Did Holyfield Adding Weight As He Moved Up Help or Hinder Him?

Yep, he gained muscle to deal with the bigger stronger heavyweights like Bowe but his boxing lagged....he had the speed and skills where he could have outsped most big men but when he fought Bowe he ran into a big man with the boxing skills and inside superiority due to the size and strength he lacked.....IMO he was a fighter first and a boxer second which was a double edged sword for him he needed the size to survive his instinct to fight.

 

Yep, he gained muscle to deal with the bigger stronger heavyweights like Bowe and specifically because of Bowe but his boxing lagged....he had the speed and skills where he could have outsped most big men but when he fought Bowe he ran into a big man with the boxing skills and inside superiority due to the size and strength he lacked.....IMO he was a fighter first and a boxer second which was a double edged sword for him he needed the size to survive his instinct to fight.

 

I have learned that weight and length are greatest impediments to success in the heavyweight division. Thus, it hindered him.

 

Hard to say. It probably gave him more of a psychological boost than anything else, since he was able to compete on relatively even terms with his opponents. His punching power was always reliant on blistering speed in combinations, and I can't imagine how the added bulk would have helped that. It may have helped his resilience.