I think non ATG heavyweights of the past 40 years (your definition) would be less effective without PEDs and Therefore be at the absolute mercy of ATGs like Joe Frazier and Marciano because of this. without being enhanced they would not be who there were. This would explain why bigger heavyweights struggled to make the grade against better fighters with more stamina and ring savvy for decades and decades before PEDs and steroids made them viable. They never made that impact before Steroids. Think of the technical limitations of a giant without steroids.
I think boxedears threw his fight in the clink vs teddy atlas Cus damato was a joke who ruined Patterson's and Torres careers and was a total hypocrit and bad for boxing I think defensive fighters like Whitaker and Mayweather are sleepinducing ans shot in a leg before a fight. I THINK TO BE A GREAT FIGHTER IS OVERRATED. I THINK TO TRUE BEST FIGHTERS ARE THE MOST EXCITING FIGHTERS. FLETCHER OVER BENITEZ. PAC OVER MAY HEARNS OVER LEONARD. SAAD OVER WARD MARCIANO OVER EITHER KLISCHKO
I've always held that Earnie Shavers was totally overrated as a one punch hitter. He was an above average hitter that was able to get a lot of guys' respect and have a lot of complimentary things said about him without actually achieving half of what his opponents said he could do.
The main reason Honeyghan beat Curry was because at the time Honeyghan was simply that good. For a brief window between 86-87 Honeyghan may have been the best pound for pound fighter in the world.
No Choklab! The "40lb heavier boxers" did NOT EXIST back than! I EVEN CALCULATED THIS FOR YOU VIA NORMAL DISTRUBUTION OF HEIGHT!! YOU KNOW WHAT I´M TALKIN ABOUT! Today there are 24,3-times more big man in the US than in Rocky Marcianos era! The standard-deviation of the population back than was likely smaller than today, making that factor even higher! STOP blubbering that nonsense over the BF24! You CLAIMS are NOT TENABLE! YESTERDAY, THE BIG BOYS DID NOT EXIST!
Surely no boxing opinion should be unshakable? Boxing opinions should be in a dynamic state, where they are continually refined, as you learn new things!
There are more of everything else as well! And today 1% is still the ratio for men 6,4” and taller. It was 1% then. It is 1% now. Look. Just think of the technical limitations of a giant without PEDs. And hold on to that thought.
The heavyweight division changed in the 60s. Prior to then most of the 6-2 and above heavies had been slow, awkward types like the Baers, Carnera, Willard, Firpo...In the 60s a 6-3 fighter came along who could move like a smaller fighter and he was stronger than his opponents too. He dominated the division. Then in the 70s there were more 6-3 heavys who could move. Then in the 80s there were lots of them. Then the 6-5 fighters came along who were coordinated and strong, now there are some who are much taller than 6-5 who are doing well. Something happened, strength training and probably PEDs too. Regardless of what happened and when exactly it happened the heavyweight division improved and comparing heavyweights from earlier eras with the ones from the 60s until now is ridiculous.
Yes something happened. For sure something changed. We should be allowed to be suspicious about this.
Putting it all on PEDs is ridiculous. All sports got bigger, faster and stronger... Its about better recruitment of latent talent, larger population and the much delayed acceptance of strength training in the sport which turned formerly gangly klutzes into athletes.
The way Fury has got himself into fighting shape in just 11 weeks is living proof of that. Just better knowledge all round, more supplements available (not necessarily PEDs), better facilities, better diets etc. With the information out their on the Internet and that modern day PTs you can get shredded and massively change your body in a couple of months with a bit of elbow grease.
I'm convinced that a prime or near prime Joe Frazier would beat a lot of 220lb+ "punchers" that came along after he retired. It would be clear that not every puncher is George Foreman. It would actually be funny to see some of them contemplate a career change mid fight when Joe starts Smokin and a grinin
The modern heavyweight largely benefits from having a large pool of unathletic big men that allows them to appear phenomenal to some boxing fans.