Are there too many weight classes in boxing these days?

[Sweet Dick Willie]

Yes, I think there is but I'm no expert.

In here I read a lot of criticism of the 17 (18) classes but then again from time to time I read that they're there for a reason and that of course the likes of Teo Lopez and D. Bivol beat the likes of Lomachenko and Canelo because of their natural size advantages, but Teo and Loma would've been regularly fighting in the same weight class in the golden olden days, and so would have Canelo and Bivol, no? Well, Bivol might have been heavyweight but you get point, maybe...

[joshj909]

Yes. There should be a weight class every 5kg until MW and then adjusted to 10kg between classes. There would be an argument for CW being 95kg. Then HW without a limit. This should be about 9.

HW 90kg+
CW 90kg
LHW 80kg
MW 70KG
WW 65kg
LW 60kg
FW 55kg
BW 50kg
FLW 45kg

Reason being, everyone is a champion, everyone is a multi weight champion, nobody can keep track of it, so many guys in the lower and middle classes hop between weightclasses without any bother yet there's supposed to be a significant enough advantage that they need a whole new weightclass.

[gilgamesh]

There's at least 7 too many. You could chop it down to 10 easily.

[HomicideHenry]

To my mind there's no reason to have more than the original 8 weight classes, when you can simply have catch weight bouts in-between the important fights. If there are to be additional weight classes it should be in the reverse (lower than flyweight) rather than more weight classes the higher you go.

Why? This isn't like wrestling where a guy 300 pounds most likely would smother a 195 pound man, because there's more instances than not where the 195 pound man defeats a 300 pound man in boxing. Different mechanisms of physics going on in boxing than wrestling or even MMA.

I think the cruiserweight limit should stay 195 and heavyweight be 196+ .... I'm no fan of making heavyweight suddenly be 210+ when the bridgerweight experiment has shown that such weight disparities are easily overcome. Not to mention historical precedent of men under 210 defeating much larger opponents on a pretty regular basis.

[lenny.boxing]

To my mind there's no reason to have more than the original 8 weight classes, when you can simply have catch weight bouts in-between the important fights.

That is one of the biggest issues in MMA. Theres way less weightclasses however extreme cutting is a huge problem due to this. Former Flyweight Champion (125 lbs division) weighs 165 lbs out of camp and cuts down from 160.
I would be for less weight classes since fighters would be forced to fight eachother, but it could create a lot of discussions about weight cutting like there is in mma right now.

[CMCanavessi]

8 weight classes with weigh-in on fight night.

[JMac]

There should only be 10 weight classes max but then the poor greedy bastards that run the alphabet organizations won't get a sanction fee for every BS championships fight! There used to be a time when there was only 8 weight classes and one governing body. Everybody in the world knew who was the world champ in most weight classes. Now, nobody knows who the champs are especially since there is so many BS alphabets. I've been involved in boxing for like 45 years and I have no clue who most of the so called champs are. I gave up on trying to keep track especially there are so few great fights anymore. Boxing is dying.

[Bandog]

Yes. Years ago there were only 8, and still had multiple weight champs. Now 17, with 4 champs at each weight plus bogus interim, regular, etc belts. Saying it's too watered down is understated.

It's BS, but money talks. It's happed in a few other sports too. With 17 weight classes catchweights shouldn't exist.

Tank get criticized for allowing 136?

[Sweet Dick Willie]

bogus interim, regular, etc belts

By the way, off topic but didn't WBA announce like a year ago that they would get rid of the bogus belts? Hows that progressing? I think the most stupid bullshit is the SUPER world champion status which leads to guys like Daniel Dubois and David Morrell being casually talked of as world champions, which they are not. They might be at some point, but now it's basically nothing else but lying to the crowd.

[pugilisticspecialist]

There are way too many below 147, that's for sure and bridgerweight is stupid, but heavyweight, 200 and 175 are fine as they are.

The undisputed cruiserweight title has existed for over 35 years, but the only fighter to have been undisputed at both cruiserweight and heavyweight is Holyfield.

Even a big cruiserweight like Chris Billam-Smith would be dwarfed by guys like Vitali, Lennox, Wlad, Joshua etc, there defo needs to be a class between heavyweight and 175.

