Should boxing change it's current weigh-in format?

Should boxing change the way that it weighs in fighters out of health considerations?

Boxers have a long history of cutting weight in an attempt to have as big of a size advantage as possible come fight night. This size advantage can sometimes be very noticeable, and beneficial, to the fighter who weighs more than his opponent.

In other cases, like with Danny O’Connor this past weekend, cutting such a large amount of weight can cause serious health risks to a fighter.

With weigh-ins currently occurring roughly 24 hours before the fight, it’s very possible, and common, for fighters to rehydrate 10 or more pounds by the time the first bell rings. Some believe that boxing should return to the days of having weigh-ins the morning of a fight to negate the advantages of rehydrating to gain weight.

Others feel the current system of having weigh-ins the evening before is the better choice.

There are various pros and cons to each side, and it appears there is no “right” answer.

An argument in favor of weigh-ins the day of the fight:

The biggest pro with this setup would be that it would likely eliminate fighters having a huge size advantage during the fight. The most recent fight where there was a notable size advantage was Erislandy Lara vs. Jarret Hurd.

Hurd made weight and didn’t appear too drained at the weigh-in. However, come fight night, he legitimately looked like a large light heavyweight/small cruiserweight.

While this was not the reason he won, it undeniably had a factor on the fight.

Canelo Alvarez, the biggest PPV star in the sport, is another fighter known to gain a large amount of weight from the time of the weigh-in to the time the fight starts. Again, this is not the reason that Canelo is among the best in the sport, but it surely does not hurt having a size advantage over your opponent.

An argument in favor of weigh-Ins the night before a fight:

No matter what, fighters will try to cut weight in order to gain an advantage. There is almost nothing a fighter won’t do in order to gain an edge, no matter how small that edge may be.

Since they will be cutting to dangerously low weights no matter what, why not give them time to rehydrate to a healthy weight? As previously stated, this past weekend O’Connor tried and was unable to make weight.

However, the sad truth is that even if weigh-ins were the same day as the fight, O’Connor likely would have still attempted to make weight. Someone like O’Connor, who is not an elite fighter, would never turn down the opportunity at a title shot.

A win would have changed his career, as well as provided a large pay day. Imagine the weigh-in was the day of the fight and he was somehow able to make weight. Fighting later that day, while in that state, would have led to a serious injury.

Wouldn’t it be more dangerous to have someone who cannot urinate because they are so dehydrated go out and fight, as opposed to one fighter having a size advantage?

In an ideal world, moving the weigh-in to the same day as the fight would stop fighters from cutting an unhealthy amount of weight, and result in fighters being closer to their natural weight . However, we do not live in an ideal world.

There will be a fighter who tries to lose extra weight by dehydrating himself, barely make weight, go on to fight later that day while not fully hydrated. It’s unfortunate that so many fighters harm themselves to get that size advantage, but it’s an unfortunate part of the sport.

It is better to protect these guys and deal with size advantages/disadvantages than to deal with fighters being dangerously dehydrated in the morning, and go on to fight 12 hours later.

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My opinion:

There are certainly pros and cons to both sides. In an ideal world, fighters would fight as close as possible to their natural weight (while still in fighting shape). However, it is unrealistic to expect that.

Boxers, and all athletes for that matter, are looking to gain an edge. Whether it is new supplements, new training techniques or cutting weight. It’s a part of the sport, and will be forever.

In my opinion, the best way to counter this is something that is currently used by the IBF, but not mandated in the sport as a whole. That is having the weigh-in the night before a fight, as well as having an additional weigh-in the day of the fight.

Having a limit of how much a fighter can weigh the next day seems to be the best of both worlds. This would still allow fighters to get an edge over their opponents, while limiting potential health hazards.

For the sake of this argument, say the limit a fighter can gain overnight is eight pounds. Many fighters would likely not be cutting as much weight as they currently do if they knew they would not be allowed to gain more than eight pounds by the next day.

In addition to protecting the health of fighters, it would limit the amount of fighters obtaining ridiculous weight advantages. The IBF is currently the only sanctioning body that enforces a same-day weigh-in, and I for one hope the others follow their lead.

As with all issues, there is no perfect answer. But no matter which side you may fall on, we can all agree that instances like O’Connor’s are very unfortunate, and should be prevented as much as possible.

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Should boxing change its current weigh-in format?

By Matthew Saljanin | Jul 11, 2018

Should boxing change the way that it weighs in fighters out of health considerations?

An argument in favor of weigh-ins the day of the fight:

An argument in favor of weigh-Ins the night before a fight:

My opinion: