Boxing has 8 (!!) divisions differentiating guys that weigh less than 130 pounds and only 2 for fighters over 175 pounds. Granted, we are a nation of fatsos, but I bet you know ten full grown men that weigh more than 175 for every one that weighs less than 130. Without doing any research, I think I can safely assume that these weight class distinctions, or some close approximation of them, are a relic of the turn of the century. (Are we still calling the late 1800s and early 1900s "the turn of THE century"?) The average man is probably 4 inches taller than he was when these divisions were made (again too lazy to research it) and nutrition and modern strength and conditioning programs lead to more muscled athletes. Boxing is the least reverential major sport in America. It is uniquely unafraid to make a mockery of itself. So why are they still stuck on these goofy weight classes?
At the risk of sounding gay, when I think of the quintessential jock, I imagine a guy that is tall, but not unusually so. He is somewhere in the 5'11 to 6'3" range. He is very muscular, but not to the point where it begins to make him a stiff. He probably weighs between 175 and 215 pounds. I picture NFL running backs or Olympic sprinters. Delicious fantasy aside, I have a point here. These are exactly the types of athletes that are incapable of becoming major boxing stars under the current system.
The Cruiserweight Division, for fighters that weigh between 175 and 200 pounds is almost completely ignored by the boxing fan. It has long been seen as a minor leagues for smaller heavyweights (Evander Holyfield, Chris Byrd). Cruiserweights get no respect.
Making matters worse is the recent dominance of the "super heavyweights" in the heavyweight division. Riddick Bowe and Lennox Lewis ushered in this dull era in the early nineties and the Klitschkos and other giant creepy Slavs are continuing it for the foreseeable future. Therefore, a guy that weighs less than 220 probably cannot contend for the Heavyweight Championship anymore. The prototypical athletic body, weighing between 176 and 215 cannot attain any relevant titles.
Boxing should cap the Heavyweight Division at 220 and add a legitimate Super Heavyweight division.
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2 comments:
Dude that didnt sound gay at all.
I don't agree. Big heavy weights like Klitchso are still beatable. It's just that no one is good enough to knock him out. Adding another divison will not be good for boxing and will put less attention to the cruiser weights.
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