Steward and Kellerman comment on a super heavyweight divison

I was watching the Arreola vs. Minto fight on HBO. During the fight Kellerman said he's seen a lot of heavyweight fights, and too often it looks like fighters from different weight classes. While the observation is elementary for Kellerman, I felt Steward nailed it by saying the difference is years ago, there weren't any skilled and coordinated fighters taller than 6'4". That is not the case today.

Steward went so far as to say maybe the heavyweight division should end at 220 pounds, and the super heavyweight division should begin after that.

My thoughts to this are no way! We don't need to dilute the talent at heavyweight, and boxing does not need 4 additional belt holders.

If Minto, who is game as can be wants a chance, he can trim down to 200 on the scales, then re-hydrate to 215 for fight night.

 

There is no justifiable reason that I can think of to have another extension of the heavyweight division, especially when most of its largest participants aren't the best or most talented anyway. Chris areola looked good at pounding a much older and deconditioned challenger who was limited to begin with, yet still had some good moments against him. I even wonder if things might have panned out differently had Minto stayed with his original fight plan to box Arreola and not slug with him the way he ultimately did.

 

Yea I agree. Boxing needs fewer weight divisions, not more- and creating a new division purely to accomodate guys like Minto who are 5'10 is preposterous. Whats to say a SHW division wont just make guys like Minto and Toney force their weight up to 220lbs for the big money fights?

The cruiserweight division should be better promoted imo. Most CW fights I've seen have been pretty exciting, its a shame all the talent moves up to heavyweight just to make money

 

Off-topic- Minto had a broken pelvis coming into the fight. Without that, he KO's Arreola in one.

 

...

:huh:huh

 

Not to mention his complete ACL tear.

 

Indeed.

 

I agree with them. We need a super heavyweight division. Too many big guys pick on little guys now. It is not fair. I would raise the weight to 230 and not 220, 220 is too low and most guys would easily go above that.

 

If there was more talented guys, weight wouldnt matter. When you have guys with all the same limited talent, size becomes the only factor. Really sad that has to be the case. Arreola didnt look that much better than Minto and Arreola just took him out because he was bigger and stronger. He didnt do any technical wizardry in there.
Put a prime 213-215 Evander Holyfield or Larry Holmes in that fight and they make Arreola look like a heavybag. Just have to wait for some talent to come along.

 

Exactly. Put skilled , in shape heavy's like you mentioned in today's heavyweight scene and they would compete very very well against the big heavy's. In heavyweight boxing if you are good enough then you are big enough. :good

 

Minto had great heart but it was evident that he lacked the skill regardless of his size. Brian did land a few nice punches on Areola but we all know Minto is far from a puncher. Brian looks like he can lose some weight and that may not be the division for him but If there was a Joe Louis, etc. in there they would have made quick work of Areola. Other than the Klitschkos and Lennox Lewis who over 220 of natural weight stands out amoung the Heavys. David Haye just beat and wobbled a man 100 lbs heavier. I think the skill factor of the Klitschko's is more of a factor for success than their size.

 

Not to mention Arreola was a decorated amatuer at what 175 pounds. He could stand to lose a lot, and his excuse for getting hungry in the middle of the night and going to the taco stand was a total joke, especially with his trainer, promoter and manager all laughing along with him.

 

Arreola is not that big of a guy really, as lefthook31 pointed out. I'd pick 208 pound Eddie Chambers to beat him.

 

Holyfield was 1-4 on fair score cards vs. skilled super heavies in Bowe and Lewis.

Chagaev and Ibragimov are good boxers. So were Gomez and Arreola. Granted these four are not as good as Holyfield was. Yet if you add up all of their rounds won, they still don't have produce a draw vs either Klitschko.

Holmes never fought a skilled super heavy, unless you consider Witherpsoon and Norton super heavies. In both fights, he won via narrow margin.

I think height, reach and weight matter more than you admit...especailly if the fighter is skilled and in shape.

 

What four losses are you considering besides Bowe who he fought very competitively with and was leagues above most of the fighters today? Dont tell me Lewis, please, were talking about a prime Holy or Holmes.
Witherspoon and Norton were not super heavies.
Why else do you think Foreman, Holmes, Holyfield and Tyson could compete on the top level against younger fighters in their prime with any type of disadvantage?
Valueav is the text book super heavy and WBA champion and he couldnt even use any of those attributes to offset a 46 year old Holyfield.