Best Physiques in Boxing History ?

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by Claw4075, Oct 24, 2021.


  1. Entaowed

    Entaowed Boxing Addict banned Full Member

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    Oscar Wilde level of appreciation lol! Not that there is anything wrong with that. But surely you know that, if'n I may call you Shirley...

    For the record, Holyfield would never qualify for a balanced overall bodybuilder physique, because his lower legs were so much smaller.
    Norton did not have tree-trunk legs.
    Wilder might be appreciated by Wilde, & a near namesake, I do not think he would mind the addition of the "d".

    But only if he did not mind virtually super-model thin legs-if accurate, Wilder having literally 18" thighs, especially on a muscular torso & being ~ 6' 7", is like a Dali pachyderm painting. [url]https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=dali+elephant+painting[/url]

    I did not know the details of how Williams became a literally "shot" boxer.
    The denouement, the last contact between him & the patrol officer, is touching.
    [url]https://boxrec.com/media/index.php/Cleveland_Williams[/url]
     
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  2. Rope-a-Dope

    Rope-a-Dope Boxing Junkie Full Member

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  3. cross_trainer

    cross_trainer Liston was good, but no "Tire Iron" Jones Full Member

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    Well, yes; I guess so. If we are using muscle mass as a rough proxy for estimating strength, that's fine.

    But all I'm saying is that judging fighters on the aesthetic quality of their bodies probably isn't the most productive rabbit hole to jump down. Baer was considered a physical specimen by the early 30s' standards, but he's rather gangly looking compared to what we think a fighter "ought" to look like today. Conversely, many modern fighters would be considered "musclebound" looking by 30s standards.

    If we have a thread asking for the most muscular fighters, that's a bit clearer than "best physiques," with discussions about aesthetic considerations like balance and proportionality of musculature.
     
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  4. escudo

    escudo Boxing Addict Full Member

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    This thread summed up in 37 seconds.
    This content is protected
     
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  5. stevic1

    stevic1 Marvelous Full Member

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    AJ probably has the most aesthetic "bodybuilder" physiqes
     
  6. Pugguy

    Pugguy Ingo, The Thinking Man’s GOAT Full Member

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    Well, I've always believed in the importance of being Frank, or was it Ernest? I can never remember. to be seriously honest. Shirley? No prob, call me anything, just don't ever call me late for dinner. In this current PC crazy world, I'm the proverbial Irish guy , covering his ears, probing the ground ahead with an extended right foot, checking for hidden mines.. My strike rate is amazing. Forget the pretensions of Oscar De La Wilde who I'm not particularly wild about. Leslie Nielsen quotes are absolute gold. They never get old.

    Back on topic. Ali had notably big legs, thighs and calves, which might've lent to his ability to remain upright even when well buzzed, semi out on his feet so to speak. Joe Louis also had some solid limbs beneath him and that might've lent to the Bomber's optimally leveraged power. Conversely, big punching Tommy Hearns at his best weight had a powerful upper body but pipe cleaners for legs (mod. day Fitz?) which periodically betrayed him even when he wasn't so buzzed.

    Just a few more thing before I finish my rant.

    I miss the more complete tales of the tape, for whatever they were worth and true, the supplied stats were sometimes questionable. Liston had huge fists for sure but it seems they "grew" from 14" to 14 1/2" to 15" and then to 15 1/2" by the time he poleaxed Floyd. Likewise, his biceps also increased from about 16" to as high as 17 1/2". His reach was mainly always listed as 84" BUT during his fight with Williams, as if referring to supplied stats, the commentator repeatedly noted that Williams had the longer reach and curiously when Sonny fought Leotis Martin his reach was listed as 80 1/2". During his time in Sweden, his fist was listed as 14" and his reach 82 1/2". Even Ali's reach was exaggerated to 82" for the Liston fight and Muhammad copped an extra 1/2" in height from previously listings.

    Having previously read some older threads, a poster here said they attended the IBHOF with casts of the fists like Carnera, LIston etc. on display and they noted that Primo's were clearly the largest of all the HWs, including Sonny.

    Thanks for the link... The story will always remain a bit murky. There's a photo online somewhere of Williams reuniting with the officer involved.

    Hard to imagine 220 lb or so Big Cat beating down on a 155 lb policeman full force and not rendering him unconscious. Also ironic that the bullet injuries and successive surgeries saw Big Cat waste down to more or less the same weight of the officer involved. A bullet is quite the equalizer.. If you're interested, here's a short article by a physician, also a rabid boxing fan, who came to meet and treat Williams' in his later years prior to the need for dialysis.

    [url]https://www.michaelfweisberg.com/content/blog/the-patient-experience-that-made-me-a-better-doctor/[/url]
     
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  7. Nigel_Benn

    Nigel_Benn Well-Known Member Full Member

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    Marvin Hagler and Roy Jones Jr.
     
  8. Barrf

    Barrf Boxing Addict Full Member

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    What does best physique mean?

    Most aesthetic I think would be a Ali (young), Ken Norton, or Marvin Hagler.

    Most uniquely useful for giving an advantage over opponents, Tommy Hearns. ****ing cheat code physique there when he was in the lighter weight classes.

    are we talking body-building? most likely to be able to enter a BB contest at his weight class and place would have been Evander of course in his Evan Fields days. Give him a couple months to cut down down to 3%, and he'd have been an incredible looking 210-215 or so.
     
  9. Barrf

    Barrf Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Roy Jones definitely wins the best abs in boxing contest. His abs had abs.
     
  10. Mark Dunham

    Mark Dunham Well-Known Member Full Member

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    Mike Weaver, and a young Ken Norton

    a young Ali

    Marvin Hagler

    Edwin Rosario

    Hector Camacho
     
  11. Mark Dunham

    Mark Dunham Well-Known Member Full Member

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    :elefant:

    I nominate this as post of the day
     
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  12. Ken Ashcroft

    Ken Ashcroft Boxing Addict Full Member

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    The young cruiserweight Evander Holyfield listed at 6’1 and 190Ib looked and fought like a perfect fighting machine.
     
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  13. Entaowed

    Entaowed Boxing Addict banned Full Member

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    Thanks for the as always fun reply more than sprinkled with intellectual rigor!
    I will reply when i can/return home, good show!
     
  14. Mike Cannon

    Mike Cannon Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Weaver....
     
  15. GOAT Primo Carnera

    GOAT Primo Carnera Member of the PC Fan Club Full Member

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    If Weaver was Hercules, this guy must have been Roidcules....

    [url]https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55105517e4b0dda71296b0a6/1496857554128-UR1UCQJWNE2H9GLCQRSI/ibeabuchi-header.jpg[/url]

    [url]https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55105517e4b0dda71296b0a6/1496857481051-9AA27ON3CCR0BGR41WUN/IKE_TUA011.jpg[/url]

    [url]https://www.boxing247.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/ike.jpg[/url]

    [url]https://i.ytimg.com/vi/WKwswiYgPN8/hqdefault.jpg[/url]

    Have you ever seen a guy that trimmed at 6'2" and 245 punds ?

    [url]https://www.thefightcity.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/ike-ibeabuchi-vs_-chris-byrd-highlights-e1522552544831.jpg[/url]

    [url]https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/55105517e4b0dda71296b0a6/1496846547637-NGDI36KXK6OH39RQZ7CY/ibeabuchi-banner-02.jpg[/url]

    [url]https://roundbyroundboxing.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/IkeIbeabuchivsChrisByrd1999-03-20-n.gif[/url]