Fighters who's short stature helped them.

Dwight Qawi would also fit into this category. He used his disadvantage well employing it with a bob that got him under fighter's punches. I remember the Rossman fight well. Mike rarely touched him.

 

Armstrong short hight along with his head movement had opponents hitting nothing but air. He would dig his head into his opponents chest and drive them back. Phenomenal little fighter.

Jimmy Wilde slight frame gave him the ability to ghost in and out of range against bigger, stronger men. Hence the nickname 'Will-o'-the wisp'. He's famed for his devastating power but he was also elusive as hell and a clever, clever counter puncher/sharp shooter. Very patient, very accurate and very deadly. One of the greatest finishers in the history of the sport and he was built like a ten year old girl. His frame probably gave his opponents the confidence to try and bully him but they couldn't get to him and if they made a mistake they would be sent to the canvas in a flash.

 

Rather than say "a fighters short stature helped them" I think it's more accurate to say that fighters develop styles based on their own set of gifts or conditions. In other words, they didn't luck out because they were aggressive fighters who just happened to be short; they tailored their individual styles to what stature they had and made it work for them. If Qawi were six feet tall he'd have been a different fighter by design.

My pick is Langford. A tightly wound little ball of energy who was cat-quick and leapt in on opponents when on the attack. He could get up and under really quickly.

 

Marciano talked about this.
He said he tried to make himself shorter because if his opponent was hitting downward, the punches lost power. If Marciano was punching upward, his punches had more leverage.
He said he liked tall opponents.

 

Right, that's what I was trying to say! Haven't had my coffee yet, still early here I'm afraid. I'll be clearer when I'm more alert........

 

Barbados Joe Walcott. Very short. Very strong.

 

I don't think being short or having a short reach helps any fighter. I think each guy tries to maximize the tools they have and comes up with their best formula .. the whole Marciano debate from a stylistic standpoint is not if he was effective fighting smaller but how it would have translated against the best f the much bigger men .. it certainly worked well against who he did fight ..

 

This.

 

I always found that punching downward give increased leverage and power and less vulnerability. Punching upward sucks.

 

Probably depends on how you use your legs. Or rather, how you're able to use them.