Which former heavyweight champ had biceps smaller than 15 inches in measurement?

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by mark ant, Sep 17, 2020.


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  1. mark ant

    mark ant Canelo was never athletic Full Member

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    People are always talking about size but looking at a heavyweights arms really hits home the gap in strength and sometimes power, Tommy Hearns had biceps as big as 15.5 inches big when he fought Kintchen, surely biceps under this size would be too weak to match a modrn heavies power, is that assumption wrong, which heavies had biceps smaller than 15 inches in the past?
    https://www.boxingforum24.com/threads/tommy-hearns-at-mw-had-bigger-arms-than-ali.555878/
    https://fineartamerica.com/featured...es-tale-of-the-tape-1954-daniel-hagerman.html
     
    mark ant, Sep 17, 2020
    mark ant, Sep 17, 2020
    #1
  2. mcvey

    mcvey VIP Member Full Member

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    Marciano for sure ,Charles,Corbett,Fitz.
     
    mcvey, Sep 17, 2020
    mcvey, Sep 17, 2020
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  3. Bukkake

    Bukkake Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Well, your avatar gives you one answer - as Marciano is shown there with 14" biceps.

    The old Ring Record Book lists a lot of pre-Liston HW champs with smaller than 15" biceps - but I don't know, how accurate those measurements are. For example, I would question that, even though he was a slim guy, Fitz only had 12" biceps. That's what you would typically find in a bantam or featherweight boxer (I would guess).

    Corbett 14½
    Fitzsimmons 12
    Burns 14½
    Tunney 14½
    Sharkey 14½
    Baer 14½
    Braddock 13
    Marciano 14
    Patterson 14½
     
    Bukkake, Sep 17, 2020
    Bukkake, Sep 17, 2020
    #3
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  4. VVMM

    VVMM Well-Known Member Full Member

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    Lot of fat fighters had big and of course fat arms.Maybe a fat free arm circumference is more important but
    the biceps isn't a very big muscle group and it's overrated because the flexed biceps is spectacular.
    Otherwise maybe the best actual heavyweight Fury's arm isn't impressive at all it looks mediocre.
     
    VVMM, Sep 17, 2020
    VVMM, Sep 17, 2020
    #4
  5. Mendoza

    Mendoza Hrgovic = Next Heavyweight champion of the world. banned Full Member

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    I don't think Biceps has a much to do with power in boxing.
     
    Mendoza, Sep 17, 2020
    Mendoza, Sep 17, 2020
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  6. VVMM

    VVMM Well-Known Member Full Member

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    Basically i agree with you.
     
    VVMM, Sep 17, 2020
    VVMM, Sep 17, 2020
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  7. BitPlayerVesti

    BitPlayerVesti Boxing Drunkie Full Member

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    This lists Fitzsimmons at 14.5".
    https://archive.org/details/physicalculture00fitzgoog/page/n16/mode/2up

    I'm not very convinced with any of these tale of the tapes. The big issue with comparing them is we don't even know if they were measured the same way, how they were rounded etc.
     
    BitPlayerVesti, Sep 17, 2020
    BitPlayerVesti, Sep 17, 2020
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  8. Richard M Murrieta

    Richard M Murrieta Now Deceased 2/4/25 Full Member

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    I would have to say Floyd Patterson.
     
    Richard M Murrieta, Sep 17, 2020
    Richard M Murrieta, Sep 17, 2020
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  9. Bukkake

    Bukkake Boxing Addict Full Member

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    14½ for Fitz seems more like it - 12 is obviously too small.

    Yeah, these tale-of-the-tapes should be taken with a pinch of salt. I've always wondered about Liston's 84" reach!
     
    Bukkake, Sep 17, 2020
    Bukkake, Sep 17, 2020
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  10. mark ant

    mark ant Canelo was never athletic Full Member

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    Maybe but Fury`s power isn`t that great even though he landed some good shots on Wilder.
     
    mark ant, Sep 17, 2020
    mark ant, Sep 17, 2020
    #10
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  11. The Morlocks

    The Morlocks Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    I don't think Mark has much to do with boxing in his threads.
     
    The Morlocks, Sep 17, 2020
    The Morlocks, Sep 17, 2020
    #11
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  12. mark ant

    mark ant Canelo was never athletic Full Member

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    That might be why I`ve been blocked from a Dillian Whyte thread.
     
    mark ant, Sep 17, 2020
    mark ant, Sep 17, 2020
    #12
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  13. Mendoza

    Mendoza Hrgovic = Next Heavyweight champion of the world. banned Full Member

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    Louis 15" biceps
    Patterson 14 1/2" biceps
    Frazier 15" biceps
    Holmes biceps was 15" 3/4
    Ali 15" or 16"

    Perhaps a person who knows kinesiology can confirm that large biceps slow you down in boxing? The faster handed fighters do not have large biceps.
     
    Mendoza, Sep 17, 2020
    Mendoza, Sep 17, 2020
    #13
  14. VVMM

    VVMM Well-Known Member Full Member

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    True.
     
    VVMM, Sep 17, 2020
    VVMM, Sep 17, 2020
    #14
  15. VVMM

    VVMM Well-Known Member Full Member

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    In Joe Louis case his arms looked thin compared to Carnera's but it wasn't problem at all and Louis (maybe a 196 lbs version)
    destroyed Carnera.
     
    VVMM, Sep 17, 2020
    VVMM, Sep 17, 2020
    #15
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