult, and so more prestigious.
- The simplification of weight divisions would make it easier for all, but specifically the wider public, to understand.

ArtOfWar · Post by **ArtOfWar** » 13 Jul 2005, 16:36

This is just a farce if true. Bloody leeches are just trying to find new way's to steal money.

Pro boxing should adpot the same 11 weight divisions as the amateurs, but they won't, because it makes to much sense.

steve689 · Post by **steve689** » 14 Jul 2005, 04:46

Having all these weight divisions also means fighters are all to quick to jump and switch weights which adds no continuity or consistency to a division...it's an argument we had before on another post. Why don't figters stick around and try to dominate a division without jumping around the weights all the time? It's infuriating.

Max Molyneux · Post by **Max Molyneux** » 14 Jul 2005, 09:50

It's these weight classes that make boxers 5 weight champions easier to achieve because of the small weight in them.