The size and the weight are irrelevant in boxing

Functional mass always helps, I don't think anyone argues otherwise. The problem starts when people act like it's impossible to beat heavier fighters when it's been done thousands of times.

There is also a style factor - for some fighters mass can be useful because it helps to absorb body punched better (but it has to be trained body). To others, additional mass is terrible thing because they rely on speed and stamina.

 

Size does matter, but there are those who over value it.

A great little fighter will sometimes bat a good big fighter, and there are even cases where a great little fighter can beat a great big fighter.

Worryingly we are getting a new generation of boxing fans, who are so obsessed with size and physical stats, that they don't bother to learn things like how different boxing styles work.

 

Errrrrrrrrr no. Of course size matters but not as much as you make out. Especially at HW where diminishing returns. Do you pick Lewis over Tyson coz Lewis weighs 25lbs more? No, because size matters less the bigger you get.

Yeah Hagler ain't beating Gassiev or Briedis and Chang ain't beating Cokes or Cuevas, but a CW or LHW can beat a HW. It has been proven before and it has been done. Size means less as you go up, and it also isn't as important as skill.

 

10/15lbs doesn't mean much at all once you get to HW... Holyfield from the Bowe fight weighed 205, Holyfield from the Qawi fight was 190. Both beat Tua.

 

I agree but as a side note did you know I read an article in a boxing mag in 1989 that Hearns ws planning to fight Tyson at that time?!

 

Holy was hit very often going toe to toe with Bowe in their first fight, he couldn`t have taken that volume of punishment from Tua.

 

Holyfield weighed 207 lbs against Foreman and he absorbed punches just fine.

 

I mean, Foreman likely punched harder than Tua... Even if not all of his weight was functional, he was much bigger and stronger than Tua too.

He wasn't fast or explosive or in his prime, but he connected a few powerful shots. Evander took them well.

 

So 10lbs isn't a lot but 15 is?

Lmao Holyfield peaked in or around the Bowe fight. Watch the early Holyfield fights and tell me in which one he looked better than that. Bowe beat him and then lost due to Holyfield changing strategies.

I literally said "of course size matters"

 

It does make a difference, but not enough to change the outcome of the fight.

Cruiserweight Holyfield might even have done better against some fighters, where work rate was more important than strength.