Who was the first elite super heavyweight?

Bob Armstrong was 6 ft 4 but was super skinny.

Fulton, Coffey, Willard, Carl Morris and Tate were a group of elite superheavyweights from the 1910s.

Almost none of them if any met the 240+ criteria except maybe on their heaviest days. Weighing that much back then was rare iregardless of height. Fighters weren't as skinny as Armstrong but they were usually skinnier then a modern fighter with the same frame. In earlier eras a lower cutoff should be used.

 

Bowe and Lewis were the first elite super heavies. They obviously both fought at the same Olympics, and their careers virtually ran parallel.

if you’re splitting hairs, Bowe’s trajectory was a few months ahead of Lewis, so he would be considered the “first”.

You could throw Carnera in there, as he was the champ and fit the size criteria. There’s plenty of reasons why you wouldn’t though.

 

Buddy Baer also would fit the size criteria, but again you’d have to be pretty loose with the defintion of “elite”.

 

I don't think Bowe qualifies, in shape he was well under 240. In shape he's probably only marginally bigger than Foreman

He also didn't accomplish much outside beating Holyfield

 

Mike Donovan played a significant role in developing the skills of John L. Sullivan, Jim Corbett, Bob Fitzsimmons, and was an early advocate for Jeffries before he won the title. He remained a well respected boxing coach and technician until his death in 1918, even training President Roosevelt later on in his life.

Despite his vast amount of cross-era experience, Donovan maintained until the day he died that the 6’5-6’7 1868 American champion Ned O’Baldwin was the greatest fighter he ever saw. O’Baldwin didn’t weigh 240 + pounds but some reports indicate he was about 206-210, Donovan said that the lighter weight played to Ned’s advantage as he was “as light and as easy in motion as a battery.”

 

Maybe not quite "elite", but very good and a sign of things to come from that side of the world.

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The "drained" one from Golota 2 who'd been Shilstoneized was 235. Also 235 against Evander, where he didn't have as low bodyfat, but was still considered unusually in shape for Bowe.

I'd still say he's superheavy enough for our purposes.

 

Can Primo Carnera be considered?

 

I guess the term that needs more defining is “ elite. “. Jess Willard and Primo Carnera both fit the size criteria and both won the heavyweight title. Whether or not one would consider them “ elite “ I guess is a matter of opinion. In the even that they are disqualified then I suppose we’d have to jump to Ridddick Bowe. But he wasn’t quite 240 lbs when in his prime. He was 235 when he beat Holyfield the first time and that was when he was peak

 

In 1931 when Carnera and Victorio Campolo fought for the superheavyweight or "dreadnought" title Campolo was 224.5 though Campolo would hit 240 and 250 quite often. So I feel 220 or 225 is a better limit for what was considered a "superheavyweight" in the early 20th century. Before the 1980s that weight was rare and most who would eventually reach that number who were fighting in the 70s wouldn't reach it until the 80s like Foreman and Bugner. Holmes didn't reach it until the 90s. Even for 6 ft 5, 6 ft 6 guys 240 is a little over the natural weight they have to bulk up a bit.

But going by your definition heres everyone who reached that weight at least once. I only searched people who were 190 cms are taller so someone smaller packing on that much I would have missed.

10s Willard, Carl Morris and Bill Tate
30s Carnera, Godfrey, Victorio Campolo and Santa
40s Buddy Baer and Abe Simon.
50s Valdes hit the mark once.
60s Buster Mathis
70s Joe Bugner, Leroy Jones

In the 80s the group that hit 240 is big enough I decided to not count them all.

 

This thread has reminded me of Gastanaga who despite topping out at 6 ft 1 218 pounds had an 88 inch reach. Gastanaga started his career below the LHW limit of 175. He had the opposite chin of his copatriot Uzcudchin but with over 100 fights he had the highest KO rate of anyone relevant in that era except Buddy Baer.

 

I watched this on Tuesday Night Fights!

 

Jess Willard I guess.

 

Yep Bowe and Lewis sound about right.