Weigh-in results for Adamek and Grant sheds light on treatment of weight in boxing
As is custom before a fight, last week heavyweight contenders Tomasz Adamek and Michael Grant stepped onto the scales for an official weigh-in. The results told an interesting story about weight in boxing: how it’s measured and analyzed, and whether those methods are problematic.
Scales confirmed that Adamek (41-1, 26 KOs), was 40 pounds less than Grant, as well as giving up six inches in height. This might not seem unusual to the trained boxing eye, but it will for the untrained one. That’s because it’s a pretty substantial difference for two guys to be fighting each other. It doesn't spell ‘fair fight’ to all. Especially considering that boxing has implemented several measures to create fairness with respect to weight (the biggest of which was the 1960s’ institution of 17 weight divisions as oppose to eight).
During the weigh-in, Adamek attempted to downplay the weight issue, stating: "My sparring partners are tall [...] I don't feel a problem. With these guys, I feel good in the ring. For me, size is not a problem. Speed is power. Just like with Arreola and Andrew Golota, it's the same. I am quick, that is my advantage. Good left hand, and every time I train I am stronger.”
That may be, but it doesn’t answer whether the treatment of weight is a problem in boxing. The question is especially acute in the heavyweight division, where fighters can be 40 pounds less than their opponents since weight is unlimited.
And when guys like Vladimir Klitschko compete, who regularly weigh over 240 pounds, it’s tough to say weight isn’t a problem, or at least a factor. Due to his massive frame, Klitschko can dominate the heavyweight division unfairly. It definitely wouldn’t be too much to say that he’s dominated due to physical assets nature has given him.
And if you inspect most of his fights, what you see is exactly that: him being able to toss around opponents and wear them down.
So what’s the deal with weight in the heavyweight division?
Well, nothing. The class treats weight exactly like all other classes. But therein lies the rub. Boxing deals with weight by analyzing rate of difference, not pound-for-pound difference. Most people forget that. But it’s this evaluation that justifies matching a 200 pound “heavyweight” against a 250 pound guy.
The logic is that the heavier guys are, the less weight itself comes into play. Here’s an example. In the case of a 200 pound guy taking on a 250 pound guy, the extra 50 pounds means the latter is 20% heavier than his opponent. That gives him 20% or a fifth of a weight advantage. But in the case of a 150 pound guy taking on a 200 pound guy, the weight difference (50 pounds) remains constant, but the ratio of difference increases to 25%. In this case, the 200 pound fighter has a 25% weight advantage, as he weighs a forth more than his opponent.
And so on with lighter divisions; weight compounds. If you have a 150 pound guy taking on a 100 pound guy, the 150 pounder has a solid 33.3% weight advantage, weighing a third more than his opponent. So you can see that weight difference becomes more of an issue the lighter we go.
But this is just mathematics, isn't it? The game is completely different in the ring, no? While the logic for this way of treating weight holds, it still begs questions. In the case of Adamek and Grant for instance, Adamek is 83% Grant’s weight. So Grant has roughly a fifth of a weight advantage. Now while that lowers as fighters get heavier, it’s still a substantial weight advantage. It's a fifth. Isn't it?
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