A lot of casual boxing fans probably don’t understand what all the fuss is about when it comes to weight limits and catchweights.
Many fans think if a fight is supposed to happen at 154 pounds, both fighters come into the ring at 154 pounds, but that isn’t the case. The weigh in is always done the day before the fight in the middle of the afternoon.
Canelo Alvarez stepped on the scale for his bout against Austin Trout at exactly 154 pounds, by the time he stepped into the ring against Trout he had “rehydrated” to almost 175 pounds. In essence, he went from a Junior Middleweight to a Light Heavyweight overnight.
If there is one reason why some will pick Canelo over Mayweather it will be because of the sheer size difference. Mayweather is a small welterweight and an even smaller Junior Middleweight. The contractual limit for this fight 152 pounds, I would be shocked if Mayweather stepped into the ring over 155 pounds.
It is possible that Canelo will have a 15-20 pound weight advantage on fight night, so it is a little surprising that Mayweather didn’t demand a rehydration clause for Canelo.
The September 14th fight between WBA/WBC junior middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (42-0-1, 30 KO’s) and unbeaten Floyd Mayweather Jr. (44-0, 26 KO’s) will have no rehydration clause in the contract for their catch-weight fight at 152 pounds, according to Steve Kim.
Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer is saying that the rehydration clause wasn’t included. What this means, of course, is that Canelo can rehydrate as much as much as he wants.
Mayweather is still the favorite, but he will be the smaller man by a large margin come fight night.