HIilario Zapata is another fighter that comes to mind as a 'genetic freak', especially for a fighter who has fought at 108 and 112. He was tall, fast, and very slippery with crazy defensive radar, probably one of the slickest southpaws and he fought before Pernell Whitaker became a name. A very gifted fighter at his weight class, although he had a bad chin and was also very hot and cold performance wise. At his best he was almost untouchable. This content is protected
Zhilei Zhang - from a nation not known for producing big men, quite the opposite, would he fit the bill based purely on his size? Genetically unusual in that region of the world? If not, throw in that nasty power
Usyk and Belly are two of the most skillful fighters in the sport and Belly holds huge physical advantages over almost all his opponents. The Dosser might possess exceptional power but he's fought trash. Level of opposition matters. Beterbiev hits extremely hard but he also lives and trains like a spartan and a lot of his physical strength and power comes from that. Very few train as hard as he does. And he's beating up opponents his size not one, two, three or four divisions heavier How do you think genetic freak Teofimo does in his third weight class against say someone like Super Boots who is also a genetic freak but who holds all the physical advantages over him and is super fast, explosive and powerful for that weight class not 140 or 135? What round do you think Teofimo gets knocked out in?
He's from Henan province in China which is in the north of China. Northern Chinese are much taller than their southern compatriots, the idea that Chinese people are short is due to most migrants previously coming from Hong Kong and the south where they are generally shorter. So Zhang while tall isn't some freak, where he comes from the average height is probably similar to most European countries.
Thank you for the education (no way of saying that without sounding sarcastic), this is why I had to add the reserve chute : freakish power baby!
Teofimo beat Taylor on pure talent. JT can shadow box and work on his skills all he wants, Teo was too explosive. Skills can only take you so far.
If Teofimo and Loma were the same size instead of one being a natural 126 and one being a natural 140 there's only one winner and I can assure you it doesn't go the distance. But to be fair, Teofimo is very skilled and Loma is extremely athletically gifted himself. But without his huge size advantage and the power that accompanies that the physical freak stands zero chance. One looks exactly the same at weigh ins as he does in the ring, the other looks like death ''Skinny Fimo now, but then you get the monster tomorrow'' ''By tomorrow I'm going to look like a different man. A whole new man'' --Teofimo Lopez Teo looking like he's just walked out of a concentration camp, his face all sucked in and deathly ill and literally slurring his words. Loma not skipping a single meal all week looking very healthy and no different on the scales to how he does on fight night. Loma looked healthy on the scales at 126 for goodness sake Timestamped This content is protected Now transplant Teofimo up to 147, his third weight class, and stick him in with the Teofimo genetic freak of that division (albeit obviously not near as accomplished), who even the best in that division Crawford and Spence who are both top 5 P4P want no part of. But this time Teofimo is the one giving away all the physical advantages against a much physically bigger and heavier opponent with a much longer reach and who is probably just as quick as him and who is a devastating puncher for that division against natural 147 pounders. Teofimo gets knocked spark out in a round or two. This content is protected
Lopez is no genetic freak. He's athletic, but he pales in comparison to fighters of the past. Floyd Mayweather is genetically gifted as a fighter. He was fast, tall and had a long reach. Pacquiao was a once in a lifetime fighter who went up 8 weight classes. That's freakish. Wilder has freakish power and probably the hardest puncher in heavyweight history. Beterbeiv can hurt anyone badly without loading up. His power is freakish at 175. Julian Jackson was another guy gifted with dynamite in his hands. Hearns was a freak of nature with height, long arms and massive power. Jones may be freaky, but who hows how much of a role steroids played in his career. I don't think Tyson is a genetic freak. He had some gifts for sure, but he was declining when he turned 30 years old.
Liston looks weird on film, like he has an extra left shoulder or something. I do wonder how freakish Beterbiev is versus how much is just what someone can accomplish if they never, ever leave the gym or have bad habits. Few if any of his opponents can say that. Tyson is definitely a freak though, have you seen that picture of him when he was 12? He just put himself through so much crap that he ruined what he had.