How big does a Heavyweight need to be?

How good does that heavyweight have to be?

I am sure there are 180 pound guys that given the correct match-up could trouble certain heavies. However, I think we have long passed the days where a sub 200 guy will dominate the division.

 

The key equaliser for overcoming size disparity, is finishing ability.

I think that if you have that in spades, you don’t need to be very big.

The smallest heavyweight that I would give a realistic chance of beating the better superheavies, is Sam Langford.

 

What about to be a dominant force in the division over half a decade or so?

 

Good question.

Smaller heavyweights that are effective finishers, tend to have a style poorly suited to longevity. I think that to be a dominant force for the better part of a decade, you would generally need to be of medium height and reach.

Holyfield size perhaps?

 

In 20 years the heavyweight division will be ruled by guys the size of Nikolay Valuev, people are getting bigger, fatter, and taller, maybe it's all of the processed foods, and the preservatives people are eating, but more folks are dying of obesity too..

In the 1960s the average Heavyweight was 205 , put a guy that little in the division today and he would get his skull crushed..

They need to create a Super heavyweight division like now, it's bull**** to see a 210lb guy fight someone who's 250'' ..

 

Here I disagree.

I think that the increase in the size of heavyweights was largely due to changes in training methods, and it is going to level off now.

 

For a one off around 180. You would have to super exceptional, a Roy Jones, Harold Johnson, Archie Moore type with either perfect technique and superb skill or ridiculous speed and reflexes or both. To be a force I think 200ish. Michael Spinks won the title (he beat Holmes after all and even of you think that Larry was past it he was still one of the best guys in the division) and Holyfield in his first incarnation was around that size. David Haye has made a lot of noise at near the same size.

 

How heavy does a heavyweight need to be? Are we talking just today? or are we talking how light can a heavyweight be and still be competative?

The short answer is he needs to weigh enough to get out of the dreaded cruiserweight division and once he is out of it to not be giving away more than 14lb for each particular fight. So Today it literally depends on who he is fighting.

I don't think anyone needs to be 240lb. I really don't. I accept that heavyweights feel they need to though. I think the only reason any one is that heavy is because they want enough weight to lean back on the other man if he is a big guy too. The pace has altered so much that older men are not giving away speed.

An ATG fighter can give away a lot of weight and still win, but why should he want to? He has to work twice as hard. Why should he if he can bulk up too? Does he want another man leaning an extra 40lb on him when he is taking a break? He's happy to sacrifice workrate if he can also push back and neutralize someone who thinks he can bully him.

 

I don't think there are any specific size perameters that need be followed. But I think that a reasonable size that is relative to the era a man is fighting in is helpful. Joe Louis wasn't by any means the biggest man of his period but his size dimensions probably ran with the middle of the pack or perhaps even slightly on the high end of it. Rocky Marciano was relatively small at 5'10" 185 lbs, but most of his best opponents were around 5'11-6'0 and in the 190's, so he was at least in the ball park..

 

i know it is mma but fedor at 5 '11" 230lb dominated much larger men of every fighting technique.in the 1990's and early 2000's. and of course tyson.

 

good heavy to me is 6'2 or taller and 220 plus. wilder is 6'4 early 220's. but what if lebron james was a boxer ? that man is 6'8 270 thats very big and hes a beast. he could have been killer in boxing but nooooooooo he wants to play basketball smh.

 

Not Valuev, he had a weak punch for a man that huge,:-( and i only saw Fury fight once (cunningham) and i didn't see much at all for a man that big:verysad

And that's exactly my point, regarding guy's like Ali, Frazier, Louis why we need a super heavyweight division:deal, simply because guy's 210 have no business in the ring with someone 250, of equal talent, it's just stupid to give up so much weight:nono

 

6' 3or4" or less and up to 225lbs...

anything TALLER and over 225lbs IS S-HW!!!