Geale: No more catch-weights for title fights!

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Miguel Cotto - Daniel GealeFormer two-time middleweight champion Daniel Geale (31-4, 16 KO’s) has been staunchly rebuffed in his recent attempts at regaining World honours, most recently against WBC champion Miguel Cotto in June.

The Australian veteran was forced to compete three pounds below the middleweight limit of 160 lbs. in order to be granted that title shot and was finished inside four rounds having looked a gaunt figure on the scales the day before the fight.

It was an example of diva tactics from Cotto much like when ’Sugar’ Ray Leonard forced Donny Lalonde to make 168 .lb. and still put his light-heavyweight belt on the line back in 1988.

It is an unsavoury reality of how stardom can influence the very rules of a contest, and it opened up the discussion over whether there is a place in title fights for catchweight limits at all. Geale explained his feelings to iFL TV.

“To be honest I’m with a lot of people as well. I don’t think a catchweight for world title fights should be there. If it’s a world title fight there’s set divisions. Whether the champion wants to weigh in heavier or lighter or whatever that’s the weight, the weight is set, it should be at that weight.”

“Unfortunately people, I guess with more money, control things that happen in boxing but you gotta take these things. We had to sign to fight at 157. We didn’t want to do it; we wanted to fight at 160 it would have been a little bit easier but those are the things that happen.”

It was Geale’s best opportunity to jump straight in to the title picture having just beaten his countryman Jarrod Fletcher. One year before, he had been knocked out for the first time by WBA Super champ Gennady Golovkin, and so he must have welcomed the quick return to the top tier even if his eagerness was ultimately punished.