...between "heavyweights" and "modern superheavyweights"? So between Jess Willard (who beat Jack Johnson by knockout) and Riddick Bowe there was not a single HW champion that weighed 235lbs or more. It could be a coincidence, or I have set the exact limit for what heavyweights, and modern super heavyweights (235+lbs) can do. As if there were no big guys in the meantime...
In America an athletic guy who is 6ft4 235lbs is probably playing football in the NFL or basketball in the NBA ….
So between Willard and Bowe, there was not a single HW champion, who weighed more than 235... really?
Carnera was over 235lbs and champ between these 2. Willard and Carnera were outliers. World class 235lbs HWs became more common fron the 1990's onwards. There are likely multiple contributing factors, including the correlation with an increased prevalence of PEDs.
Yes. You're right; my fault again Carnera was the champion between Willard and Bowe, and he weighed in at 235 lbs. And there was Greg Page (236.5lbs) against Gerrie Coetzee. Who won the title, but did not defend it. James "Buster" Douglas weighed less than 235lbs when he won the title. And more than 235lbs when he defended the title but didn't defend it. Perhaps another example can be found between Carnera and Bowe. But globally, I think the era of "modern super heavyweights" starts with Bowe, and the limit is 235lbs (of course, the boxer's height factor is also important). The definitive enthronement IMO of the "modern superweights" begins with Lennox Lewis. Vitali was lighter than 235lbs in his first pro fight, and only one more. Wlad never weighed more than 235lbs in his career after losing to Ross Purity. So my question is: "Do forum members think that 235 lbs is the correct cutoff between heavyweights and "modern super heavyweights"? If forum members think otherwise...what EXACTLY is the line between heavyweights and modern super heavyweights (a term that is used but not precisely defined)? https://www.boxingforum24.com/threads/wilders-paradox.703237/
I think big men eventually learned how to FIGHT big is part of what happened. That and as time went on you had a lot more of them and hence a bigger pool of talented big men to choose from.
when discussing such things, focussing on weight minimizes the reality, the weight isn't the S-HW - the SIZE is. Giants, and mostly Sub Par, but that is what the Modern HW is... a S-HW because they are GIANTs which also accounts for massive weight!
I think this is accurate and the answer you seek, by the late 80s and into the 90s, there were an abundance of Big TALL Giants that definitely became what we still call HW's, but are actually a whole different Division in reality, the Super - Heavyweights!
Reach is a big advantage if used properly. I think Manny Steward really helped Wlad Klitchko and Lewis they probably would not have been near as good without him. That said fairly recently Mike Tyson and Holyfield were able to dominate and now Usyk is showing he probably could of been the best or near the best at heavyweight instead of Crusierweight. So a shorter boxer can still be the best.
Lewis was the break, he was the bridge from the greats of the 90's to what we have nowadays, Klitschkos were the first round on the other side, going more forward in time there is now a lot of inactivity and things like body positivity, how many shws could stand to lose 20lbs of fat? Joshua looks to stay in pretty decent shape but if he laid off the weights and did only boxing workouts he probably wouldn't weigh quite as much
Very good point but I don't think it's so much that they are playing in the NBA or NFL. That is a tall task for anyone. I think it's that most of these guys grew up playing football or basketball and trying to make the NFL or NBA. By the time they realized that wasn't happening a world class boxing career was out of the question.
