No boxer shorter than 6 foot 4 inches would be favorite to beat modern super heavyweights

Wilder is an ex Olympian at 200lbs who fought Ortiz at the same weight as a typical cruiserweight weighs on fight night.

I can accept the point that size is a factor (hence why we have weight divisions) but this ‘modern SHW’ discussion weirdly tends to have nothing to do with SIZE and everything to do with HEIGHT.

If taller is better irrespective of weight then why doesn’t the exact same logic apply in every weight class?

 

Well, except when Hasim Rahman beat Lewis, and except for when Lamon Brewster knocked out Wlad, and except for when Vitali retired and Rahman got the belt again or when Chris Byrd was the top guy among himself, Ruiz, Brewster and Rahman.

I think your scenario has more to do with Wlad and Vitali dominating from roughly 2006 until Fury upset Wlad a decade later.

I could honestly see Tyson Fury (who got flattened by Steve Cunningham) or Joshua or Wilder losing to someone shorter than 6'3". The fans of 6'2" Povetkin certainly believe that to be the case.

We'll see.

Usyk certainly has a chance.

There was actually a time when boxing people thought the taller you were the more dangerous it was for you to box.

James J. Beattie was 6'9" and boxed out of New York in the 1960s. And he had to regularly submit to a battery of tests because places like Madison Square Garden were afraid he'd have a heart attack, because he was so tall.

 

What?

Who was the number one heavyweight in the world in 2001 after Hasim Rahman wasted Lennox Lewis? It was Rahman.

Who was the number one heavyweight in the world when Vitali retired and Wlad had been knocked off and Chris Byrd, John Ruiz, Lamon Brewster and Rahman were the champs? It was Byrd.

Don't let the fact that there was a 10-year span there where two probable Hall of Famers dominated who just happened to be super tall and brothers. That situation could easily be a once in a lifetime scenario.

I like Joshua, Wilder and Fury, but we'll see how dominant they are for the next decade to come. They've all been either rocked or decked by shorter guys.

 

Come man. Byrd, Brewster and Rahman are the very definition of one off fluke wins. Yes, somebody can get lucky once. But the fact remain Lewis was the best of his era, Wlad & Vitali were the best of their era, and so far Joshua, Wilder & Fury are the best of their era. Granted we don't know how Fury career will finish up because of all of his personal problem, but we do know he was an unbeaten HW champ. What do they are have in common. They are tall guys. That not a coincidence. That doesn't mean if you are tall you will automatically win a HW title. It does mean you have a big advantage over your shorter peers. What you do with that advantage is up to each fighter. Fact of the matter is been a very long time since a short fighter held the HW title for more than a couple of fights. I don't really see that changing anytime soon either.

Even Charles Martin who many call the worst HW champ ever is 6'5.

 

Uhhhhhh, don't know about that one...

 

Lots of posts here, I'll chime this one.
If I understand (on average) These big gargantuan mofos are a new trend of HW's whether we like it or not- However U agree that on rare occasion a 6'3 guy can win, but when it occurs...they don't dominate for long?
I would agree.


As Evander stated about Lennox and Wladimir- Once Manny Steward RIP taught them how to clinch - when a fighter does get inside..they're way too strong.

My only disagreement , sadly is hypothetical- the greatest asset a boxer has can't be measured (inner will) Guys like Tex Cobb to Ike Ibeabuchi don't exist in this era. They took everybody's punch and kept pounding averaging 700-900 thrown a fight. While AJ big test vs Wlad neither threw more than 400?

Tua gave up height & reach vs Ike yet threw about 800. (inner will)
Ike the bigger dude was forced, because Tua's chin was granite. Ike averaged about 80..per round! 1700 thrown combined...and these were friggin kamikaze bombs they threw! Not a jab fest at all.

Randall Tex Cobb had no skill, but that is a problem for fighters anticipating a straight jab, a textbook hook. It's hard to defend stupid shots coming from stupid directions..Think Maidana vs Floyd.
Wasn't skill, landing on the top of head, side of the head.

Last, sir- Qawi Muhammad gave up 7 inches to the average fighter. 6 inches to Holy, & 8 inch lack reach-
6'2 vs 5'7 is the same as 6'8 vs 6'1. First prison televised bout was Qawi...& Bhop era was the last from prison to box...they stopped it..You can't measure an inner beast. And they don't really exist anymore as a result- these big dudes will rule as you state.. But it's not because of size & reach alone. Hardcore fighters willing to die in the ring...gone...

 

Shorter or taller than 6' 4" do not matter. If you hit hard like Tyson and you have skills like Ali then you can beat the guys bigger than you.

 

Height does not matter if you have the proper trainer.........................look at all the big heavyweights Povetkin has knocked out, he is getting old, but he can fight....................he had no problem with Dimitrenko, Price, and some other tall fighters, has Wilder running from him, no joke!

 

So your sample size is an N of 2. You sir, are speaking far, far above your intellect.