You say it stopped 40 years ago in 1970. Then how do you explain the efforts of Leon Spinks, Michael Spinks, Michael Moorer, James Toney, Roy Jones Jr, Thomas Adamek, and more recently the ancient Antonio Tarver is moving into the top 5. If anything, in the last 5-10 years it is becoming more common again, isnt it?
I think he said he walks around at about 200, not "well over 200", and that seems right to me. He's not a big LHW, he's a medium-sized LHW in this era. He's about 185-190 in the ring these days.
Will everyone jump off the Kovalev train if he gets beaten by Artur Beterbiev? Kovalev is the real deal...but then again so is Artur (who yet needs to learn how to be less economical).
Personally, I think Lewis can toke during his ring entrance and still maintain range using a familiar, but slower, telephone pole jab that Kovalev would have no answer to. As long as Lewis had some endurance, I think he could manage to do this comfortably and eventually, before long, he'd find a right hand or 3. :smoke
kovalev would fare well in any era, from Jack Broughton to Foster, Bob. hell, he'd make the Kingsguard in Game of thrones era.
I got it from Mr. Jim Beam who is never to be trusted as a reliable source. I am happy so many others made sense of the topic. Not sure that I do.
He'd be a top level contender with ambitions for the heavyweight championship. In the early 50s I don't think he'd beat Walcott, Marciano, Charles, mid to late 50s Patterson and eventually Sonny Liston in the late 50s, early 60s. (Liston had a beautiful singing voice). Don't think he'd beat a 60s Patterson either. He won't beat Ali, except maybe 1960-1963 but no time after that. All in all, I think he'd be a good top contender, may do as well as Moorer.