Boxers with the best physique (excluding Holyfield)

But what are you arguing against? My exact words were "Hard to say exactly how big old George was in lean weight" and, yes sure, Bruno might have been bigger in lean weight than even the biggest version of Foreman, but that isn't always the same as strongest. Morrison and Briggs might have been bigger than Foreman in lean weight at 226 and 227, or at least similar size, and they were juicing (Morrison definitely at the time) but they bounced right off of him. Foreman was a special specimen and with the weight training he did in his comeback his strength was something else.

Guessing what his lean weight was in the 90's is much harder for me than just to gauge his strength, which clearly was immense.

 

It could be, yeah. The one that's functionally strongest the ring isn't necessarily the one that lifts the most in the gym.

But it's fair to say both from footage and from Holy's testimony that Foreman was very strong and he did lift weights at that time. Exactly how that would have translated into a weight lifting contest with Bruno is of course impossible to say for sure, but I think my guess just was that he might well give Bruno a run for his money. That doesn't seem too far fetched to me.

 

It's not Holy's own strength that's of importance here, but rather of the guys he faced since he named Foreman the strongest of them. But you had some numbers for Lewis right?

But it seems to me like lifts like squats and deadlift would have the most importance when you're pushing for position in the ring. Bench press also to a degree, certainly for Foreman who used to push a lot with his arms.

 

Emile Griffith. The entire reason he was recruited into boxing in the first place as a teen was because of his natural physique. Originally, Griff was not interested in taking up a sport like pugilism, but the owner of the hat factory Emile was working in acceded to Griff's request to work shirtless on a hot steamy day. That owner was a former amateur boxer. When he saw Emile's frame, he took him to Gil Clancy's gym, and the rest is history.

Mike Weaver's physique never changed from weighing 202 in 1979 against Larry Holmes to weighing 234 at age 49 for his rematch with Larry.

Prime Ali deserves some mention. From 201 for Cooper II to 217 for Kinshasa, his physique was solid. (You can clearly make out his abdominal definition in certain instances or moments of exhalation. Check out the instant he disrobes before Brian London. As he bends over to shuck his robe off, you see a world class bodybuilder's abdominals. The surgeon for his hernia said he hated to cut into that superb stomach. You also see Ali's abdominals in the background as he watches Foreman tumbling down to Ali's left) Skipping rope while in shape, his abdominals are not just in evidence, but his pectorals are flexed, and the rest of his body in general during demonstrative exercises for an instructional manual during the 1970's which he primarily authored and posed for. (I have it somewhere in my library deeply stored.)

Unfortunately, Ali infamously tried using a double dose of Thyrolar as a PED for Holmes, something many Muslims never really forgave him for. If he'd beaten Larry, we'd have never heard of it, an unforgivable deception. Using Thyrolar as an excuse for his defeat is the same as Holyfield blaming his loss to Moorer on his steroid use causing inadequate heart function.


Mentions of Hagler bring up a few opponents of his, like Antuofermo (who tutored at bodybuilding camps and seminars) and Hamsho, who physically overpowered the well built Czyz and muscled Bobby all over the place. Even the physically strong Alan Minter couldn't outmuscle Mustafa. Tony Sibson seemed twice as wide as Hagler. 1980's MWs were loaded with blocks of granite. This includes all the contenders who couldn't break through to title shots at MMH, like Curtis Parker (Hamsho had Parker's number, in fact that of every MW not named Hagler), Dwight Davidson and Michael Olajide (who wrote a fine boxing based physical culture book titled "Aerobox," where he wrote that he was more chiseled than during his career, although not as well conditioned - Doug DeWitt was one enthusiastic endorser who puffed, "Man, this is some workout!").

Former Arguello FW Title challenger Salvador Torres once posted here, and took up competitive bodybuilding in retirement.

 

I think you are right. I also read that one. That certainly counts for something.

 

Coetzer on Bruno: "He was physically very strong, not the greatest fighter but very strong. One thing I’m very grateful is I never fought George Foreman in his heyday. [Foreman] was strong but not that strong."

https://www.ringtv.com/584998-best-i-faced-pierre-coetzer/

 

Should be said that he has some unexpected picks, though. Evangelista as the most skilled really stands out.

He has Bowe as the biggest puncher as well. Holy had Foreman.

 

Dustin Nichols.

 

Amazing that Corbetts thong can offend so acutely some 126 years after the fact…..I would say “still offend” but I don’t recall reading any contemporary protests from back in Jim’s day.

Perhaps Jim received numerous “likes” for his attire from the ladies present.

Just goes to show what a stand alone statement Jimbo made back then.

A real trail blazer. Anyway , I think Corbett had THE best physique…..of any Bank Clerk.

Speaking of natural labouring in lieu of direct weight work - note that Jim’s right forearm was twice the size of his left - ‘twas from all the rubber stamping Jas J did during his days working in the Bank.

The man was like a machine gun. “Reject, reject, reject……”.

 

You’ve never seen Foreman doing it either- a testimony by George said he did it for a few seconds and the photo was meant to be rigged so he didn’t even need to hold it for the shot but they goofed up.

 

Cleveland Williams had arguably the best physique.

Liston, himself no slouch in the muscle dept., said that Williams had muscles coming out of his eyes.

It also seemed that almost every announcer who commentated for his fights made mention of his exceptional build.

The elephants in the room otherwise maybe Butterbean or Andy Ruiz Jr. People talk of symmetry - well these two are perfectly round.

 

Julian Jackson had an awesome physique. Doesn’t look like he lifted weights. Would be interesting to know his training routine though mostly it probably genetics.