Weight class (boxing)

If a boxer skips the morning weigh-in, or fails to make weight at that time, the fight can still proceed, but the IBF title will not be at stake.

[5] A fighter outside the limit at the initial weigh-in may be allowed to fight in a different class if there is space in the tournament.

[6] At major events such as boxing at the Olympics, there is a limit of one boxer per country per weight class.

The trend for professionals is to move up to a higher class as they age, with muscle mass and bone density increasing over time.

In amateur boxing, bouts are much shorter and much more frequent, and boxers fight at their "natural" weight.

Theoretical comparisons of the merits of boxers in different weight classes are a popular topic for boxing fans, with a similar speculative appeal to comparing sports figures from different eras; in both cases, the competitors would never face each other in reality.

[9] Important sets of weight classes were those specified in 1909 by the National Sporting Club of London, and those contained in the 1920 Walker Law which established the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC).

These weights are specified in pounds, reflecting the historic dominance of Britain (and, later, the United States) in the sport.

Bridgerweight has been recognised by the WBC since November 2020,[13] and WBA since December 2023 under the "super cruiserweight" label,[14] but is not currently recognized by any other bodies.

One current weight class with only minor recognition is "super cruiserweight"; widely used as an informal descriptor, it is a formal weight class of the lightly regarded International Boxing Association at a limit of 210 lb; the IBA's cruiserweight limit is 190 lb.

Subsequent alterations as outlined in the boxing at the Summer Olympics article; these have introduced further discrepancies between amateur and professional class limits and names.