Why were "small" men able to dominate the HW division?

That is a worthy consideration and yet there is les evidence of heavyweights getting bigger after the cease of the 20 round duration than there is for the 15 rounders being cut to 12.

What if the endurance factor was phased out to suit training theories and styles of fighting from newer coaches coming into boxing? There is evidence that the size and spurt fighting trend has literally erased the leaner fighters existing as they did in times of old.

 

The reduction from 20 rounds to 15 rounds happened in the 1930s, I think.

I'm not sure the difference in distances, 25, 20, 15 or 12, would change the training of championship quality fighters at least.
You'd expect all of them to try to maximize their stamina.

 

There is no denying that a number of new training options became available, around the time that 15 round fights were being phased out.

I get the idea, that it was the certain knowledge that the fifteen round distance was gone for good, that caused trainers to fully commit to these options.

When the 20 round distance was phased out, we perhaps started to see a more multifaceted training approach, that wasn't all built around roadwork.

 

I'm not sure the reduction in rounds effected the endurance aspect or traditional training methods. I think the traditional training methods proberbly stayed the same for a very long time with the fighters themselves adjusting the tempo to suit the rounds required on the night.

Endurance proberbly was less focussed upon once it was decided that it was achievable to overcome a greater sustained pace with short bursts of extra power emphasizing a size advantage?

 

yes, it coincided with each other. I'm not sure if it was the reason why it happened, but I think that is when most changes to the division began to happen.

Perhaps or Maybe a generation of old guys died off around the time new guys from other sports were offering something new for younger trainers to consider.

I think training developed until it became kind of uniform sports specific boxing training. And it stayed that way for a very long time until attitudes changed and new science could be taken on board. Programs became more tailored to the individual.

 

Yes I read Joe Fraziers training book. There was a lot of traditional stuff in it. I will try and sort it out for some quotes.

 

I am sure I have a magazine from 1961 detailing training "throughout the years" that I could get out if you want something specific but I don't think it will prove anything concrete about fighters getting bigger when the distance was cut. Researching this subject could be quite easy but I don't think we need to find "evidence" because the evidence could be the fights themselves and the shape and size of the evolution of the HW division. I don't think there is an answer. I'm just interested to hear what ideas we have about how smaller heavyweights dont dominate like they used to. If the concentration in strength and mass has reduced the older neccesity of leaner endurance suited heavyweights at championship level. It can't be as simple as "big guys became universally better overnight". It could just be that training and conditioning suited bigger men as time went on?

 

The creation of modern industry stuffed humans into an artificial environment which reduced their height. This trend was reversed in the 20th century.

http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/medimen.htm

 

And on the other side of the pond...

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/apr/04/usa