Pre 1960 heavyweight champions vs Modern Champions ( 1990-current )

On the topic of heavyweight boxers, my thinking is and has always been this. Most heavyweight boxers pre 1960 simply lacked the size to be the Ring Magazine / lineal champion today and would struggle to match up with the best skilled big men. The chance of past champions 170-210 pounds beating Lewis, Klitschko, or Fury on points would be very slim; however, there is always the puncher's chance assuming that had the KO power.

This suggests pre-1960 punchers such as Sullivan, Jeffries, Dempsey, Louis, and Marciano could, in theory, take out Lewis, W Klitschko, Fury or Joshua, which should never be confused with past big men like Willard, Carrera, or Buddy Baer.

The shorter boxer types without power are simply out of the top ten business these days vs. any super heavyweight boxer with skills, as they would be giving up " 6-10" in reach, 4-7" in height, and 30+ pounds in weight, not to mention quite a bit in power. So for me, Corbett, Johnson, Tunney don't match up, have a style advantage, and give up way too much size to realistically win.

Some could have a style advantage if they were attacking types with the ability to infight/body punch combined with the footwork to get into range and the durability to take the incoming during the process.

It seems like the minimum amount needed to compete at the world-class level in modern times is 6 feet tall, 215 pounds with a reach of 75". If you disagree, how many top 3 ranked Ring Magazine Contenders were there at or below these triangle numbers from 1990-2020 ( 30 years of heavyweight boxing )? Maybe two. Tyson, who has world-class power, and Chris Bryd. That's about it for the past 30 years.

I think its fair to assume that old-timers pre 1960 would be 10 pounds heavier today in shape as the nutrition and legal supplements are better. The real old-timers would benefit from a modern trainer.

Still, the minimum numbers work against Sullivan, Demspey, and Marciano, leaving Jeffries and Louis best suited for the pre-1960's group.

And of course, it's mandatory in a land of punchers ( Pretty much every big man from 1999-current ) to be extra strong in the chin department.

I was looking at the upsets from 1990-current. Almost all of them had to do with power. Few upsets were decided on points. McCall had the power and chin to upset, Lewis, Rhaman had the puncher's chance to upset Lewis, Sanders had the power to upset Wlad, Brewster hand the chin and Power to upset Wlad, and Ruiz Jr had the chin and enough power to take out Joshua.

I would say Louis, who was Ko'd, floored and stunned by different men under 200 pounds, not to mention floored by non skilled men doesn't have the chin. This leaves Jeffries as the lone pre 1960 man who had the style, minimum height, weight and reach numbers, power and chin as perhaps best suited to take out the new breed of super heavyweights.

 

Pre 1960, I did not include Liston as he was champion in the 1960's.

If you take Bowe, the Klitschko's ( Both of them ) and Lewis losses, only one of them was via decision in their primes, and that was during the fan man night on Bowe vs. Holyfield II . There was a 17-minute break, allowing a sometimes gasses Holtyfield time to completely refuel. The fight was very close.

Fury who I hesitate to put into this group as his career has a long way to go, has not lost on points either, so the conclusion is no smaller man pre 1960 has a chance to win on points.

Almost every super heavyweight with skills that was champion could punch, so not only are the old-timers are likely to be out hit, they would also need a solid chin. So the best chances are from guys pre 1960 that could punch and take a punch, along with those who didn't give up too much weight.

210 vs 245, you have a problem.
230 vs 245, no problem,

A 70-74" Reach vs 80" reach, you have a problem
A 76-77" reach vs 80" reach, its less of a problem

 

Like I said, many of them have a puncher's chance, and offensively Louis had some length very good hand speed to him to match up. But that defense, that footwork, and a mediocre chin, he's in for a tough nothing vs. any past super heavy champion who had better footwork ( all ) better reach ( All ) and hit hard ( almost all of them )

I highly doubt any champ pre 1960 beats Fury on points, unless there is a lot of knockdowns. *** Super heavies with skills, anyone of them almost never lose by decision vs. a non super heavyweight. *** My observation on boxing, and its been proven true. It has only happened once in all the history of Bowe's Lewis, Klitschko; Klitschko, Fury, or Joshua's fights.. Add them up. Probably 240 or so total fights, and just 1 decision loss vs a non super heavyweight. By the now the odds makers have probably caught up to the math.