Why were the old giants bad?

They probably thought he had Marfan’s Syndrome if they worried about his heart.

 

This was a serious factor for naturally disproportionately proportioned giants until PEDs and modern training addressed the physical imbalance between giants and classic sized champions. It finally Enabled giant athletes to perform closer to the levels achieved among smaller fighters.

I am not saying the smaller fighters did not also benefit from PEDs & improved nutrition, training and science and more readily available information which both transformed what was physically achievable before.

But it was the giants, and not smaller fighters, who went from being physically hindered (at the elite level) to physically advantaged through a combination of modern factors that were inconceivable before.

 

Peds do not prevent heart attacks, bro.

 

Carnera was a big athletic person, but he looks like an athlete trying to box. He looked like a football or basketball player trying to imitate a boxer. I haven't seen enough of Buddy Baer or Abe Simon to comment. Willard was just a big guy who started boxing at 29, and on film he looks like what he was, a big, awkward guy who started boxing late. Does not look to be explosive or quick, he came along at a time when being big was enough to be champion.

From what I've seen Carnera looks like a better athlete than the others but he lacked fighting instinct and he did not seem well trained. He is probably the only fighter I've even seen who fought often on the toe of his front foot with his front heel up...no idea why he did it or why his trainer didn't correct it. If Carnera had been born into the Fury family and brought up around boxing, he might have been a force. As it was, he had more in common with Mark Gastineau in the ring than Tyson Fury. Carnera was big, strong, and athletic, but not a boxer.

 

I agree.

 

I don't think Classic or many folks realize just how many different PEDs there are alongside the endless combinations and variables. Saying I use "PEDs" Is a broad a statement as saying "I eat food".

 

Functional mass

 

The way you word this is dangerous. It invokes images of an eldrich fetish I haven’t heard of yet.

 

Yes both sizes benefited. But The starting point was different. the giants went from the “being physically hindered” point (at the elite level) to “physically advantaged” point through a combination of modern factors that were inconceivable before. The smaller ones, who could already operate at elite level the way they were, began to benefit in that they could function at that level whilst carrying even more weight. So it helped both sizes.

you put big guys today back then and have them develop as fighters on only what was available then and it goes back to how it always was at elite level. Everyone weighs less but the taller ones are less good.

 

Correct. But together with a different training regimen for a giant, say more tailored to strength and conditioning, than running and cardiovascular activities aiming for long distance could prevent this.

You don’t see many six foot seven inch tall marathon runners do you? But we do see a lot of power lifters that tall. Guys this tall represent just 1% of the human population remember.

The short explosive bursts developed under new advances and altered pace enables previously inadequate sized fighters become functional at elite level against other Superheavyweights.

modern training invented the Superheavyweight. The doors were opened.

 

Don't know to be honest. It just looks that way on camera.