Fighters who went down in weight as they got older

SAPFO
Heavyweight
Heavyweight
Posts: 2732
Joined: 06 May 2010, 16:48

Fighters who went down in weight as they got older

Post by SAPFO »

Mike Perez has got me on this. He 'looks' good, and if he carries the power, he could be useful down there. Enzo went down and has been 'meh', Gavin's gone down and don't look likes he's going to rip any trees up.

So, who went down there weights, and had a more successful career? There are probably loads of obvious, but rather than rely on my memory, I'll pick yours instead.
Stuarty
Middleweight
Posts: 27293
Joined: 20 Aug 2014, 10:28

Re: Fighters who went down in weight as they got older

Post by Stuarty »

Gavin Rees won his world strap at 140 against M'Baye. After he lost his title in the first defence against Kotelnik he campaigned at 135. Won a few titles and challenged Broner for a world title. On the whole he was pretty successful moving down I'd say.
SaadOffTheDeck
Heavyweight
Heavyweight
Posts: 19602
Joined: 04 Jun 2009, 07:38

Re: Fighters who went down in weight as they got older

Post by SaadOffTheDeck »

I don't think there are any real obvious ones. Yaegashi picked up another belt dropping down. More often then not it's a move of someone that can't come to terms with it being over.
littlepug
Light Heavyweight
Posts: 5351
Joined: 03 Jul 2012, 07:17

Re: Fighters who went down in weight as they got older

Post by littlepug »

Jacob matlala had a lengthy period as a lightly before moving up for a successful stint as a fly (world champ)before moving back down for the rest of his career (world champ again)
Ossyrules
Super Lightweight
Posts: 3050
Joined: 25 Mar 2017, 19:11

Re: Fighters who went down in weight as they got older

Post by Ossyrules »

Not really a proper example but macklin went back down to 154 at the end of his career

Martin Murray returned to 160 after about 4 fights going up to 168

Did Chris Byrd go down in weight near the end?
Stuarty
Middleweight
Posts: 27293
Joined: 20 Aug 2014, 10:28

Re: Fighters who went down in weight as they got older

Post by Stuarty »

Ossyrules wrote:Not really a proper example but macklin went back down to 154 at the end of his career

Martin Murray returned to 160 after about 4 fights going up to 168

Did Chris Byrd go down in weight near the end?
I'm sure Byrd went back to cruiser or even light heavy if my memory is right?
Ossyrules
Super Lightweight
Posts: 3050
Joined: 25 Mar 2017, 19:11

Re: Fighters who went down in weight as they got older

Post by Ossyrules »

Stuarty30 wrote:
Ossyrules wrote:Not really a proper example but macklin went back down to 154 at the end of his career

Martin Murray returned to 160 after about 4 fights going up to 168

Did Chris Byrd go down in weight near the end?
I'm sure Byrd went back to cruiser or even light heavy if my memory is right?
That's my vague recollection as well
SaadOffTheDeck
Heavyweight
Heavyweight
Posts: 19602
Joined: 04 Jun 2009, 07:38

Re: Fighters who went down in weight as they got older

Post by SaadOffTheDeck »

Stuarty30 wrote:
Ossyrules wrote:Not really a proper example but macklin went back down to 154 at the end of his career

Martin Murray returned to 160 after about 4 fights going up to 168

Did Chris Byrd go down in weight near the end?
I'm sure Byrd went back to cruiser or even light heavy if my memory is right?
He went to light heavy and got the shit kicked out of him
SaadOffTheDeck
Heavyweight
Heavyweight
Posts: 19602
Joined: 04 Jun 2009, 07:38

Re: Fighters who went down in weight as they got older

Post by SaadOffTheDeck »

Mundine had an odd weight trajectory, but he was probably most successful at 68.
chinarich
Middleweight
Posts: 6890
Joined: 29 Dec 2013, 13:20

Re: Fighters who went down in weight as they got older

Post by chinarich »

Herbie Hide dropped down to Cruiserweight and did okay, Anthony Mundine had some success dropping down to Middleweight. Those are the first two that spring to mind...
Boxing Writer
Light Heavyweight
Posts: 1347
Joined: 27 Oct 2011, 16:45

Re: Fighters who went down in weight as they got older

Post by Boxing Writer »

Byrd and Toney looked awful when they went down to the LHW and CW respectively. But both of them were completely shot by the time they desided to move down. Roy Jones Jr, though, looked at his best when he decided to come back to the LHW after winning WBA heavyweight belt, but then he looked bad against Tarver, was knocked out in rematch and looked absolutely awful before being knocked out cold by Glen Johnson.
Tuan_Jim
Heavyweight
Heavyweight

Re: Fighters who went down in weight as they got older

Post by Tuan_Jim »

After losing his heavyweight title to Jim Jeffries, Bob Fitzsimmons went down to light heavy and won the title there. Shame Brits aren't more aware of one of their most decorated sons!
Noxy
Super Middleweight
Posts: 6851
Joined: 02 Jun 2013, 10:57

