Question popped into my mind after watching the Morlaes - Cano bout, which was on the undercard of Mayweather - Ortiz. Lampley stated that Ortiz was apparently weighed in, unofficially on the night, as a 164lber. That's fooking huge, considering this was a Welter match up. Mayweather was apparently 150lbs. Anyone know of any heavier than this? Timestamped (17:31 if it doesn't work):
I bet McClellan and Donaire have some freakish ones as well. Sot Chitalada was also a freak weight drainer but there aren't any actual stats for his on the night weights.
Margarito was like 167 vs Pacquiao. Fairly certain that was a 150lbs catch-weight, and that Pacquiao was like 144lbs at the weigh in.
Fernando Montiel was a huge weight cheat. Used to fight at 115-118, and come into the ring at like 134.
"Cheating" Might Be a Bit HARSH, But Fighters Have MORE than 24 Hours to Rehydrate, in Most Cases... Weighing '35 (or Whatever) Mid-Friday Afternoon is Virtually MEANINGLESS When You're Actually FIGHTING 10pm Saturday Night... "Cheating" No, but Certainly a Bit DISINGENUOS to Gain 15, 20+ Pounds Post Weigh-In... REED
Agreed, this is a huge problem in combat sports presently and new rules need to be implemented to fight it. Fights like Donaire vs Oubaali are just outrageous and they are even worst cases out there. I don't want the winner of a fight to be (partially) determined by how extremely someone can starved himself.
Clottey was said to have weighed 170 on fight night when he fought Corrales, after weighing 149 at the weigh in. I remember being shocked when Toney put on 17 lbs after the Jones weigh in. Then he weighed unofficially about 20 lbs more on fight night for one of his fights after that. I think it was one of the Griffin fights, or Ernest Mareen.
Miguel Berchelt vs. Oscar Valdez is an Inverse Example But Even Then, it Ended VIOLENT AF...Oubaali and Berchelt BOTH Took Ass Whuppings... & To Your Point, it NEEDS to Be Addressed... REED
Canelo's been rehydrating massively for about a decade. I don't have an exact number, but he was said to have been heavier than Kovalev in their fight, and Kovalev was said to have just made his 10lbs rehydration clause, so he'd have been about 185 on fight night. Canelo was higher than that, and is a former junior middleweight. The guys a bull, absolutely massive. Crawford at 135 was shooting up to like 155 minimum.
So, what's the answer do you think? Are rehydration clauses meaningful or should they just return to same day weigh ins? Or have a more measured weighing schedule to hit certain weights by certain dates? Or... something else?
I remember a Leo Santa Cruz fight in 2015, I believe it was his first at 126, a non title fight. Jim Lampley said something along the lines of "he weighs 145 tonight so I would say that he is a full fledged featherweight."
Rick Glaser claims that Gerald McClellan was once 198 coming into the ring. IF true, that would be record post-weigh-in gain, but I've never believed it. I don't think McClellan put on 40 pounds in 24 hours, that just sounds a bit ridiculous to me. I can buy McClellan being 175-180 by time he got in the ring, but 200 pounds is a stretch. The eye test doesn't even support that. McClellan would be the size of Sonny Liston coming into the ring if that were true.
Kronk was among the early innovators when it came to exploiting the day before weigh ins. I don't believe that Michael Moorer, as 175 pound champion, ever weighed less than 200. McClellan...@Xplosive and I have debated this elsewhere...I believe that he was never less than 175 as a middleweight. Probably 185-190. I have seen guys rehydrate 20, 25 pounds and fight well. None of them had access to the experts available to Kronk fighters. In my experience I know of a guy that got cut out of fights because of his ability to rehydrate. He was 6'2" and could cut to 140, 142. Then he would come in at 165 and he was a wrestler. He caused a knee injury to an opponent- that is what is believed- and he only had 2 more fights after that.
