I say there are not enough heavyweight classes. I think that that young high school athletes are bigger today and we need to adjust our weight classes to attract more of these heavier football athletes into wrestling. This is what I proposed in another topic about the Best Kansas Heavyweight Ever.
...I would like to see weight classes at 171, 185, 200, 220, 245 and 285 instead of our current 171, 189, 215 and 285. A spokesperson for the wrestling organization that changed 275 to 285 this year said that the goal was to allow more of the heavier kids to be able to wrestle. I do not think raising the weight class from 275 to 285 had much effect on increasing the number of heavier kids wrestling nationally. I do believe if they changed the 4 weight classes to the six that I suggested that they would definitely would get more of the heavier athletes wrestling. I think more football coaches would encourage their athletes to wrestle at this time of year too.
I believe that the current spread of weight classes is unfair to the heavier wrestlers and does not offer them enough opportunity. I really do think that this discourages heavier football athletes from participating in wrestling.
These are our current weight classes, the pound difference from the next lower class and the pct jump to the limit of the next class. As you can see the jump in pound difference and pct difference increase dramatically once you go past 171.
103
112- 9 lbs - 8.74%
119- 7 lbs - 6.25%
125- 6 lbs - 5.04%
130- 5 lbs - 4.00%
135- 5 lbs - 3.85%
140- 5 lbs - 3.70%
145- 5 lbs - 3.57%
152- 7 lbs - 4.83%
160- 8 lbs - 5.26%
171- 11 lbs- 6.88%
189- 18 lbs-10.53%
215- 26 lbs-13.76%
285- 70 lbs-32.56%