[gregregegg]

Yes. There should be a weight class every 5kg until MW and then adjusted to 10kg between classes. There would be an argument for CW being 95kg. Then HW without a limit. This should be about 9.

HW 90kg+
CW 90kg
LHW 80kg
MW 70KG
WW 65kg
LW 60kg
FW 55kg
BW 50kg
FLW 45kg

Reason being, everyone is a champion, everyone is a multi weight champion, nobody can keep track of it, so many guys in the lower and middle classes hop between weightclasses without any bother yet there's supposed to be a significant enough advantage that they need a whole new weightclass.

70kg to 80kg is to big. How many 154s today could rumble with 175s? Because that’s the gap.

[joshj909]

Yes. There should be a weight class every 5kg until MW and then adjusted to 10kg between classes. There would be an argument for CW being 95kg. Then HW without a limit. This should be about 9.

HW 90kg+
CW 90kg
LHW 80kg
MW 70KG
WW 65kg
LW 60kg
FW 55kg
BW 50kg
FLW 45kg

Reason being, everyone is a champion, everyone is a multi weight champion, nobody can keep track of it, so many guys in the lower and middle classes hop between weightclasses without any bother yet there's supposed to be a significant enough advantage that they need a whole new weightclass.

70kg to 80kg is to big. How many 154s today could rumble with 175s? Because that’s the gap.

They wouldn't have to rumble with each other, they would be in different weightclasses.

[gregregegg]

Yes. There should be a weight class every 5kg until MW and then adjusted to 10kg between classes. There would be an argument for CW being 95kg. Then HW without a limit. This should be about 9.

HW 90kg+
CW 90kg
LHW 80kg
MW 70KG
WW 65kg
LW 60kg
FW 55kg
BW 50kg
FLW 45kg

Reason being, everyone is a champion, everyone is a multi weight champion, nobody can keep track of it, so many guys in the lower and middle classes hop between weightclasses without any bother yet there's supposed to be a significant enough advantage that they need a whole new weightclass.

70kg to 80kg is to big. How many 154s today could rumble with 175s? Because that’s the gap.

They wouldn't have to rumble with each other, they would be in different weightclasses.

Ok fair. But 160s would have to fight 175s and it’s not like that’s happening either. This gap would force 160s to cut even more weight.

Might of never known who GGG is if this was the weight classes… or get a subprime weakened 154 version of him.

[Redback Rasta]

Too many weight divisions. Too many belts. Too many organizations. But that is modern day boxing and it isn't going to change, unfortunately.

[jezzamundo]

210lb
190lb
175lb
160lb
147lb
135lb
126lb
118lb
112lb

[JMac]

210lb
190lb
175lb
160lb
147lb
135lb
126lb
118lb
112lb

I like these but I would modify and move 190 to 200 and call it cruiser and 200+ heavyweight.

[gilgamesh]

210lb
190lb
175lb
160lb
147lb
135lb
126lb
118lb
112lb

I'm with you all the way except for one huge one.

I'd drop the 210 pound weight class entirely.

I'd add in a 105 pound weight class for the absolute smallest guys. The Strawweights.

Anyone over 190 pounds (if you wanted to split the difference and make Cruiserweight 200 pounds I could live with that, but I prefer it to be 190) is a Heavyweight like the old days, and Boxing is back to the way God intended.

Anything resembling a Bridgerweight weight class, any extra weight class after 200 pounds is an abomination to me, and I'll die on that hill. I'll never even so much as watch a fight in that weight class. Whether you call Bridgerweight or whatever. If I were in the stadium I'd go take a piss during the fight. If it were on TV I'd change the channel.

I'll never support that idea for one second. It's a disgrace to a sport that has existed since before any of us were born. Don't come along and f*ck with it.

