heavyweight size

So we're going to ignore David Haye...

Probably for the best.

 

I think Joe Louis would punch the **** out of Bowe. Various fighters outsized Louis and "rag dolled" him; he still knocked them out.

 

I assumed that it was taken as a given that any heavyweight from the 70s/80s, would gain weight on a 90s/00s training regime.

I don't pretend to know what the overall effect of this would be of course.

 

Which of these demonstrated the skill level which Bowe demonstrated?

 

The HW's of the last 25 or so years would have been smaller in past eras (20's thru 70's) and the past era fighters would have been bigger and more chisleled for obvious reasons had they been born later and hit 'prime city' in the late 20th-early 21st century.
I've gone beyond 'sick' of the mantra that the 90's and beyond 230-240 pound contenders would 'wipe the floor' against Dempsey, Louis, Rock, even Ali...etc. Read my first sentence again.
YOU...CAN'T...COMPARE...ERAS.

 

When you refer to Lewis, Bowe, and the Klitschkos you're referencing only a few super heavyweights who did well in the boxing ring. There has been plenty of other super heavyweights who didn't fare so well in the boxing world. On the other side of the coin I believe there was a young fighter named Mike Tyson who defeated his fair share of rather large heavyweights by devastating knockouts.

 

that's true. they may have weighed 20 pounds more than the 70's guys but they could easily lose some weight.

 

a lot of the guys since the 80's are not in their best condition they look and preform like fat men in the ring, lazy and lethargic, a perfect example would be Solis today, the man just will not get in condition and proper weight ( which is probably 210 lbs or less at 6'1

Guys like Lewis and the Klitschko were always conditioned and well proportioned but 12 rds allowed them to bulk up where for 15 rds they may have to drop 10+ lbs, Bowe fell into the Lethargic group

 

God is in teh Details Ticar. if your "overstating" a case is inaccurate or factually incorrect, let alone willfully, it erodes credibility.

You said Louis was a "very tiny Cruiserweight", now act like you mean a smallish HW for the modern era.

Those are entirely, dramatically different things.

Louis had the skills & enough size to be great in any era.
Lyle is a little smaller than some guys today-& of course some SHW types...But 6' 3" 220 lbs of muscle is plenty, & you can LOOk at him, he would not benefit from even more muscle let alone fat....

6' 4" is not a small wingspan, just not large for today...

 

If you go through all belt holders and linear champions who never weighed less than 226lb you are left with Bonecrusher Smith, Jess Willard, Primo, Vitali (but not Wlad), valuev and that is about it. With the exception of Vitali, what an awful collection of Oafs!!!

This proves there should be a cap on weight at heavyweight. Too big is heading towards sumo. Using blubber to overcome skill. Like somebody said call anything over 230 super heavyweight. Give them their own weight class so we can avoid watching them.

 

The days of the sub 205 pound champions appear to be over.

I do think a fast boxer and skilled boxer ( Ali or Holmes ) in the 215 range could do well from 1990-present, but like Ali and Holmes that fighter will need some height, a long reach, and a chin or iron. I also think ever fighter has a best weight range, and Ali and Holmes at 230 pounds would not be as good as they were at 215.

The smaller / shorter fast and skilled boxers without the big punch just can not compete with skilled super heavyweights. They lack the fire power to get respect and reach to land.

 

Joe actually "rag dolled" Primo Carnera.

 

Light heavies too.