Re: Fighters who went down in weight as they got older

Post by Noxy »

Darren Corbett was a run of the mill heavyweight, then dropped to cruiser and won the Commonwealth title
handsofstone
Cruiserweight
Posts: 23223
Joined: 11 Jan 2011, 17:28

Re: Fighters who went down in weight as they got older

Post by handsofstone »

Tuan_Jim wrote:After losing his heavyweight title to Jim Jeffries, Bob Fitzsimmons went down to light heavy and won the title there. Shame Brits aren't more aware of one of their most decorated sons!
:TU: I might be wrong but I don't think the LHW division existed when Fitzsimmons moved up from MW to HW am I right? Spinks was the first LHW champ to win a title at HW but Fitzsimmons was the 1st to win titles at both weights
orbtastic
Heavyweight
Heavyweight
Posts: 12549
Joined: 05 Dec 2006, 11:22

Re: Fighters who went down in weight as they got older

Post by orbtastic »

Daniel Jimenez
Ketchel
Heavyweight
Heavyweight
Posts: 868
Joined: 17 Nov 2008, 14:18

Re: Fighters who went down in weight as they got older

Post by Ketchel »

Hugh Russell won the British Bantamweight title then after losing it moved down to flyweight to win the British title.
littlepug
Light Heavyweight
Posts: 5351
Joined: 03 Jul 2012, 07:17

Re: Fighters who went down in weight as they got older

Post by littlepug »

handsofstone wrote:
Tuan_Jim wrote:After losing his heavyweight title to Jim Jeffries, Bob Fitzsimmons went down to light heavy and won the title there. Shame Brits aren't more aware of one of their most decorated sons!
:TU: I might be wrong but I don't think the LHW division existed when Fitzsimmons moved up from MW to HW am I right? Spinks was the first LHW champ to win a title at HW but Fitzsimmons was the 1st to win titles at both weights
Good catch sir :salut:
Taansend
Heavyweight
Heavyweight
Posts: 12050
Joined: 10 Jul 2004, 17:38

Re: Fighters who went down in weight as they got older

Post by Taansend »

Tuan_Jim wrote:After losing his heavyweight title to Jim Jeffries, Bob Fitzsimmons went down to light heavy and won the title there. Shame Brits aren't more aware of one of their most decorated sons!
He left the uk as a baby. Doesn't really count as British. Maybe if he'd been ten or twelve...
Taansend
Heavyweight
Heavyweight
Posts: 12050
Joined: 10 Jul 2004, 17:38

Re: Fighters who went down in weight as they got older

Post by Taansend »

Lou Gent. Stopped by Glenn McCrory and Johnny Nelson at Cruiser, moved down to Super Middle and draws with Henry Wharton then has a fun tussle with Nigel Benn :D
BitPlayer
Welterweight
Posts: 3527
Joined: 29 Feb 2016, 05:14

Re: Fighters who went down in weight as they got older

Post by BitPlayer »

Tuan_Jim wrote:After losing his heavyweight title to Jim Jeffries, Bob Fitzsimmons went down to light heavy and won the title there. Shame Brits aren't more aware of one of their most decorated sons!
Not exactly, he was never above the light heavy limit, though the L.Heavy division never existed until later in his career either, he fought heavyweights after he won the light heavyweight title too.
BitPlayer
Welterweight
Posts: 3527
Joined: 29 Feb 2016, 05:14

Re: Fighters who went down in weight as they got older

Post by BitPlayer »

Chris Byrd had a fight at Light Heavyweight then one at Cruiserweight before retiring.
ClivePatrickLyons
Middleweight
Posts: 2811
Joined: 07 Aug 2014, 22:10

Re: Fighters who went down in weight as they got older

Post by ClivePatrickLyons »

Barry [BOY] Michael Was a Australian World rated Lightweight Title contender in the 80's who earlier in his career fought at the lighter weight of Jr Light after year's of fighting at Lightweight went back down to Jr Light and became IBF World Champion and finished his career at that weight Another Aussie in Anthony [The Man] Mundine had some success at going down in weight also Dave Russell was Australian Heavyweight Champion who went down to Cruiserweight and had some of his best win's. :bag:
Tanzio
Light Heavyweight
Posts: 12264
Joined: 04 Feb 2012, 09:17

Re: Fighters who went down in weight as they got older

Post by Tanzio »

Does David Benavidez count?
Taansend
Heavyweight
Heavyweight
Posts: 12050
Joined: 10 Jul 2004, 17:38

Re: Fighters who went down in weight as they got older

Post by Taansend »

Tanzio wrote:Does David Benavidez count?
So now it's a f*cking maths thread.... :brick:
Syntax Error
Heavyweight
Heavyweight
Posts: 9025
Joined: 22 Apr 2005, 08:00

Re: Fighters who went down in weight as they got older

Post by Syntax Error »

Herbie Hide - He started at CW, went up to HW & was moderately successful for a bit, then went back down to CW.
Post Reply