I found this Old School wrestling archive. And what struck me is that many of these wrestlers look like, and are the same size as modern SHWs. One tiny example: Look at Bearcat Wright (6'6 280lb) This content is protected Now, want to see something that will really blow your mind? Look through these old time wrestling hall of famers from the pre-1960's. https://books.google.com/books?id=UuGLDAAAQBAJ&pg=PT375&lpg=PT375&dq=bill+melby+size&source=bl&ots=03ZUSk1xLx&sig=1ymgMRVwwuyX0PgTrImg7Mj1_f8&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwidgLLG67TVAhUr94MKHf-NCd0Q6AEIVjAL#v=onepage&q=bill melby size&f=false There's legions of SHWs. It looks like a who's who of modern heavyweights. How come these huge, fit, strong, muscular athletes weren't rampaging through the HW boxing division?
Does 6'3 245lb muscular, in shape Samara Seelie stand a better chance in todays HW division than Jack Johnson?? http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/pictures/s/seeliesamara/02.jpg How about 250lb 6'3 Leo Savage? (Born 1900) http://imgur.com/a/lw2Pn How about 250lb 6'4 Babe Sharkey? http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2713/4450143050_850f5901b2_o.jpg What about 6'5 265lb Ben Sharpe (B 1918)? https://dr.library.brocku.ca/bitstream/handle/10464/7307/Ben_Sharpe3.jpg?sequence=3&isAllowed=y Or his older brother Mike Sharpe, 6'6 260lb. https://dr.library.brocku.ca/bitstream/handle/10464/7306/Mike_Sharpe4.jpg?sequence=4&isAllowed=y
More emphasis is placed on infighting and roughhouse back then which doesn't suit a super heavyweight frame. The smaller fighters are always quicker and more elusive and the likes of Tyson have the power to KO anyone, today's heavyweights are lazy, size would mean nothing when a relentless stamina guy like Marciano is almost stuck to your chest.
Wrestlers are always bigger than heavyweight boxers. Nicolay Valuev is probably the biggest ranked heavyweight ever and he was a true outlier in boxing. But there have been a fair few wrestlers bigger than him.
They have weight restrictions for what the horses can carry, something like 125 pounds total with all gear included so those guys have to be like 110 pounds max.