[Bard of Boxrec]

Are there too many questions about weight classes in boxing these days

Yes
no
Somewhere in between
Richard the secret Williams

[Cent0089]

Weight clases are just fine, belts and organisations are the problem. But i will go for:

112 lbs Minimumweight
118 lbs Flyweight
125 lbs Bantamweight
132 lbs Featherweight
140 lbs Lightweight
147 lbs Light welterweight
155 lbs Welterweight
165 lbs Light middleweight
175 lbs Middleweight
185 lbs Light heavyweight
200 lbs Cruiserweight
200+ lbs Heavyweight

Rehydratation:
Minimum, Fly, Bantam, Feather: max 8 lbs
Light, Light welter, Welter: max 10 lbs
Light middle, Middle, Light heavy, Cruiser: max 12 lbs

OR: you must weigh under next weightclass before fight. 175 lbs middleweight must weigh less than 185 light heavy limit before fight

[jezzamundo]

210lb
190lb
175lb
160lb
147lb
135lb
126lb
118lb
112lb

I like these but I would modify and move 190 to 200 and call it cruiser and 200+ heavyweight.

I'd be happy to get rid of the 210lb class. Cruiser should have stayed at 190lb though - the 25lb jump from light heavyweight Is too big.

[jezzamundo]

210lb
190lb
175lb
160lb
147lb
135lb
126lb
118lb
112lb

I'm with you all the way except for one huge one.

I'd drop the 210 pound weight class entirely.

I'd add in a 105 pound weight class for the absolute smallest guys. The Strawweights.

Anyone over 190 pounds (if you wanted to split the difference and make Cruiserweight 200 pounds I could live with that, but I prefer it to be 190) is a Heavyweight like the old days, and Boxing is back to the way God intended.

Anything resembling a Bridgerweight weight class, any extra weight class after 200 pounds is an abomination to me, and I'll die on that hill. I'll never even so much as watch a fight in that weight class. Whether you call Bridgerweight or whatever. If I were in the stadium I'd go take a piss during the fight. If it were on TV I'd change the channel.

I'll never support that idea for one second. It's a disgrace to a sport that has existed since before any of us were born. Don't come along and f*ck with it.

I largely agree with you - I'd be happy with cruiser going back to 190lb and calling it a day.

[jaouad]

Yes absolutely. There is a champion every 5 KG plus add the 4 ''recognized'' championship belts, nowadays any bum can be a champion.

[pound per pound]

Yes, I think there is but I'm no expert.

In here I read a lot of criticism of the 17 (18) classes but then again from time to time I read that they're there for a reason and that of course the likes of Teo Lopez and D. Bivol beat the likes of Lomachenko and Canelo because of their natural size advantages, but Teo and Loma would've been regularly fighting in the same weight class in the golden olden days, and so would have Canelo and Bivol, no? Well, Bivol might have been heavyweight but you get point, maybe...

Yes, yes and yes. IMO the mma weight classes are more reflective to the population.

Weight Class Weight Allowance Glove size


Straw weight up to and including 115 lbs. 3 lbs. 4 to 8 oz.
Flyweight over 115 to 125 lbs. 3 lbs. 4 to 8 oz.
Bantamweight over 125 to 135 lbs. 3 lbs. 4 to 8 oz.
Featherweight over 135 to 145 lbs. 5 lbs. 4 to 8 oz.
Lightweight over 145 to 155 lbs. 5 lbs. 4 to 8 oz.
Super Lightweight over 155 to 165 lbs. 5 lbs. 4 to 8 oz.


Welterweight over 165 to 170 lbs. 5 lbs. 4 to 8 oz.
Super Welterweight over 170 to 175 lbs 7 lbs. 4 to 8 oz.
Middleweight over 175 to 185 lbs. 7 lbs. 4 to 8 oz.
Super Middleweight over 185 to 195 lbs. 7 lbs 4 to 8 oz.


Light Heavyweight over 195 to 205 lbs. 7 lbs. 4 to 8 oz.
Cruiserweight over 205 to 225 lbs. 7 lbs. 4 to 8 oz.
Heavyweight over 225 to 265 lbs. 7 lbs. 4 to 8 oz.
Super Heavyweight over 265 lbs. 4 to 8 oz..

[KiwiRider]

There are too many threads about too many weight classes on boxrec these days

[Ruthless-RKO]

There are too many threads about too many weight classes on boxrec these days

Let’s discuss on another thread, how many threads there should be.

And since it’s me, I’ll start it and throw in a good ol’ poll.