Ah it's nice to see the sherdog concept of A level athlete making it's way to boxing. I remember how dominant Jordan was in baseball.
But boxing is not a sport. It is a combat sport. Fighting. It's like chalk and cheese. It's not just moves. Bruce Lee fooled a generation that he could fight, he never did contact. A trainer could choreograph any athlete to move like a boxer but getting hit back and how to deal with it is something that can't be taught. It is developed and only those with a real taste for it can do it.
How big does a good heavyweight need to be depends on whether or not there is much bigger skilled fighters in that time line. While a durable puncher's always going to have a chance the science of boxing greatly favors those who can hit and not be hit at a from a distance, and those who have a significant weight advantage in the clinches. If you add up all the fights of Bowe, Lewis, Klitschko and Klitschko, they only lost one decision total, and it was a close one! We will see a heavyweight division where they all weight 280+? I will say no as speed and stamina tends to fall off with excess muscle and weight. I do think the days of 190-210 pound champions who can defend their title over the course of time are gone.
Most of the basketball players fight horrible. Jabbar may have known some stuff but he was brittle looking and got power slamed by Larry Bird. Ever see Shaq try to throw a punch? Barkley? Rodman? Or Kobe Bryant's weird infamous attempt to mma forearm strike that Knick.
I have been 15 feet from Lebron. He's very well built and plays hard every night. Not sure how he would do in the ring, but soft is not an adjective I'd use to describe him.
How is that any different from any other sport. Dont expect to excel at any other serious sport if you dont have certain qualities required in that particular sport. My opinion is that everybody has those qualities to a certain extent, if they have the belief desire and dedication. Most dont have that and as a result, simply wont do the training or as you point out, wont deal with things when hit. Just like some soccer players wont put in when hit with a hard tackle and other sports have countless other qualities where people just dont have the desire to overcome adversity, whatever that is. I do disagree with one thing, and that is that dealing with getting hit is something that cant be taught. Arguably, the greatest fighter in the world doesnt like to be hit, but he certainly deals with it, admittedly in certain ways. There are countless examples of guys who are naturally not very good and some were even downright uncoordinated and wimps, before learning to fight and becoming good fighters. If memory serves correct (and i may be wrong), Marvin Hagler was not a naturally tough guy, i seem to remember some story about him hiding under a car to avoid a fight, but he certainly went on to prove that these qualities can be improved. There are countless other examples.
Between 205 & 225 is optimal. History shows us this. I'd say Lewis & the Klit bros are exceptions to the rule. As for Bowe, he's one of the most over rated HWs of all time.
Shaq throwing the worst right hand of all time....speechless. A complete ambush to a man with his back turned and yet misses by a mile. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQ_Dx2KWmnM
At one time it was anything over 160 pounds. Then it moved to over 175 pounds. Then it went to over 190 or 195 pounds. Today they have to be over 200 pounds or they're Cruiser Weights. I can see that changing to over 224 pounds very soon if the Bridger Weight Division catches on with the other sanctioning bodies. Technically there are no lower or upper weight limits, but, realistically, the lower weights I've cited were usually (but not always) enforced, and even more so now.
