Posts Tagged ‘Weight’

Filed under: WBC, WBO, Boxing Rumors, HBO, Top Rank Promotions

WBC middleweight (160 pounds) titlist Sergio Martinez is willing to drop weight if it means a shot at six-time champ Floyd Mayweather or eight-division champion, Manny Pacquiao’s, WBC junior middleweight (154 pounds) belt in a clash of southpaws, the Argentinian-born fighter said on Wednesday.

“If Manny is willing to defend his WBC super welterweight title, I would come down to 154 pounds to challenge him for it as well as allow him to challenge me for my WBC middleweight title,” said the 35-year-old Martinez, who is 46-2-2, with 25 knockouts. “

“It would be the opportunity of a lifetime,” said Martinez in a prepared statement. “But I’m a realist, and if he feels that he is physically too small to fight me, I certainly understand that too.”

On Nov. 13, the 31-year-old Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 knockouts) scored a lopsided, unanimous decision victory over ex-titlist Antonio Margarito (38-7, 27 KOs) for the junior middleweight crown that was vacated by Martinez at Cowboys Stadium, earning his eighth crown over as many different weight classes, and his 13th straight win with eight knockouts during that run.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Fanhouse Boxing

Welcome back, did you check out this awesome street fighting program, it rocks

Filed under: WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, Boxing Rumors, HBO, FanHouse Exclusive, Top Rank Promotions

On Nov. 13 at the Dallas Cowboys’ Stadium, Manny Pacquiao (pictured above, center) will pursue what is widely regarded as his eighth title in as many different weight classes when he faces former world champion, Antonio Margarito.

Already the WBO welterweight (147 pounds) king, the 31-year-old Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 knockouts) will face the 32-year-old Margarito (38-6, 27 KOs) in an HBO pay per view televised, Top Rank Promotions clash for the WBC’s junior middleweight (154 pounds) belt.

Their fight is being contested at catch weight of 150 pounds, meaning that neither fighter can weigh more than that, and, marking the second time that Pacquiao’s contract has mandated such an agreement for a title bout. The last time, in November of 2009, the Filipino superstar dethroned Miguel Cotto for his current belt in the 12th round at a catch weight of 145.

Because of the catch weight, however, there are some in the sport who consider it deceptive to call Pacquiao-Margarito a true title fight.

“The notion of championships has already become almost meaningless in this day and age, because you have so many different weight divisions and so many different sanctioning bodies,” said boxing historian Thomas Hauser. “And then, you have them being further diluted by the idea of catch weights.”

Pacquiao began his career as a 106-pound, 16-year-old with a four-round decision over Edmund Enting Ignacio in January 1995, and earned his first world title with an April 1999, fourth-round knockout of Gabriel Mira at 112 pounds.

Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports notes that Pacquiao has won crowns in either six, or, seven divisions, depending upon how it is calculated.

Pacquiao has earned sanctioning body belts at 112, 122, 130, 135, 140 and 147 pounds. At 126, Pacquiao defeated Mexican great Marco Antonio Barrera, who was considered the linear champion even as he already had vacated all of his belts without having lost before facing Pacquiao.

Pacquiao has won 12 straight with eight KOs during that run, having last suffered defeat in March of 2005 against Erik Morales by unanimous decision as a super featherweight (130 pounds).

“When I look at Manny Pacquiao, I see a spectacular fighter who has gone up in weight to face increasingly more difficult challenges. What I don’t see is a guy who is fighting for his eighth world championship against Antonio Margarito,” said Hauser. “I believe that Margarito might very well be Manny Pacquiao’s most difficult challenge of all, but I also think that the notion of a championship is irrelevant.”

Pacquiao’s promoter, Bob Arum, disagrees.

“Catch weights have existed for the whole history of boxing. I remember that Sugar Ray Leonard won the light heavyweight championship [175 pounds] of the world coming in at 165 pounds when I think the catch weight was 166. When Ray Leonard and Tommy Hearns fought for the super middleweight [168 pounds] title, the catch weight was 162,” said Arum, CEO of Top Rank Promotions.

“This is not something new in boxing. The maximum limit for each weight category is just that. The maximum limit. Fighters always throughout history have arranged to meet at a catch weight,” said Arum. “So I don’t think that it affects at all that this is the eighth title. It’s being fought at a weight that is above welterweight and at a maximum weight at 150 pounds, and therefore, it qualifies as a super welterweight fight.”

Sugar Ray Robinson (pictured above, at left) never lost as a welterweight fight, and was beaten once in his first 134 bouts on the way to a 175-19-6 record. Robinson’s lone stoppage loss was in June of 1952, when he failed to win the light heavyweight title from Joey Maxim.

But the fact that Robinson weighed only 157.5 to Maxim’s 173 had nothing to do with his 14th-round knockout loss. Instead, Robinson succumbed to heat exhaustion in the 103-degree temperatures at a time when he was ahead by 10, nine, and, seven rounds, respectively, in the scheduled 15-round clash.

“When Sugar Ray Robinson went up and challenged Joey Maxim for the light heavyweight championship of the world,” said Hauser, “they didn’t say that Joey Maxim couldn’t come in above 170 pounds.”

Henry Armstrong (above, at right), known, historically, as one of boxing’s all time, pound-for-pound, fighters, compiled a record of 151-21-9, with 101 knockouts, according to Ring Magazine’s Eric Raskin. Armstrong won title belts at featherweight (126 pounds), lightweight (135 pounds), and, welterweight over a 10-month period and held them simultaneously.

Armstrong stopped Petey Sarron in the sixth round for the featherweight title in October of 1937, weighed 133.5 in May of 1938 when he beat Barney Ross as a welterweight over 15 rounds, and, in his very next fight in August of ’38, earned a lightweight split-decision over Lou Ambers.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Fanhouse Boxing

www.girlwithnoname.com Is it REALLY all that important to wear proper training gloves when you’re weight training? Or totally unnecessary? I’ve got something to show you so you can be the judge …

Amazon.com

Specially designed for women, this pair of Harbinger Pro gloves is ideal for all-purpose training. The gloves are distinguished by their stretch “ventilator mesh” construction, which lets the hand and fingers bend naturally while staying cool, along with the abrasion-resistant leather on the palm, which maximizes glove wear. The gloves come on and off easily, meanwhile, thanks to their slip-on design. And lifters will love the short finger length, which reduces unwant (more…)

• For the beginning to intermediate lifter
• Specifically designed for women
• WASH&DRY Leather is 100% machine washable and dryable
• Features slip on design for easy on/off
• Stretch “Ventilator Mesh” allows hand and fingers to bend naturally while keeping them cool; abrasion resistant leather on palm maximizes glove wear

Product Description
For the beginning to intermediate lifter. Specifically designed for women. WASH&DRY Leather is 100% machine washable and dryable. Features slip on design for easy on/off. Stretch “Ventilator Mesh” allows hand and fingers to bend naturally while keeping them cool. Abrasion resistant leather on palm maximizes glove wear. Short finger length reduces unwanted bulk…. More >>

Harbinger 149 Womens Pro Wash & Dry Weight Training Gloves