BoxRec

We all hear about fighters that start off well and then get smashed by some beast of a puncher and out comes the suggestion that they need to move up or down a weight to continue their career.

Which of the modern generation do you think has done this successfully and why do fighters feel the need to do this rather than rebuilding and staying at the same weight?

A young Pacquiao?

Vinny Pazienza?

Thobela and his magic handwraps.

Lou gent went from a fat cruiser weight to fighting Nigel benn for the WBC super middle weight belt

stevedoc wrote:Lou gent went from a fat cruiser weight to fighting Nigel benn for the WBC super middle weight belt

I saw the thread title and thought I would sneak in with that one and look a god with the forums deepest knowledge and blow everyone away. Then saw you had the same idea

An obvious one, Guillermo Jones?

Tony Bellew

Was butterbean a heavy before switching to super heavy?

Floyd mayweather, oscar de la hoya, miguel cotto.

Rexob wrote:Tony Bellew

you sarky bastard

lefty wrote:Floyd mayweather, oscar de la hoya, miguel cotto.

These guys moved up the weights because they were good enough to do so, not because they had to re-assess.

Boxing Prospect wrote:An obvious one, Guillermo Jones?

With the help of some 'enhancements'.

lefty wrote:Floyd mayweather, oscar de la hoya, miguel cotto.

Most say Cotto was at his best at 140.

Jamie Mc Donnell is a fighter, who made it work at a higher weight class. He fought and lost to Chris Edwards in the first ever contest for the British Super Flyweight title.

Jason Booth is another name that made it work.

holyfield

roy jones

and james toney.

david haye.

Glenn McCrory went from merely making up the numbers at heavyweight to IBF cruiserweight champ.
Jon Thaxton had more success in terms of titles when campaigning at lightweight rather than as a light-welter.

Michael Spinks,best at light heavy and then beat the top man at heavy,twice.

brian13 wrote:

lefty wrote:Floyd mayweather, oscar de la hoya, miguel cotto.

Most say Cotto was at his best at 140.

Jamie Mc Donnell is a fighter, who made it work at a higher weight class. He fought and lost to Chris Edwards in the first ever contest for the British Super Flyweight title.

Jason Booth is another name that made it work.

Booths a great shout,won British and/or Commonwealth titles from Fly up to Bantam,he was one of my favs

Sung Kil Moon? Very good Bantamweight, sensational Super Flyweight. One of the few to have moved down and had success

tobyh5 wrote:

stevedoc wrote:Lou gent went from a fat cruiser weight to fighting Nigel benn for the WBC super middle weight belt

I saw the thread title and thought I would sneak in with that one and look a god with the forums deepest knowledge and blow everyone away. Then saw you had the same idea

LOL. This was the first fight I ever saw live. If was a strange night. There were loads of villains around, though I was naive and young so had no idea, I just thought it was odd there were so many flash dressed folks around.
I remember Alex Steene wearing dark glasses, three big bodybuilders accompanying Gent in (one black, one Asian, one ginger).
I could barely see the fight as everyone kept jumping on their seats. The fight didn't seem to last long.

Gent, I remember, threw very correct punches.... Steve Collins I remember was on the card (I didn't think he looked that great) and for some reason I remember Mark Tibbs who was a prospect at the time.....

I see to remember the place had real atmosphere and seemed smoky (probably an invented memory as it was long ago.)

To be honest I found the whole thing a bit disappointing as the security let everyone jump in their seats and I couldn't see (they did tell me to get down though as I was on the outer's record ringside, but not the others in front.... So I missed a lot of the fight and it seemed so quick.... Collins seemed ordinary too that night.)

As I remember, most Brits critics thought it was an undeserved defence, Gent's record was not that good, even at Cruiser. To warrant a world title shot. It was more about connections.

Before he fought Nigel, his super Middle record was as below:

Hunter Clay
Leisure Centre, Tooting, London, United Kingdom W PTS 12 12x3
WBC International super middleweight title
1992-09-15 172 Karl Barwise 169 12-17-3
Crystal Palace, London, United Kingdom W TKO 6 8x3
1992-07-14 169 Simon Collins 6-14-3
Grosvenor House, Mayfair, London, United Kingdom W TKO 5 8x3
1992-05-12 168 Johnny Melfah 166 12-9-0
National Sports Centre, Crystal Palace, London, United Kingdom L TKO 3 8x3
1992-02-25 168 Fidel Castro Smith 167 19-3-0
National Sports Centre, Crystal Palace, London, United Kingdom L PTS 12 12x3
BBBofC British super middleweight title
1991-10-30 165¾ Henry Wharton 167¼ 11-0-0
Town Hall, Leeds, Yorkshire, United Kingdom D PTS 12 12x3
referee: Roy Francis 118-118
Commonwealth (British Empire) super middleweight title
1991-05-16 171 Gus Mendes 2-11-0
Town Hall, Battersea, London, United Kingdom W KO 8 8x3

Enzo mac has bounced up and down a few times with mixed success. Going back Vito Antoufermo got whacked by Mo Hope then has some success at middleweight.

John Conteh started out at Heavyweight, and quite a few washed up light heavies jumped up to cruiser when that started. Same with middle to super middle when that kicked off.

handsofstone wrote:

brian13 wrote:

lefty wrote:Floyd mayweather, oscar de la hoya, miguel cotto.

Most say Cotto was at his best at 140.

Jamie Mc Donnell is a fighter, who made it work at a higher weight class. He fought and lost to Chris Edwards in the first ever contest for the British Super Flyweight title.

Jason Booth is another name that made it work.

Booths a great shout,won British and/or Commonwealth titles from Fly up to Bantam,he was one of my favs

Fought Molitor for the IBF title at Super Bantam also.

He gave Molitor a tough night,Steve deserved the W although one judge had it a draw

Broomhall wrote: Same with middle to super middle when that kicked off.

Murray Sutherland . Smashed to bits at Light Heavy, heads down to middle, beat again at the higher level......then becomes the Undisputed Super Middleweight Champion of the World (....ok ....IBF....but it was the only one at the time ;;-) )

....then gets smashed to bits again

OK, not a prime example, but he got thumped then changed weights for 'unprecedented' success

InChul Baek? Failed to win a world title at 154, moved up and became one of the top guys at 168