BoxRec

how much does it bother you if a fighter misses weight?

not at all? a bit? something that turns you off a fighter forever?

It's the only set guideline that allows a certain fairness between two fighters.
You can be crazy tall, dwarf short, long arms, T-rex arms, even fat, but as long as you weigh the same- your good to go.
Failing to make weight is unprofessional, and unfair.
And its a professional sport.

Not really as its a matter of a few pounds, in most cases.

What is much more annoying is the early weigh ins and the allow period to 're-hydrate'. That, I class as cheating as some fighters really take advantage of that.....and yes, i understand why the current measures were introduced.

Simple, really, struggle to make weight, no early weigh ins and then allowed to balloon right up above the division weight. Struggle to make the weight. Move up.

Depends how blatantly it's been done to get an edge on the opponent.

Castillo v Corrales II went down pretty badly, for example, largely because of the perception that Castillo didn't make an honest effort to get down to 135. (https://www.BS.com/castillo-co ... ssue--2159) Boxing history pretty much ignores that rematch for a good reason.

Sometimes though a fighter just can't do it anymore for one reason or another. Scott Harrison pulled out of his defence against Nicky Cook because he was facing kidney failure if he tried to get back down to featherweight.

it's no fair. It's not professional. And it's not a good luck. I suppose how bothered we are might depend on the circumstances. If they tried and just can't do it, that's less than someone taking the proverbial imo.

It's an issue. The whole weight draining, cutting, rehydration stuff is a massive part of the sport now. Someone weighing over by a couple of pounds at weigh in, then arriving at the same weight as the other guy on fight night just shows how mental it is.

It's cheating, one thing is a few ounces, pounds is another thing.

If you can't make the weight, don't take the fight.

All fighters have to boil down, it's a fine balance between fighting smaller(or guys your own size) and being strong enough.

Sometimes coming in heavy, especially at short notice, means you aren't in shape, but it's a deceitful trick to come in strong at a weight above to fight I guy who has worked hard to make the weight.

I doubt Garcia would have won if he had made weight.

Coco wrote: ↑22 Apr 2024, 16:55 It's cheating, one thing is a few ounces, pounds is another thing.

If you can't make the weight, don't take the fight.

All fighters have to boil down, it's a fine balance between fighting smaller(or guys your own size) and being strong enough.

Sometimes coming in heavy, especially at short notice, means you aren't in shape, but it's a deceitful trick to come in strong at a weight above to fight I guy who has worked hard to make the weight.

I doubt Garcia would have won if he had made weight.

I like this summary of it. I agree. I didn't like the gloating attitude when he came in heavy, at the very least you should be graceful when you've taken the pee weight-wise.

I feel people getting things mixed up a little here regarding the weight.

Taking illegal PEDs without your opponent knowing to gain an unfair advantage such as increased strength/stamina is cheating.

But lots of great fighters give up weight to fight other good boxers. Duran, Manny Pacquiao, ODLH, Usyk ..
Haney knew beforehand Garcia couldn`t make the weight hence him asking for 500k for every pound over, plus Garcia wasn`t able to win the title.

Bottom-line is Haney knew beforehand and made his own decision to still take the fight. I don`t see anything underhand there - Haney could have cancelled and taken his $1.5 million off Garcia and fought an easy hand-picked late notice opponent (for considerably less than the $30million, but kept his 0) ... Haney turned down big money for a Loma rematch so he isn`t concerned about swerving a pay day to keep his unbeaten record.

It bothers me a lot

NazNaci1 wrote: ↑22 Apr 2024, 16:11 Not really as its a matter of a few pounds, in most cases.

It’s those few pounds that are the hardest to get off.

If Garcia never attempted to, he had a considerably easier camp than Haney.

Frostieballs wrote: ↑23 Apr 2024, 02:52

NazNaci1 wrote: ↑22 Apr 2024, 16:11 Not really as its a matter of a few pounds, in most cases.

It’s those few pounds that are the hardest to get off.

If Garcia never attempted to, he had a considerably easier camp than Haney.

This is it, 100%.

