Why were there so many SHWs in the 30's, and what happened to them?

I don't have too much to offer on this subject, except that I think that the appearance of Wilt Chamberlain on the sports scene in the late '50s and '60s opened everyone's eyes to the fact that big guys could really be athletic. Then came Alcindor/Jabbar and the athleticism of a whole host of basketball players, etc. Gradually, this filtered over into boxing. I don't think the big guys of today can be compared to the big guys of yesterday. In days past, they were mostly just a curiosity. Today, they are very athletic and the lifeblood of the new breed of super-heavyweights.

 

Well some of those operating in the 30's began in the 20's.
Campolo
Carnera
Clark
Harris
Godfrey
Owens

And this guy ready to battle Max Baer

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Jose Santa

 

One possible explanation, would be that the talent pool was deeper in the pre war 20th century, than it was in the immediate post war era.

 

The bigger they are the harder they fall was because guys like Willard and Carnera who did make the grade fell much- Today and last few decades there was a Super heavyweight division in the amateurs which allowed big guys to compete and get better - thing is we can make the body get bigger with modern technique and many with extra but the chin is either good or its not.

We have seen this with Price, Vlad, Lewis, and many others

These days the big guys are getting better - old days they were cannon fodder - a lot of them got knocked off before they got to the top - but remember a chin is a chin

 

Actually, there was a lot of 6-3 + contenders, and semi-contenders in the 1910's. Aside from Willard 6-6 1/2, there was Wills 6-3, Fulton 6-4 1/2, Wells 6-3, Coffey 6-3, Anderson, 6-4,Morris 6-4, McCarty 6-4, Palzer 6-3, Stewart 6-4, Con o'Kelly 6-4 and many, many more

 

Well the light heavys and cruisers have gotten worse....somebody like quarry would have murdered fury and wilder in the same night

 

because of weights and other enhancements the divisions with weight limits are less than natural - the heavyweights have no bounds but good fighter like Povetkin once off the medicine - feel their age again- Heavyweights like Jarrell Miller 300lbs have been caught - the stuff works- but they need to find the guy Marquez used when he fought Pacquiao (undetectable)

Quarry was a tough guy- because of his solid chim and powerful punch he could fight the big guys and win- Quarry had trouble with speed but I had ringside seat to him blasting out Shavers in 1- beating the crap out of the best version of Lyle and KO'ing Mac Foster - also getting off the floor to stop Joe Alexander - I would have given Quarry a good chance of up setting George Foreman not Mike Tyson - styles but I think some of the big guys these days are very good- Fury has amazing movement for a big guy (not power) but he uses what he has well.

Joshua may have had trouble with a Quarry type but Joshua also has that Olympic experience and pedigree but still remember the big guys chins are just normal