Would Ali be too small for today's heavyweight division?

Not necessarily. Many tall guys have lanky, thin frames (ectomorphic), while many short guys have broad, thick frames (mesomorphic). It's why you can have a shorter guy (5'10) who can easily carry 220 pounds without being overly fat while you can have a tall guy (6'3) who might be pudgy and doughy at the exact same weight.

Height can play a role in determining how much weight a person can carry, but it's not the only role, and in some cases, it's the least important role. I think frame size matters just as much or perhaps even more so than height.

 

yes yes yes, foreman was 6'1 actually tyson 5'6 and duran 3'5

 

a taller guy usually could carry more weight than a shorter guy,( he has to be very compact,thick and wide to carry more weight than a tall guy).even if the long guy has thiner bones still are longer so he can put more mass and weight,the problem is the stamina,a shorter guy has closer the heart from his legs and arms so he will be more explosive with more stamina

 

The newbies with SIZE again. Boxing is a skill sport not pro wrestling. In the hwt division size is the last thing to consider.

 

Erm, Usain Bolt is either 6' 4" or 6' 5" ( depending on who you choose to believe ) and reckoned to be around 207 lbs when fully fit. Care to tell us an athlete more explosive than him?

He is not some muppet who throws a single punch, or possibly a combination of 5 or 6 punches then takes a break, this guy covers 200 hundred meters in a little over 20 seconds.

 

How the **** does size matter at heavyweight? I have seen small guys destroy giants and giants destroy small guys! A small guy is going to be faster and more agile than a big guy. Basic science.

 

As for Ali's weight gain - the crucial period was the four months or so between the Olympics and when he turned pro. He was 192 lbs for his first pro fight, 17 lbs more than in the Olympics. That was about as big a gain as his total weight gain until the Liston fight almost 3,5 years later, when he weighed in at 210 lbs. A weight he more or less retained until the mid 70's when in top shape (he was 215 for FOTC and 212 for the rematches with Norton and Frazier).

In other words, a big part of his weight gain occurred during the fall of 1960. So:

1. He took up steroids during this time, which was when he trained under Archie Moore (for the first couple of months) and before he teamed up with Dundee. He then continued with the steroids under Dundee, even though his increase in weight tapered off sharply.
2. He was a still growing teenage kid that had had to cut to make 175 and now purposefully put on weight when campaigning as a pro HW.

As no brainers go...

 

foxy, you are wrong again... being a runner of 100 meters for example does not mean that you have stamina,they are explosive for a short space of time,and you are comparing an athlete with a boxer.. shows again your ignorance here, i have a friend athlete of decathlon and triatlon i am not rival for him running but boxing i tire him early.
plus bolt is an exception and very very slim so he does not have to carry too much weight,i am talking about a long guy carrying more mass,he can put more mass than a short guy but it will affect to his stamina it was i meant

 

Ali never used steroids.

 

Having met Ali when he was still active, i assure you he was all of 6'3'', then meeting him again in 1986 he seemed even bigger.
The guy was huge!

 

If the heavy's today were truly skilled, sure he would have a problem. But after watching D.Wilders performance a week back. Ali and many other heavy's from that era would have no problem at all. Most of the fighters today esp the heavy's are not well trained at all. Yes they are physically imposing. But as Ali once said when he was asked about a fight with Wilt Chamberlin. Ali said TIMBERRRR !!!!!! Wilder last week slapped with most of the punches he threw. He's supposed to be Heavyweight champ. But he looked like a amateur for pete sake. The boxing game has fallen off so badly . Its sad to see.

 

It's a shame with Wilder. He has the speed and natural power but no one is teaching him the basics. He is not improving. He could be far better than he is with proper guidance.

 

ali would easily rule today, what a joke thread

 

I met Ali several times. He was all of 6'3"

Back in the 70's one of my high school classmates turned pro and at the same time worked as an Ali sparring partner. I visited him at Deer Lake and watched he and Ali spar. My friend is 6'2" and Ali was taller.

 

of course that he was 6'3 ,he was very big, this guy is saying this nonsense since years ago and still think that anyone will believe him