It's a weight-governed sport. The weight divisions are there to try, as far as reasonably possible, to ensure that there is a fair baseline for a fight. There are enough ways in which the dice can be loaded against one fighter (e.g. short notice, having to travel, whether opponent is "clean", etc etc) without people taking advantage of one of the few variables that can and should be controlled. Those missing weight in title fights, particularly on big televised events, are taking advantage of the fact that it is very hard for the other fighter to pull out in those late circumstances, given commercial pressures. Although it's commercially unworkable, I'd like to see the fighter who misses weight in a title fight forfeit, say, 30% of their purse for every pound (or part thereof), which is then split between the opponent and the promoter. So if you are, say, 2.5 pounds over, that's treated as 3 x 30%, so 90% of the purse gone. But that's just a pipedream.

In the Garcia-Haney case, was a check-weigh done? That would have highlighted that Garcia was not going to make the weight, wouldn't it?

Don't like it, weight cuts are incredibly diffiuclt.

Depends on circumstances. If they come in over weight when there's a rehydration clause then I have no issues at all. I also do not mind so much if their opponent is a weight bully.

Then you have to factor in how much they've missed weight by. If it's minimal amounts it's unprofessional but it's not the end of the world. If they are wayyyyy off then they're an idiot. It seemed clear to me that Garcia didn't care about winning the belt, made some effort to make weight but anticipated being over would be needed to match Haney's fight night weight.

I more have a problem with the whole weight cutting aspect of the sport. Cutting weight should be limited to a percentage of fight night weight or the weight a few weeks before the fight. Nothing wrong with being in great shape but draining your body before getting punched in the head is dangerous but, also, using it to your advantage as a "weight bully" is also a loophole which is somewhat cheating weigh-ins in my opinion.

Ounces and getting your cock out on the scales is forgivable… especially if you still fail weight and give up a significant portion of your wage for the fight to happen. To purposely come in lbs heavy without even trying is actually scandalous and fights should be pulled straight away with the offending boxer getting a substantial ban. Plus he must be made to pay damages to a fighter.

I don’t rate Garcia’s win over Haney. It’s cheating.

Frostieballs wrote: ↑23 Apr 2024, 02:52

NazNaci1 wrote: ↑22 Apr 2024, 16:11 Not really as its a matter of a few pounds, in most cases.

It’s those few pounds that are the hardest to get off.

If Garcia never attempted to, he had a considerably easier camp than Haney.

I get your point. However, is it also cheating if a fighter, using past examples, boils down in weight a day before the weigh in and then on fight night, after rehydrating, far exceeds that 'legal limit'? ie Canelo, Scott Harrison, Chris Eubank, Adrian Broner et al.....That also, to me is cheating, albeit more acceptable but completely unfair.

Frostieballs wrote: ↑23 Apr 2024, 02:52

NazNaci1 wrote: ↑22 Apr 2024, 16:11 Not really as its a matter of a few pounds, in most cases.

It’s those few pounds that are the hardest to get off.

If Garcia never attempted to, he had a considerably easier camp than Haney.

I get your point. However, is it also cheating if a fighter, using past examples, boils down in weight the day before, for the weigh in and then on fight night, after rehydrating, far exceeds that 'legal limit'? ie Canelo, Scott Harrison, Chris Eubank, Adrian Broner et al.....That also, to me is cheating, albeit more acceptable but completely unfair.

Haney was 26lb heavier on fight night than the 140lb limit when he fought Regis Prograis ... Prograis suspects Haney used an IV rehydrate for their fight. Thats cheating.

Have the fight night weights been released for Haney`s fight with Garcia?

tonyevs wrote: ↑23 Apr 2024, 13:24 Haney was 26lb heavier on fight night than the 140lb limit when he fought Regis Prograis ... Prograis suspects Haney used an IV rehydrate for their fight. Thats cheating.

Have the fight night weights been released for Haney`s fight with Garcia?

I think I read that Garcia wouldn't be weighed on fight night because he missed weight. Pretty sure Dan Rafael or Copp tweeted something like that.

would be good to see the fight night weights - do the boxers have to let them weigh them on fight night? I suspect IVs are rampant in use.

If Haney was 166lb on the night he boxed Prograis, then I wouldn't expect him to be much, if anything, below that on the night he fought Garcia.

Haney had a rehydration clause set for Prograis when they fought - but none set for himself - Haney clearly not a guy who believes in fair play.

It's a huge deal, one fighter has been professional and made weight, often weakening his body yo achieve this. Another fighter avoiding this by not dropping the last few pounds is cheating.

Ideally I'd like to see weight cutting abolished completely, but until then fighters must make the agreed upon weight.