Why does size matter?

Jimmy Ellis was only stopped at heavyweight.
No one stopped him at middleweight.

 

Sometimes fighters are UNDERweight, "weight drained", and that can weaken them and their ability to maintain punch resistance obviously.
But, for normal healthy fighters, their maximum punch reistance is unlikely to increase much as they get bigger.
Putting muscles on your neck sounds like a good idea but I've seen plenty of guys do that and still have a glass chin.

 

Not much but to some extent yes

 

exactly. all extra weight does is it stops a guy being "rag dolled" so easily by some oaf who can bundle him off balance into the ropes to hit before the smaller guy can compose himself.

these kids think you can eat yourself a harder chin!

 

It's all relative though. They might still have a glass chin to me and you but adding weight undoubtedly benefits punch resistance.

 

I don't think it's "undoubtedly" at all.
In some cases it will benefit punch resistance a bit.
I think there are probably more cases where it does nothing.

 

The extra weight also means the opponent will get tired quicker, even in a relatively clean boxing bout. So his power will decrease quicker, and that's his absolute power, not relative power.
That's not "punch resistance" though, that's attrition.

 

I think in every case it will to a degree. Do you think the Ali that fought Frazier would have been dropped by Henry Cooper with that punch? He took monster shots in his later career and never got dropped.

 

Ali weighed in at 207 against Henry Cooper.
He was 212 against Frazier.
Does that mean 5 pounds does wonders for punch resistance ?
Or that Cooper caught him with a great one he didn't expect or see coming ?

 

Ali was 215lb, basically a weight division heavier.

 

Shot for shot I agree it can't improve. You can either take a punch or you can't.

But cumulatively speaking the resistance over a fight definitely improves.

 

Okay 8 pounds.
No, I think Cooper just got him with a great punch when he was less than 100% focus.
Experience probably a factor.

 

One off shots won't change much at all imo.

But would an Ali weighing 190 pounds have been able to absorb the punishment against the ropes against Foreman?

Would he have last 15 rounds against a peak Frazier if he was the smaller man that night?