Importance of weight management in Boxing

Boxing is a popular combat sport which has multiple health benefits. Boxing is an individual sport and not a team sport, and hence various factors are taken into account to make a match even between two players. It is obvious that in a sport like boxing, factors like weight, height, reach etc. matter a lot, and therefore fights and matches are scheduled in a way so that there is not much difference between the weight of boxers.

To standardize this method, weight classes are defined. Traditionally, there were only eight weight classes, but now about seventeen are recognized by major organizations. The boxers are usually weighed a day before the match, and the weight of each boxer should be within the upper limit for which he or she is contesting.

Boxing weight divisions:

The names of various classes and corresponding upper limit of weights is given below:

• Minimum weight: (48 kg)
• Light flyweight: (49 kg)
• Flyweight: (51 kg)
• Super flyweight: (52 kg)
• Bantamweight: (53.5 kg)
• Super bantamweight: (55 kg)
• Featherweight: (57 kg)
• Super featherweight: (59 kg)
• Lightweight: (61 kg)
• Super lightweight: (63.5 kg)
• Welterweight: (67 kg)
• Super welterweight: (70 kg)
• Middleweight: (72.5 kg)
• Super middleweight: (76 kg)
• Light heavyweight: (79 kg)
• Cruiserweight: (91 kg)
• Heavyweight: Unlimited

Olympic-style amateur boxing weight categories:

The weight categories of olympic-style amatuer boxing are different. The weight categories are (the first figure denotes the upper limit for men’s weight class, while the second one for women):

• Light flyweight: (49 kg) / (48 kg)
• Flyweight: (52 kg) / (51kg)
• Bantamweight: (56 kg) / (54 kg)
• Lightweight: (60 kg) / (60 kg)
• Light welterweight: (64 kg) / ---
• Welterweight: (69 kg) / (64 kg)
• Middleweight: (75 kg) / (75 kg)
• Light heavyweight: (81 kg) / (81 kg)
• Heavyweight: (91 kg) / Unlimited
• Super heavyweight: Unlimited