Who were the first skilled, athletic big heavyweights?

Very hard to say, because of the paucity of early film.

I think that Fred Fulton was probably the first, but I am basing that on contemporary accounts.

 

Probably the earliest one, where we can say that the film makes the case watertight.

 

Fulton was not a superheavyweight. He weighed a skinny 208lb and looked like a beanpole. How is that a superheavyweight?

The minimum weight requirement for a superheavyweight should be at least 225lb

 

Big John Tate showed more skills in gerrie Coetzee fight than the entire super heavyweights of the 20s and 30s put together.

 

He was 6' 6'' with an 84'' reach, and his best fighting weight was usually around 220lbs.

That is as big as Lennox Lewis, before he started lifting weights.

I will take the definition of a super heavyweight given in the OP, unless you have a good reason to the contrary.

 

Jeffries wasn't quite 6'2" but he was close to the parameters given by the thread starter. He was no sweet scientist but had decent skills. Primo Carnera could box a bit too and was definitely a super heavy by all standards. Not sure if these guys fit the bill but that's my answer.

 

He weighed 208lb vs Jack Dempsey, 5lb less than Joe Louis weighed against Marciano. No one considers Louis big.

Fultons low weight must be taken into consideration, unless you think a 208lb man is a superheavyweight?

 

He generally came in above 215, so that is good enough for me.

Do you intend to contribute anything to this thread, beyond general trolling?

 

Funny,

The two most important fights of fultons career, against Dempsey and Wills, he showed up at 208lb and 210lb. That's not big. Clearly, Fulton did not think his best weight was 220 otherwise he would have came in at 220 in those highly important title eliminators

 

As long as you don't give credit to Dempsey in the future for beating a superheavyweight who, weighed "208lb" :good. I'll be fine with it

I think it's a genuine point. What is a superheavyweight? what's the cutoff?

 

And more to the point, why do you care?

I accept the definition of the OP, for the purposes of this thread.