Can somebody explain to me why tall, skinny fighters are usually the huge punchers?

Discussion in 'World Boxing Forum' started by tinman, Feb 11, 2017.


  1. tinman

    tinman Loyal Member Full Member

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    That's something I never really understood. Usually when you think of power the image that comes to mind is a muscle bound guy. But then when I usually see a huge puncher more than often than not they look like a string bean. Julian Jackson was pretty thin, but not skinny and he hit unfathomably hard. Monzon also tall and kind of thin and also hit pretty savagely hard.

    Also of course there is Hearns, Foster, Robinson, McClellan, etc. Some of those guys are downright skinny. Alexis Arguello seems to be the embodiment of what I'm talking about. He was rail thin. His punches didn't look that spectacular. He hands were fairly slow too. But it's like he had an IED attached to the end of his glove. Because everything he touched was obliterated.

    Why is this?
     
  2. Ph33rknot

    Ph33rknot Live as if you were to die tomorrow Full Member

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  3. Grooveongreg

    Grooveongreg Well-Known Member Full Member

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    Leverage a mechanical advantage

    Physics you see

    Biomechanics.
     
  4. seck

    seck Active Member banned Full Member

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    Nonito Donaire
    Deontay Wilder
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  5. pincai

    pincai The Indonesian Thin Man Full Member

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    Usually thin also means longer reach and as most have said leverage. Depends on their style, the ones that is thin and long will be big punchers if their technic is right and they keep their opponents at the end of their punches, muscular guys like Tyson, Tua are powerful too, but mostly with hooks.
    But the theory I support the most is that thin fighters are fit and normally just too big for their current weight class, they are the ones that have dimension to be successful in multiple weight jump and Ko most fighters that are smaller than them when campaigning in the lower weight class. Eg hearns, SRR, morales, arguello.
     
  6. Angler Andrew

    Angler Andrew Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    David Haye did a good piece on this a while ago on BBC web site,remember that skinny guy who recently died who knocked Frampton down twice?well he used him as an example of someone with zero muscle mass but who clearly had some power,all to do with leverage and timing.
    I seen a good vid on you tube comparing Cody Garbrant to Golovkin and after seeing the two I understood the connection,every punch those two throw are thrown from a strong base and from the legs upwards the whole body torques when they throw a punch as appose to just arm punches which is also something Haye mentioned and he knows a thing a two about power punching.
    In MMA Conor McGregor amazes me,he must have some crazy power has he seems to knock folk down for a past time by merely touching em sometimes and his opponents often have that bewildered look that Golovkins opponents have after being hit lol.
     
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  7. MUFA$A

    MUFA$A FEAR * THE * TANK Full Member

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    Kelly Pavlik could probably provide us with an answer .
     
  8. madballster

    madballster Loyal Member Full Member

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    I am not sure there's a general rule like that. There were many short, stocky guys with excellent power: Mike Tyson, David Tua, Ike Ikeabuchi, Sam Peter come to mind.

    On the flip side here are some tall lanky guys with zero power: Julius Long, Nicolai Valuev, Henry Akinwande, Alexander Dimitrenko, Hugie Fury, Tyson Fury.
     
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  9. juppity

    juppity Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Some skinny guys natural punchers others its just good technique. Emanuel Steward turned
    Hearns from a light hitting amatuer to a devastating puncher.
    Applying the basics to throwing a punch of massive leg drive , good hip rotation , powerful
    extension will all lead to big punch. Leverage , flexibility , good timing and being relaxed
    and putting bodyweight into punches by planting feet also helps.
     
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  10. covetousjuice

    covetousjuice Putin did nothing wrong

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    Longer limbs > More leverage
    Bigger > Bigger, heavier bones

    Finally, take 40 lb of muscle:
    Add it to a skinny 5'6" guy > Body builder
    Add it to a skinny 6'6" guy > Still skinny

    Bigger guys can carry more muscle mass without it being apparent. That's why I can have no doubt a guy like Joshua has used steroids. It's not that his physique is beyond reason, it's his physique coupled with his height.

    But bone mass is probably a hugely underappreciated factor in boxing. Some people will naturally have bigger, denser bones, giving a huge advantage. And then just being taller/longer limbed largely guarantees the same.

    In fact, it's interesting to note that Blacks are known to have denser bones than Whites, while Asians' are less dense. This is part of why you don't often see Black boxers that are very tall for their particular weight class (unless they're very, very skinny), and you don't often Asians that are short for their weight class.
     
    Last edited: Feb 11, 2017
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  11. Swollen Liver

    Swollen Liver Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Yes and those bambi legged fighters like Wilder have a terrible chin.
     
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  12. Sephiroth Rising 7

    Sephiroth Rising 7 'No tears please!' banned Full Member

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    Joshua displays roid use in all it's glory.

    - Oversized jaw

    - Acne

    - Ridiculous growth spurts through gaining high percentage of muscle mass with low bf ratio within a short peroid of time.

    - Roid rage

    - Roid gut

    - Roid career
     
    Last edited: Feb 12, 2017
  13. Grooveongreg

    Grooveongreg Well-Known Member Full Member

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    When in first started boxing there was a kid about 18 and tall gangly ginger fella. He would hit the heavy bag and it sounded like a shovel was hitting it. No one else could get that sound out of it. He must of been 65kg. He had the body of a prepubescent child.

    Needless to say he was knocking out men in town on the lash every week I always used to be intimidated sparring him even though I outweighed him by 30kg. His power was freaky. He had that stunning power which made you reflect just after you got hit. Take a second and think fuk that was hard
     
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  14. Lady Girl

    Lady Girl Kneel Before Zod! Full Member

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    yep

    budweiser
     
  15. UnleashtheFURY

    UnleashtheFURY D'oh! Full Member

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    How has Hearns not been mentioned yet?