By Chris Williams: I got a kick out of listening to promoter Bob Arum and trainer Freddie Roach give excuses for Manny Pacquiao’s catch-weight fight for the vacant WBC junior middleweight title against Antonio Margarito on November 13th. This will be the second title that Pacquiao has fought for since last year when Pacquiao fought the WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto at a catch-weight. Pacquiao is into collecting titles and unfortunately as he’s moved up in weight, he’s opted to use catch-weights to try and win more and more titles.
Fighting at a catch-weight is like fighting with a handicap on your side. I don’t know how it can be allowed for title fights, because there isn’t catch-weights/handicaps used in major sports like football, baseball and basketball. If it were, I can only imagine all the fuss that would erupt among fans because of it.
This is what Roach had to say about Pacquiao’s need for a catch-weight against Margarito: “This is the second time it has been done [by Pacquiao involving a title fight]. It was jut a negotiation for the fight. Both fighters agreed to a contract and the weight. I don’t understand the issue. They are both above 147 for the eighth divisional world title [for Pacquiao]. There is no issue in my mind.”
Well, the issue is Margarito, who had problems making 147 for his loss to Shane Mosley last year, has to weigh no more than 150 pounds for the Pacquiao fight, because that’s what the catch-weight limit is for this fight. This obviously benefits Pacquiao and hurts Margarito. The issue is the popular fighter, Pacquiao, is able to get catch-weights involving titles. Sure, Margarito could have said no, but do you honestly think Margarito would have gotten the fight had he said no to the catch-weight? I think it’s so wrong to have fighters competing for titles involving titles, and just because Margarito agreed to it that doesn’t make it right.
Arum chimed in with this: “Catch-weights have existed in the whole of history of boxing. I remember Sugar Ray Leonard winning the light heavyweight championship of the world coming in at 165 – the catch weight was 166…This is not something new in boxing. The maximum weight limit for each category is just that, the maximum limit. Fighters all throughout history have agreed to fight at a catch-weight. I don’t think it affects it at all that this is the eighth divisional world title. It is being fought at a weight that is above welterweight, at a maximum of 150 pounds. Therefore, it qualifies as a super welterweight championship fight.”
So because boxing did this kind of thing in the past it makes it right? Boxing did a lot of things in the past that wasn’t right, and some of the things have been changed. This is one of the things that is still lingering around from the distant past. I think it needs to be changed.
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