Making weight

[CheckHook]

I question how much any sort of heavy weight draining really helps a fighter anyway. If anything, if you look at some of the better fighters out there these days they really aren't cutting all that much or coming in excessively heavy on fight night. Pacquiao was devastating in the first few years after he stopped cutting weight and looked as strong as he ever had. Floyd doesn't seem to cut more than a few lbs at 147 and he is the best in the business. Froch makes 168lb with ease and has the best chin in the business. Obviously you are going to be giving something up to the excessive weight drainers if you enter the ring right on the limit, but I'm not sure if these guys who are rehydrating 10+ lb overnight are really gaining much of an advantage over the guys who are naturally closer to the weight and only rehydrating 4 or 5lbs.

[jimglen]

what are the dangers from fighting completely 'drained' and I don't mean just weakened or sluggish, but what actual biological dangers for extreme weight cutting in short notice, namely in a couple of weeks or less, can take place? what are the recognized effects on a fighter.

[Counter-puncher]

I question how much any sort of heavy weight draining really helps a fighter anyway. If anything, if you look at some of the better fighters out there these days they really aren't cutting all that much or coming in excessively heavy on fight night. Pacquiao was devastating in the first few years after he stopped cutting weight and looked as strong as he ever had. Floyd doesn't seem to cut more than a few lbs at 147 and he is the best in the business. Froch makes 168lb with ease and has the best chin in the business. Obviously you are going to be giving something up to the excessive weight drainers if you enter the ring right on the limit, but I'm not sure if these guys who are rehydrating 10+ lb overnight are really gaining much of an advantage over the guys who are naturally closer to the weight and only rehydrating 4 or 5lbs.

hmm. i wonder if the distinction to be made there is actually a bit wider; i think the really big guys at a given weight are likely gaining quite a lot more than 10lbs post-weighin.