Why are modern heavyweights all fatasses?

because they are lazy.

 

In between sets of hitting the heavy bag they down a twinkie or 2.

 

Thats why im happy that we still have Holyfield. But manny heavyweights are in good shape, at least when they are in for important fights.

 

Let's research that claim.

The current top10 from Boxrec:
(i don't agree with all of their choices, but let's go with them for the moment)

1. Wladimir Klitschko
Not fat.

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2. Samuel Peter
He is somewhat overweight. In december 2005, in his fight against Klitschko he was in good shape at 244lb when you could see his abs. Right now he's at 248lb which is 4 pounds to much, could maybe lose a bit more.

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3. Ruslan Chagaev
Like Peter he's build like a tank. Looked good at 228lb against Valuev. Not fat.

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4. Oleg Maskaev
Is in good shape considering the fact that at the age of 37 you naturally gain some weight. You can see this in any boxer's career.

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Better picture that is not linkable: http://www.viewimages.com/Search.aspx?mid=72785518&epmid=2&partner=Google



5. Nicolai Valuev
He has some fat but that seems to more because of his giant syndrom than lack of training. He is well conditioned and throws 45+ punches a round over 12 despite being 320 lb.

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6. Sultan Ibragimov
Came in overweight in his fight against Austin and looked mediocre, but has learned from it and came in at great shape against Briggs and his earlier fights, around 221lb.

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7. Tony Thompson
Is a big guy at 6'5 245lb. Not fat. I don't know why he's in the top10, but anyway.

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8. Vladimir Virchis
Another huge guy, not overweight. Couldn't find a bigger pic.

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9. Matt Skelton
Again i don't know why he's in the top10.
He is a bit too heavy, but do realise that he's 39 at which age you'll nature put on some pounds.

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10. John Ruiz
Not fat.

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To conclude, from the top10, only Peter and Skelton (who doesn't belong in the top10 anyway) are a bit overweight.
That is 2 out of 10 and it's not like they're grossly overweight. Heavyweights have always been the big guys who sometimes carry around some flap.


Now let's do a comparison with an other random era:

1995, ring top10:

Heavyweights

Title Vacant

1. Riddick Bowe (FAT)
2. Lennox Lewis
3. Mike Tyson
4. Michael Moorer
5. Evander Holyfield
6. Bruce Seldon
7. Frank Bruno
8. George Foreman (FAT)
9. Alexander Zolkin
10. Henry Akinwande

Of that list, Foreman and Bowe are overweight. That's 2 out of 10, just like today. What's more, they are more overweight that Peter and Skelton are.

Now let's look at 1985, ring rankings:

Michael Spinks, Champion

1. Pinklon Thomas
2. Larry Holmes
3. Tim Witherspoon
4. Tony Tubbs (FAT)
5. Greg Page (FAT)
6. Gerrie Coetzee (FAT)
7. Trevor Berbick
8. Carl Williams
9. Mike Weaver
10. Michael Dokes (FAT)

Of this list, 4 are overweight: Tubbs, Dokes, Page and Coetzee. And all of them to a larger extent than Peter and Skelton are.


As you can see, it's nothing new; in fact it has been worse in the past.
My guess is that the reason for the recent criticism is because there have been a few extremes recently (Toney & Johnson) and mostly, because people don't like the current heavyweights.

 

Rings Top Ten Heavys

Wlad - not overweight
Sam Peter - overweight overweight but not by much
Oleg - not overweight
Chag - not overweight
Valuev - pretty good shape for a man his size
Ibragimov - not overweight
Liakovich - has a bit of extra weight but coulod be attriibuted to body type
Byrd - not overweight
Vurchis - not overweight
Tony Thompson - not overweight

I think the apparence of HWs being overweight is more that some big names who are clearly past their prime are fighting and not taking their training seriously.... guys like Rahman, Toney, etc are name guys and just plain fat. Clearly the top ten guys are in as good condition as eras past.

 

well said Pontius and you beat me to it......

 

As Chrispontius has pointed out not all the top heavyweights are fat. Though I do think many of them are overweight in the aspect of being overmuscled. Just look at Ruiz, he usually fights between high 230's and low 240's but when he fought Jones Jr got in tip top shape and came in at 226lbs. I think a lot of heavyweights these days add extra bulk in terms of muscle mass and some fat which often leads to the beleif that they are fat. They do this I believe because they think it will allow them to cope with the super heavywieghts we have these days like the Klitschko's and Valuev.

 

Sorry, but Chagaev is fat.

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So is Peter, and Toney, who has been in the top 10 for most of the last three years although boxrec no longer as him there, is very fat. Valuev and Ibragimov are both on the pudgy side of things as well.

Granted, you are correct that fat heavyweights have been around for a while and this isn't the worst it's ever been, but it is pretty bad.

 

Fantastic Chris Pontius.:good

Classic case of romaniticising the past and giving the current crop no credit at all. This HW division is not a strong one, but it's also far from a truly weak one. The 90's was a strong one, the 80's a tad bit stronger than now.

 

It has nothing to do with 12 rounders.

 

Second that, damn good analysis Chris P.

Amsterdam, agree about the "romaniticising the past" part, but I think the current HWs are among the best - just as in the 90s w/the emergence of Lewis as a dominant HW. The haters "HW no good now" infinite loop is based on predudice.

 

The current heavies our far from the best and closer to the worst. Out of the the top 10 that was shown only 6 of them I would even recognize if they were in a bar, you could say Im in love with the boxers of the past but Decker you really are delusional if you think todays heavywieghts stack up with the heavys of the 90s.

 

:rofl I'm delusional comparing the 90s with the 2000s, but you're on solid ground arguing that CWs from the 30s & 40s could beat todays HWs?! :nut Oooooooooooooookaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay :roll:

 

HW is not strong now, but it's certainly better than the Ruiz/Byrd time period. It's getting better.

Calling them all fat is absurd, as Pontius pointed out.