how effective would the lighter heavyweights be today?

janitor · Dec 28, 2012

lufcrazy said: ↑

I would add foreman to that list. He's the boundary for me.
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For my money Foreman is more in the Jim Jeffries and Max Baer category.

Maybe after wlad retires it's chambers who will rule the roost, maybe it'll be the next shw in price etc.

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That will be the acid test.

In practice I think that if the Klitschko's retired tomorrow, you would get a shuffeling of the pack, which might include a Chambers type fighter and a Price type fighter.

I dont think a guy should be favoured purely down to size, I think it's more that a great big un beats a great little un.

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I don't think that it strictly holds true.

Carnera was good but not great. I'm not 100% sold on Vitali being great. Foreman had stamina issues that smaller defensive greats could exploit. Bowe was pretty much the full package and I'm not sure how any cruiserweight beats him (I had it a draw with holy and he might just be the greatest cruiserweight in history).

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But Holyfield did split a series with him, thus undermining the principle that a great big un beats a great little un. Score it how you must, but they were clearly competitive fights.

Now great as Holyfieldwas, he was not one of the better punchers or finishers of his weight. What if it had been somebody like Joe Louis instead?

Lewis and wlad only have a weakness with their chin. (early wlad tired but has since proven he can go the distance). Lewis was timed by McCall, bounced into Rahman and Wlad was timed by Sanders. Expecting a guy 60 pounds lighter to time and explode isn't feasible against greats of this stature for me.
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I submit that a smaller faster fighter with better finishing skills, such as Jack Dempsey, would be more likley to get to Lewis or Wlad than the guys who did.

For whatever it is worth, the only fighter of the 4/5 who has consistently dominated the smaller contenders, is Wlad.
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Seamus · Dec 28, 2012

I think Janitor's observations are sound. I can certainly see a Holyfield sized heavyweight making a splash. But I do not think a guy giving up 20 to 30 pounds every time out will have a lot of consistency or durability at the top level. Holy was certainly durable but always inconsistent. And he was truly an exceptional specimen.

I would really welcome an action fighter who is effective moving forward to make a splash, even if only for a few years.

Brockton Rock · Dec 28, 2012

Well Marciano would kill it no doubt. Dempsey would clubber cowardly bums like Wlad and Vitali too. But then again most guys from back in the day would. The guys today are pure trash.

Seamus · Dec 28, 2012

Brockton Rock said: ↑

Well Marciano would kill it no doubt. Dempsey would clubber cowardly bums like Wlad and Vitali too. But then again most guys from back in the day would. The guys today are pure trash.
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You should really try those lines at a few gyms I know of.

I would like to see how they were received.

janitor · Dec 28, 2012

Seamus said: ↑

I think Janitor's observations are sound. I can certainly see a Holyfield sized heavyweight making a splash. But I do not think a guy giving up 20 to 30 pounds every time out will have a lot of consistency or durability at the top level. Holy was certainly durable but always inconsistent. And he was truly an exceptional specimen.
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I could of course use the counter argument that Holyfield was also inconsistent against smaller heavyweights such as Moorer.

Either way, Holyfield is what I am left with at the moment.

What if Holyfield had been born with the power of Joe Louis?

I would really welcome an action fighter who is effective moving forward to make a splash, even if only for a few years.
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We all would, but there don't seem to be so many trainers who could perfect such a jewel.
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Seamus · Dec 28, 2012

janitor said: ↑

I could of course use the counter argument that Holyfield was also inconsistent against smaller heavyweights such as Moorer.

Either way, Holyfield is what I am left with at the moment.

What if Holyfield had been born with the power of Joe Louis?

We all would, but there don't seem to be so many trainers who could perfect such a jewel.
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Another couple observations... I don't think Holyfield's conditioning program really enhanced any power he possessed. He mostly looked and performed like a roided bodybuilder, one with excellent skills and immense heart, but all top heavy and over muscled. That was his solution to compete in a division for which he naturally did not qualify.

Training an action fighter is very much high risk/high reward, but high risk in the marqee division does not play. Action fighters by nature have short shelf lives... Especially at heavyweight.
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lufcrazy · Dec 28, 2012

janitor said: ↑

For my money Foreman is more in the Jim Jeffries and Max Baer category.

That will be the acid test.

In practice I think that if the Klitschko's retired tomorrow, you would get a shuffeling of the pack, which might include a Chambers type fighter and a Price type fighter.

I don't think that it strictly holds true.

But Holyfield did split a series with him, thus undermining the principle that a great big un beats a great little un. Score it how you must, but they were clearly competitive fights.

Now great as Holyfieldwas, he was not one of the better punchers or finishers of his weight. What if it had been somebody like Joe Louis instead?

I submit that a smaller faster fighter with better finishing skills, such as Jack Dempsey, would be more likley to get to Lewis or Wlad than the guys who did.

For whatever it is worth, the only fighter of the 4/5 who has consistently dominated the smaller contenders, is Wlad.
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Foreman is my boundary, anyone bigger than him is a shw by my book.

Of course it isn't strictly true, Armstrong beat Ross and Duran beat Leonard. But generally speaking it hold up.

I'm excited to see who rises to the top tbh.

Dempsey has the frame and abilities but not at 189 pounds, give him 200+ muscle and we'll see.

Holy was very competitive with Bowe but who could have fought that fight better at his size?
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