In general, are the heavyweight fighters not as good as the lower weight fighters? I'm talking skill-wise, technique-wise, strategy-wise, and conditioning-wise. I just feel that the lower weights especially from 162 lbs. and less are the epitome of boxing skill, talent, speed, and physical conditioning. No offense to the heavyweights reading this thread, but aren't the heavyweights learning from the lower weights? I'm sure the lower weights are also learning from the heavyweights, but I think it's disproportionately more the other way around.
That's totally natural thing. Over the years HWs have grown bigger and that effects the way they fight. Even the so called small HW are heavier than years ago because they feel to compete with the really big boy they have to put on that weight. The bigger size, the longer arms and the higher weight cause certain limitations, they can't move and throw as many punches as lighter weights. Different weight classes have different appeals, if you love boxing for the pure technical skill you're of course better of with the lower weight, if you follow boxing for the thrill that one punch can decide the fight, you follow the heavier weights. A good HW will always beat a good lower weight guy so "not as good" isn't exactly the appropriate term, it's just different and impossible to compare. That's why those p4p lists make absolutely no sense at all and are just there to hype the lower weight guys.
Pffft, in general, maybe. But I think that Tyson, Liston, Ali, Louis and maybe Lewis stand comparisons with anyone at at almost any weight as regards their own styles.
In the Heavyweight division you will see a lot more KO's, because the bigger you are the more power you can generate (that is if you take it as a general rule; all fighters are different), but in the weights below that you will get more punches thrown and landed (again as a general rule), because bigger guys waste more energy throwing punches and can't dance around the ring rattling off the combinations for 12 straight rounds like the fighters down at flyweight can (general rule again). Depends what you like.
I don't believe the HW division has been the same or as good as it was back in the Tyson/Holyfield/Lewis days or even the Ali/Frazier/Foreman days..
that is why MW SWM and LHW are my fac weights as they retain alot of the speed of the lower weighs you still have enough for the 1 punch KO
its just a natural thing because they would be slower than the lower weights. James toney from a lower weight did successfully at HW because of his speed and defense. The HW division was a lot better back then
i think there are two factors in the heavyweight division that may make things look as if they are less talented, which like some have said here already, is comparing oranges with apples, too many factors make the comparison unsimilar between different weight classes. The first thing is that boxers fight too concerned about not getting hit with a good punch, because in this weight class, almost everybody can knock you out with a single punch that u dont see coming, and i think the other major factor is the one you mentioned, conditioning. I think that since they dont really have a weight limit, they get lazy, and dont really work to get down to their ideal fighting weight,which affects the way they perform and also makes them lazy in training camp, and they dont seem to train to fight 3 minutes for 12 rounds... but then again, this is just an outside look, as i am not a heavyweight...
Yes, but at the same time, the bigger heavyweight opponents should be able to withstand heavier shots, in proportion to their size, correct? If Manny Pac's power can KO, say, 50% of his opponents, given that he is, say, a average powered puncher for his weight class.......then you'd also assume that an average puncher at heavy (say Liakhovich, for example) could also KO approx. 50% of his heavyweight opponents. The reason being that while the power from Manny to Liakhovich increases, so does does the punch tolerance of his heavyweight opponents... But the question is.....one I have often wondered......is does the punch tolerance increase in proportion/at the same rate to the power increase as you move up closer to the heavyweights?.........( in general, of course. I realize it will vary from fighter to fighter, but I am refering to overall, averaged out)
Yes, but because punch power might increase at a certain rate the heavier you get, it doesn't mean your punch resistance will increase by that same rate.
I've always felt that light middle to super middle have been good divisions, they are relatively normal sized guys. They possess knockout power, sometimes lacking in lower weights, but also have speed and technique (the good ones atleast). To me heavyweight is sort of the main attraction, but I prefer the lower weights.
I could be wrong but if we rounded up all the amateur boxers in the world, the large sum would be made up of mainly FW-WW (average in many boxing cultured countries) and MW-LHW(average in most western countries) and so therefore, those weight classes naturally have a bigger talent pool to draw from than the fewer HWs. I dont believe in the fewer KO's in lower weight divisions either. You just have to look at the top fighters in the lower weight divisions records and see that they can infact score KO. Valero anyone? Bigger fighters can also be just as skilled, wlad, toney, tyson, lennox, bowe, heck even byrd...Currently though, ijust so happens the hw div is weak, each div goes through a phase.
When you factor in physics, 250 pound men cannot perform the same defensive manuvers, punch at the same speed, punch at the same rate, and move the way the fighters of the lower weight classes can. You can see a huge difference between the heavyweight plodders and cruiserweights. The difference multiplies greatly when you take it down to the lightweights, featherweights, bantamweights, and flyweights. So generally, yes, the heavyweights are not as good as the lower weight classes in terms of skill, technique, and conditioning. Doesn't necessarilly mean they're less fun to watch, because I know a lot of people who prefer watching the heavyweights over any other weight classes (me not being one of them).
