I love swarmers. We have had some great ones in recent years at the lower weight classes but at heavyweight those high punch output/pressure guys seem like a thing of the past. The heavyweight division has had some truly great ones in the past like Dempsey, Marciano, Frazier and Tyson. Now I know that you could probably make an argument that guys like Tyson and Marciano are more of a hybrid Swarmer/Slugger but to me they are more on the pressure fighter side. Nowadays Sluggers (Wilder, Ruiz) and Boxer Punchers(Joshua) rule the division. Last true swarmer at heavyweight that I can think of was Vassily Jirov who really didn't have much success at Heavyweight. Will we ever see another high out put grinding pressure fighter at heavyweight again?
Seems like heavyweights are getting bigger and bigger. You cant be a swarmer type if youre too small compared to your opponent so a boxer who fights in this style would need to be within a certain weight range. And this weight range in the current heavyweight scene seems to be at least 220~230lb. Bless the 225lb man who can throw 50+ power punches per round while crouching and bobbing and weaving, getting inside and bumping shoulders against top level opponents for entire 12 rounders. Not a very realistic proposition.
That's what I was thinking as well. At Cruiserweight we have had some decent champs over the 15 years or so that were swarmers like Jirov, Fragomeni, Lebedev and Bell but at 200 plus I can't think of anyone.
Last one that comes to mind is Etienne. He was a swarmer for sure. But that big loss to Fres really blew out a lot of candles for Cliff. But he was fun to watch with his left hook right hook style. Not too many jabs and threw tons of those looping shots. Tons of endurance. But wide open up the middle and zero head movement are going to cost when a guy finally steps up. Holds up against the 3rd and 2nd teir guys, but such a balancing act against champs and top ten guys where weaknesses get exposed.
Miller is swarmer esq...can’t do the whole crouching bobbing and weaving to well but he is all over his opponents always going forward. Only watched like one fight of his so may be wrong
Now that I think about, Andy Ruiz does kind of fit the bill as a swarmer. I was just rewatching his fight with Joshua and was surprised to see that he only has a 74 inch reach and is 6'0 tall. Guy had some fast hands.