Does size count even just a little bit?

It counts more than a little. It seems all the new champions and up and coming talents are super heavies, and they are not in Klitschko, Lewis or Bowe's class! Yet they are on top. There are several highly skilled light heavies ( 185 on fight night ) and some cruisers ( 210 on fight night ) that are not moving up for good reasons.

The smaller you are, the better puncher you're going to have to have success in the heavyweight divison.

The style also matters. If you are a boxer type, giving up size hurts the most.

If you are a swarming attacker type, giving up size could matter the least, you just have to be extra strong in the chin, and power department.

 

its one factor yes.


all factors count

 

There is no style to fight a bigger man. The crouch doesn't help the shorter man,
it adds more power, but favours the taller fighter.

 

OF COURSE it counts for Everything at the TOP.

the TOP Bigmen with significant Height, Reach and weight aren't losing to the Top little guys... it's just life.

there has been the odd surprise or upset and less skilled bigmen can be beaten by smaller guys... but NO, it just isn't going to happen at the TOP for all intent and purpose.

todays S-HW are TOO BIG for 'most' smaller HWs and/or L-HWs cum HWs.

it counts for EVERYTHING at the TOP, it makes all the difference.

 

Size matters considerably. Look at Michael Spinks getting flattened by Mike Tyson. Spinks was probably 190+ on fight night during his light heavyweight days.

I hear things like Dempsey and Marciano beating good heavyweights, that is very untrue.

 

It counts for a ton.. No pun intended.

 

In my opinion it does matter. If we are talking against different eras though it must be noted that different eras fighters trained to be lighter. If you look at all the top fighters of the 1960's say, they were very fit and lean with very few exceptions as far as I can see. Also a lot of the bigger guys now (weight) are better older when you are likely to be heavier. For example Ali in his first championship reign was a very fit 205 - 210lbs but in later years was regularly mid 220's and was still fit looking.
Some of the heavies at the moment look like they have used the Carnera prototype for their physique...
I still think the 210 - 225 lb heavyweight (natural weight not 'assisted') is about best in terms of speed, size, weight and strength.
Mike Tyson proved that dimensions didn't mean much to him.

 

Great riposte!

 

Too much favours the giant now.

In Dempseys day the circumference of a boxing glove was smaller so a giant was more of a target than he is now.

Of course the smaller guy has less to defend himself with too but in general smaller guys would have a greater workrate and speed so the theory was he's hitting the target more often than the oaf.

It's crucial the smaller fighter makes an early impresion before the weight tells on him. Now he can't.

With less openings it's harder to make the same impression. Slogging away against a high guard and being ground down by heavier oaf without getting anywhere favours the giant as does the shorter rounds.

Also improved personalised training now gets more out of giants. Before the training just did not get the best out of tall fighters. They were unable to achieve the same level of functional fistic strength that appears to be evident today. The slower pace suits them too.

 

Of course it matters. Modern fighters have access to steroids and are stronger and bigger as a result of it. That's an advantage, it's undeniable. The question is just how much of an advantage it is?

Is it enough to make limited fighters like Sam Peter beat greats like Joe Fraizer, or does it count for almost nothing, so that a great but small fighter like Rocky could beat a prime Wlad? I tend to believe that the truth lies somewhere in between.

 

I pick Frazier and Rocky to beat both of their respective opponents.

 

Size is critically important.

The old maxim that a good big man beats a good little man generally holds true, but there is a caveat to that.

From time to time you get smaller fighters who are particularly adept at overcoming size disparities, even at the highest levels of the division.

They might be the exceptions that prove the rule, but it is a matter of historical certainty that they are a real thing.

 

Size is very important in any combat sport. Your always going to struggle with a bigger opponent even if he isn't quite as skilled as you. That doesn't make them unbeatable by any means though. One reason that I think the skilled cruiser-weights and LHW aren't moving up is because, its not expected of them anymore. They don't have to fight them so they don't have to worry about training for a fight with such big men as they did a long time ago.