Tyson's weight v McNeely

Tucker was 6'5 and fought at very low weights. He was a bean pole as an amatuer. Not even a heavy a LH 175 pounds. Thats light for a guy that tall.

I fought at 132 pounds. I later (late 20's) became a sparring partner at 165.

 

I agree with your general point.
And I think most good heavyweights don't take, or need to take, the most powerful, most anabolic steroids in large doses to put on sheer bulk. I think boxers take enough to give them an edge in training, train through injuries, boost their strength and aggression, or hold a few extra pounds.
And I think it's wrong to assume guys who stack on some pounds must have been using steroids.

But surely Shannon Briggs is an obvious example of steroid use ? He stands out as a freak, and looks like a pro wrestler (all of whom are on 'roids). He started out with a normal athletic boxer's build.

 

Roids dont necessarily make you a lot heavier. Even though Briggs appeared ripped, he really had a lot of extra body weight. A guy like Holyfield or Toney would have done roids to increase their power and ability to push back. I dont think a guy like Briggs needed that. He was notoriously lazy in training especially in the cardio department, where the weight really comes off.
Tyson if anything probably used a cutting drug to get more ripped when he came out of prison. He was released in April and fought in August.

 

I heard a few things about Tyson when he came out of prison, I know he was overweight but some said he was only 190 and lost all his muscle when he came out. Testosterone also helps maintain muscle as you cut

 

He was definitely not 190. More like 250. There is a prison interview on youtube. Tyson is looking pretty stout.

 

Go to the 3:45 mark

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVfEDlDlLsk&feature=related[/ame]

 

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jyki4P3i4Vs&feature=player_embedded[/ame]

 

When Tyson went into prison in 1992 he'd ballooned up to about 250 pounds, when he came out in 1995 he was about 200 pounds. At some stage he started serious dieting & excercise in there. His face & neck were a lot smaller, so when he trained for Mcneeley he had to gain weight.
It did make me wonder whether he'd lost the bulk because he didn't have access to roids in prison, or whether it was simply prison food & a lot of excercise.

 

I remember when Tyson came out of jail in 1995. He looked relatively skinny, about 200 pounds. Everyone I know commented on that. He was wearing Islamic dress, and he looked narrow and smallish in the shoulders and neck and his face was as gaunt as I've seen it.

He probably used some 'roids to get his strength and size back quick, because he had a fight lined up only 3 or 4 months away.
Some 'roids add mass and strength and also enhance definition and vascularity.

 

:deal

 

That interview was in May 1992 & he'd already started dropping weight.