Here I am going with what it was for the vast majority of its history: anything under 200 lbs. In ring weight. Some general thoughts, mainly regarding what qualities make the best candidates. Guys can lose a bit of fat if this would theoretically help. So here we can have anyone de & rehydrating. However to make this effective, up to @ 10% of body weight is the limit. A little more if quite muscular, less if tall & relatively lean (since muscle has more water). So under these 2 criteria, a 226 lb. Tua vs. Ike could likely make it without significant or any disadvantage. Foreman though lighter in his prime could not-since he was leaner and Saddler already had him come in dry. Thus I leave him out of the poll. Guys like Louis & Ali, maybe the greatest HWs ever-& even better candidates for the title pound for pound-might shed some of their advantages, since both could have some trouble with elite movers-but mainly their marked skills as Giant Killers would be lost if guys are smaller. Swarmers might be the best overall. Since we commonly think that a Frazier or Tyson (not a pure swarmer, but the principle applies) would be best against guys their size or smaller-& the best sluggers tend to be larger. But Frazier unlike Tyson would be a but outsized in weight-does it make much difference? The guys who weighed 190 or less in their prime, I do think they would have more trouble vs. the best fighters who came in 20-30 or so lbs. heavier. Would you pick the greatest ACTUAL CWs, Usyk or Holyfield? Although the latter was @ 190 at CW...So I give the option of him drying out from his @ 217 lb. size vs. Tyson. Averaged out/neutral rules set, but enforced well, such as not much clinching & pulling down allowed. Tell me who would be the best guys, & WHY please!
Fat improves chin. So a lot of these guys would've just a whooped and a hollered and a lost their jaw-chin on that gambit. I wouldn't like the chances of some of these guys with no chin left from the fat loss. They'd just be lighter, softer hitting, less durable, kind of weak-looking and almost dandified fops of a lesser stripe and wholly self-fatigable nature.
Nice nonsense gambit B.E.! Although none of those I mentioned would need to lose much fat at all, & most would just lose water weight & rehydrate. You have a serious answer man?
I looked him up & he is an inspiring story thanks! For others: [url]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvin_Camel[/url] But he was a champion in the early days, I believe when it was still a 190 limit. Also he was not nearly undefeated (although most of his 13 losses & 4 draws came later)-how can you consider him even as good as Holyfield or Usyk? And why would he be better or even nearly as good as any of the HWs who could easily de & rehydrate & come into the ring at something well over 200 lbs. Including the two (2) considered the greatest HWs ever, Louis & Ali?
Too easy when a young Ali can make it under your rules. A better question might be who would be the best LHW ever under these rules. Because now you're bringing in Marciano, Patterson, possibly Frazier, etc., but you're not keeping some of the really obvious ones.
How about this? If we make everyone a cruiser who could make cruiser under your rules, who would be the best HW ever? We've now taken Ali, Louis, Holmes, Tyson, and others out of the running.
George Foreman should also be on the list- not that he’d be the greatest CW in my opinion but he belongs. He is small by todays standards.
Not sure he could make it. He was coming in dehydrated when he was under 220 because of 70's bro-science.
He weighed in clothed with combat boots on too and the dehydrating then would be nowhere close to where we are today. Most likely a 2-4lbs difference but also keep in mind he’d still be eating that day too… point is the scales probably reflect a higher number then he could make today by a bit- he’d be a lot lower today also take into account he had a decent amount of fat on him. David Haye was more muscular at CW and “bigger”
Usyk vs Holyfield would be the most interesting fight to see out of the lineup in CW. My money would be on Holyroid but if its a clean Holyfield then Usyk. Imo
Are we giving fighters terrible at diet control the discipline of those good at diet control in this hypothetical? I mean, ok then, Andy Ruiz could fight at cruiser. I also don't get the running with combat boots thing they used to do. I know Ali did it too. Was it to run while heavier? Wouldn't it be better to protect your feet with proper running shoes and wear a weighted vest for the run?
Answering who would have been the greatest cruiserweight in history by surmising how guys who never officially fought in that weight class would do is impossible. For me the two best ACTUAL participants in cruiserweight history were Evander Holyfield and Oleksandr Usyk. Take your pick as to who you think was better
