Outside of the Klitschko's its almost embarrassing, half of them don't even look like sportsmen Peter looked about 20-30lb over weight and chambers could easily come in at 205lb Chageav to has always looked overweight, its terrible that guys like that are considered top 10 heavyweights when they look like they have trained in the pub, Toney is another example ok he isnt really a top 10 fighter anymore but it wasn't to long ago that he was fighting John Ruiz. If they came in shape they would do so much better i just dont understand the mentality of these supposed top 10 heavyweight coming overweight.
I think they should have a maximum BMI and if you are over that you should not be allowed to fight.
My biggest complaint about the hw division now is the lack of competitive fights. I'm a fan of the Klitschkos but I don't particularly enjoy watching one dominant performance after another. I'd like to see either Klitschko pushed to the brink by a hungry opponent before pulling off the victory....
A lot of them just don't have skills. Forget being fat, they don't have the skills as boxers.
Toney is fat and can come in unmotivated and poorly trained but he still has a great foundation as a fighter. How many of the current crop of HWs have a good foundation?
Foreman put on a few pounds in his comeback but he still had a foundation and could go the distance.
Even the fighters in the 80's, many had a proper foundation. Their problem was inactivity and other bad habits (which many associate with King even thought the blame is around the table).
90's had some good HWs.
50's lacked as well but even though a lot were blown up middleweights and LHs, they still had a proper foundation and could give a decent performance even though they were older fighters.
A lot of them are not skilled, but would it still not be a lot better if they came in good shape and put on better performances? What about the philosophy of ''a really great fight between two ham-and-eggers''? Are we saying we'd rather watch a boring fight between two skilled men rather than an exciting one involving two fit athletes? That seems to be what I'm getting at the moment.
A lot of them just don't have skills. Forget being fat, they don't have the skills as boxers.
Toney is fat and can come in unmotivated and poorly trained but he still has a great foundation as a fighter. How many of the current crop of HWs have a good foundation?
Foreman put on a few pounds in his comeback but he still had a foundation and could go the distance.
Even the fighters in the 80's, many had a proper foundation. Their problem was inactivity and other bad habits (which many associate with King even thought the blame is around the table).
90's had some good HWs.
50's lacked as well but even though a lot were blown up middleweights and LHs, they still had a proper foundation and could give a decent performance even though they were older fighters.
body type isnt : succes.... see mma's fedor emelianenko. muhamed ali wasnt the most ripped fighter ever , george foreman was a fatass when he ko'd moorer...
Being a conditioned fighter is very important. Carrying an extra 20lbs and not being as fit as possible limits your potential in the ring and is unprofessional. Ali was always in good condition ready to go 15 rounds. Foreman was indeed rather large, but he was beaten fairly easily by a young Holyfield in very good condition. Fedor is not a boxer. He obviously trains his body for a lot of different things. The bottom line is that these guys need to be in better shape.
body type isnt : succes.... see mma's fedor emelianenko. muhamed ali wasnt the most ripped fighter ever , george foreman was a fatass when he ko'd moorer...
I agree there are exceptions, but carrying around a spare tire usually affects a boxer's stamina, and slows a fighter down. For some people like Fedor it's natural and healthy, but for others like Chambers and Peter its the result of poor physical conditioning.
On Friday, Peter seemed to tire whenever he put together a combination of punches.
body type isnt : succes.... see mma's fedor emelianenko. muhamed ali wasnt the most ripped fighter ever , george foreman was a fatass when he ko'd moorer...
The HW division is always at a disadvantage, regardless of era, because it is damn near impossible for fighters to make the jump from cruiserweight to heavyweight. It's the hardest jump to make, because the people in HW can be as big as they want.
That means that there is no fresh blood coming from the division below for the most part.
Vazquez-Marquez is never going to happen in the HW division, because no one is able to move up and be on the level immediately like that.
In the US, the division is an embarrassment to boxing.
The US has fat Eddie Chambers, fat Chris Arreola, fat Sam Peter (lives in US), fat Hasim Rahman, and fat James "Belly's Out" Toney.
But in Europe it is MUCH BETTER, with fit Denis Boytsov, fit Alexander Dimitrenko, Olympic Gold medal winner Alexander Povetkin, fit Steffan Kretschmann, fit Francesco Pianeta, the very powerful Alexander Ustinov, fit Andrzej Wawrzyk, fit Ondrej Pala, fit Oleg Platov, fit Sebastian Koeber, and fit Taras Bidenko.
The heavyweight division is pathetic in the US, but it is alive and doing well in Europe!
the division was weak in tysons (peak) era, the lewis era (less so) and the Klit bros era.
But i get what u mean about the fighters looking like they eat bargain buckets 3 times a day, you'd think that they'd at least put some effert into getting into proper shape.
The thing is, even though its shit at the minute, if the two brothers retire what we'd be left with would be woeful, but it would be interesting cos everyone could beat everyone.
And Rogan could become champ! (maybe)
Yeah back in the 80's some of the fighters were not great but at least they could last 10-12 rounds and throw punches.
the division was weak in tysons (peak) era, the lewis era (less so) and the Klit bros era.
But i get what u mean about the fighters looking like they eat bargain buckets 3 times a day, you'd think that they'd at least put some effert into getting into proper shape.
The thing is, even though its shit at the minute, if the two brothers retire what we'd be left with would be woeful, but it would be interesting cos everyone could beat everyone.
And Rogan could become champ! (maybe)
It must be, david haye moved up to take advantage of a weak division, because he rather be fighting in a weak division then a strong one. Eddie Chambers says that he jogs 6-7 miles a day. Does anyone actually believe that fat ass man boob lying sack of crap? Or does he jog then go home and order pizza and mc donalds all in the same day
17y ago
Is the heavyweight division an embarrassment to boxing? | BoxingScene Community