If you punch really hard anyways isn't being light an advantage at HW?

Think about it? Notice how pretty much every single SHW is stiff as a board? Look at Wlad and how he was exposed and dropped by guys. He was slow, stiff and glass jawed. He was long, tall, and punched hard. His grab and jab worked against most guys. But wouldn't that have worked against the same guys if he was much lighter?

Think about it. If he had cut muscle he would have still punched hard. He would have still been tall. And he'd would have still had a glass jaw anyways. That said, at least his stamina, fluidity and speed would have much more improved. It's not like if Wlad dropped 10-15 pounds of muscle he would have stopped punching hard. That's ridiculous.

The only SHW I can think of who is not stiff and prone to gas out is Tyson Fury. But then again Fury is 6'9" weighed under 250 and not all of it was muscle. He was never a muscle bound guy anyway.

Maybe Wilder coming in at 214 is the new wave of thinking. Because he's already tall, he has no height and reach issues. He punches hard at a heavier weight. He punches hard at a lighter weight. So what's the big deal about weighing more? He already punches hard. Why does he need to punch harder?

 

I know everybody here will disagree with but a stocky 5'10-6'0 guy weighing 200 pounds with brutal punching power, handspeed, and balls can take all of these heavyweights out, but where is he?

 

Depends what you want. Lighter = faster, Heavier = more durable, harder to move

 

Yes, but if you already have a glass jaw at 250 pounds like Wlad then what's the harm in coming down in weight for more mobility?

 

Wlad and Lennox last two dominant heavyweight champs both 6'5 (Wlad taller), 250 lbs~ long arms with great jabs, straights and power but won a lot of the time by tactically using their body weight to fatigue smaller opponents.

 

All that bulk did nothing to help Lewis against that Rahman right hand. He was out.

Wlad has been dropped many times and knocked out many times. Lucky for him there weren't too many Corrie Sanders around.

 

Guys with that build who can beat superheavyweights don't come around often.
Dempsey (20s), Marciano (50s), Liston (60s), Frazier (70s), Tyson (80s), Tua (90s), Mercer (90s)

 

Makes sense to me

 

No. His weight was a major factor in being successful with the "grab" part.

If you lose muscle, you can gain speed, stamina, etc but you lose strength. It's about finding the right balance which is what guys like Wlad and Lewis tried to do. Wlad and Lennox had a lot of experience between them and were quite successful. I think they had a pretty good idea of what they were doing.

 

This. Tua had great potential between 200-220. He was a very dangerous puncher way before he added the extra weight. However, as he kept piling on the pounds he sacrificed his handspeed and stamina. After the first Rahman fight he started regularly showing up at 240+ and was the same fighter.

David Tua at 200 lbs

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David Tua at 213

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David Tua 224

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Wait a minute man...Dempsey did, though not skilled, fit SWHs.
Marciano did not fight one near great SHW. Or any excellent sluggers.
Vingo was 6' 4" 189! And barely out of his teens.

Liston, what SHWs did he beat? I think he could, but he mostly fought guys somewhat smaller than himself. Plus he was heavier & taller than the height & weight proposed.

Frazier could, though besides being a little over 200, (before he got heavy), he fought a dearth of sluggers, & the only very good-great one Foreman repeatedly decimated him.

Tua & Mercer: both were heavier or much heavier than 190-200.
And Mercer more than 6'.

 

Holyfield was only about 214, Tyson was not that big................sometimes heavier can help you take punches and help your power, but it all depends on what kind of weight it is................

 

Think you might be quibbling there. I forget who it was and they weren't noteworthy but I think Marciano beat somebody big once or twice.

Liston definitely had the power and he was only 6'1. And you are being a bit of a stickler saying that they can't be over 200 lbs. A lot of six foot guys are over 200 these days. Plus, he beat 6'5" Gerhard Zech right after losing to Ali and in his last fight he RTD'd 6'5" Chuck Wepner.

Frazier beat Joe Bugner.

Tua was 5'10" and Mercer was 6'1". I don't care what they weighed. If Dempsey or Marciano were fighting today they'd weigh 220 lbs too.

 

What a stupid thread.

The man won like 70 fights and lost what, 5 times? Not to mention, 2 of those losses came when he was around 40 or older. He was HW champ for 10 years and has the longest unified champ reign in boxing history. 2nd most defenses in HW title history.

It's **** like this why I don't bother reading the entire post. Stupid.

 

A good tall fighter will always beat a small great fighter. Do you understand the risk it takes for a short heavyweight to get on the inside to do what you just said. Seriously, have you been watching heavyweight division the past 10 years?