Is it really an advantage of being a tall boxer instead of a short one ?

I am just giving you a hard time. I do agree that height is essentially a must in current day championship HW boxing. Ruiz aside, everyone at the top has it.

 

Being taller is inherently advantagious to a degree. Being able to reach and hit someone who cannot hit you back is clearly an advantage. This advantage could of course be negated by talent/skill/preparation/style but if everything is equal, the advantages that come with height/reach are huge

 

Depends on how much fast twitch fibres you are packing in that frame

see bean poles like Julian Jackson and wilder

all about dem fast twitch

 

Spar a taller man for one round and you'll have your answer.

It's always uphill being the shorter man.

 

Not really.
Size is the biggest factor in boxing. I have sparred many men much bigger than I am and it comes down to ones individual style and ability. I am basically a featherweight. I have out jabbed middleweights and cruiserweights. And I have had bigger guys keep me at bay with absolute ease.
And one guy in my gym who is my size, has a massive reach advantage over me. I am a T-rex and he is Tommy Hearns basically.
The distance is different and I have to adjust to other angles, but his reach doesn´t negate mine. I can still parry his jab and land my own. I can even lean back to avoid his punches.
It´s all about understanding the range and distance. And of course knowing how to utilize it.

 

However Ruiz is 6'2'' tall. Its a remarkable height if compared with Tyson's and Tua's.

 

Height and reach is an advantage. There are styles match ups that make it seem like being shorter is better, but that's an exception, not the rule.

Having extra height and reach allow you to have a lot more control in dictating the range. When 2 fighters have a similar boxing style, the taller/rangier fighter always have the advantage. The taller fighter can force the shorter to lead and if that's not the shorter fighter's style, tough luck. He's going to get outboxed for the majority of the fight.

The only case where I think being shorter fight have an advantage is if both fighters are brawlers and they fight at close range, where reach isn't a problem.

 

Sweet Pea was 5'6. Worked out well for him.

 

The first key is finding your natural weight and going at least one step below that. So if you walk around at say 180 lbs and you have a little bit of pudgyness or fat you probably shouldn't fight at that weight. At least go down to 168. It's not just about aesthetics, cardio/endurance is possibly the most important thing in boxing and extra unnecessary weight can cost you in the later rounds. Too much extra weight (unless its lean muscle) can also slow you down and speed is an essential ingredient.

Dont do the opposite extreme and try to be a weight bully either (losing an extreme amount of weight to be a big fish in a small pond). This can ironically also make your gas tank crappy and weak to body shots.

The 2nd key is finding a style that suits your body type and then training to maximum your strengths and minimise your weakness. If you are short and stocky with strong arms and thick legs it makes no sense to try and become a stick and move type of fighter if almost everyone in your weight class will have height and/or reach advantages over you. In that case your best bet would be some sort of volume punching or slugging type of style. Similarly, if you are tall and lanky, giving up your reach advantage to stand right in front of someone and have a phone booth brawl would be stupid. A good coach will recognize these things and cater his training methods to accommodate your body type and natural abilities.

No 2 people are the same however. Attempting to do things exactly the same as another just because you have the same height and reach won't guarantee success. Otherwise, every 6'3 guy with fast hands would become the next Ali. The best boxers are studied and examined every single day by hundreds of people on YouTube, forums, sports magazines, trainers, etc so copying everything step by step can actually make you predictable and easy to figure out. Find what works for you and don't be afraid to experiment or try something new.

To answer the threads question, yes having a height or reach advantage can obviously help a boxer but only if they use it right. If you cant make the other guy "fight your fight" then you better have something else to fall back on.

 

Great post. You went above and beyond for this thread.

 

Well being tall certainly dont hurt whereas being short makes the opponent reach your chin easier.

On the other hand many of the greats have actually deceptively long reach rather than height, more importantly: a long wingspan so they can control distance better and land punches at length opponents dont see exactly because they dont expect someone with that height finding target at range. See Floyd.

So wingspan is more advantegious than height.

 

Huh? Tua was a max of 5' 10".
Frazier was at least a bit under 5' 11".
Both were short HWs, especially Tua when guys kept getting taller.

 

Height is most definitely an advantage.

 

That's not correct.
Of course u can tuck ur chin in whilst looking/punching up to s taller opponenent.

 

As I said, if everything else is equal height is a huge advantage. Sparring with someone less skilled/experienced than yourself isn't equal