Are old-time heavyweights too small? Take the poll

[Bronson66]

The reasons for this change in size do not matter to you? I think they matter when we link people's size and the average weight of a heavyweight, otherwise do we know if there is an actual cause and effect? If Christians in Alabama tend to wear blue suede shoes, does it mean if someone wears blue suede shoes they are Christian?

Either way, certainly people have gotten bigger, I just question how much this affects a small sample like heavyweight fighters... Whether there is a logical chain between the two statistics.

See? I would not assume this... Principally because people who become heavyweight fighters are such a small part of the population. It may be true, it also may be true that because such a rare number become fighters it does not matter how many more big people there are...

The question I have repeatedly asked and never gotten a satisfactory reply to is. Why has every boxer who successfully moved up from,Lhvy and Cruiser to win at Heavyweight,deliberately added weight to their frames to do so if small ,up to 200lbs heavies, are big enough to handle todays giants?

[Willie Pep 229]

The question I have repeatedly asked and never gotten a satisfactory reply to is. Why has every boxer who successfully moved up from,Lhvy and Cruiser to win at Heavyweight,deliberately added weight to their frames to do so if small ,up to 200lbs heavies, are big enough to handle todays giants?

Because they got lazy and wanted to eat?

[DeeMoney]

The reasons for this change in size do not matter to you? I think they matter when we link people's size and the average weight of a heavyweight, otherwise do we know if there is an actual cause and effect? If Christians in Alabama tend to wear blue suede shoes, does it mean if someone wears blue suede shoes they are Christian?

Either way, certainly people have gotten bigger, I just question how much this affects a small sample like heavyweight fighters... Whether there is a logical chain between the two statistics.

See? I would not assume this... Principally because people who become heavyweight fighters are such a small part of the population. It may be true, it also may be true that because such a rare number become fighters it does not matter how many more big people there are...

Not quite sure what you are asking with the questions, I think we may be just talking past each other with this. My point was related to your initial post about evolution. In that people are bigger now (compared to 100 years ago), but it is not evolution. You are right, darwinian evolution would not happen in that time frame, but as I have written, people as a whole are bigger now. The primary reason for that seems to be improved diet and living standards as compared to a century plus ago.

Since there are more naturally bigger people, it makes sense that there are more naturally bigger people in heavyweight boxing. This doesn't mean there arent also heavyweights who arent as big (heck our heavyweight champion now has the same height and reach as the heavyweight champ did 60 years ago). Just that with more big people (in rgards to height) as a whole, there is a greater likelihood for their to be more big people (in regards to height) involved in heavyweight boxing.

I don't see why there wouldn't be a logical chain. It seems as if there should be a direct correlation between general population and the pool for heavyweight fighters. Am interested in why you would think other wise?

[Willow The Wisp]

The size difference isn't genetic (ala Darwinian evolution), but societal factors do play a part. People born post WWII & great depression in general have better diets as kids and in utero, so you are gonna produce more bigger healthier people. Naturally bigger people can carry extra weight without it being too much of a burden, and we have better training methods, so they can do so without sacrificing too much speed.

Lucky Charms. They're Magically Delicious

[Willie Pep 229]

Is there a max size humans (hominins) can grow, or has Mankind (civilization) taken that natural evolutionary limitation off the table?

Evolutionary wise they say that pantherines have hit their max size in the Siberian tiger. (There have been bigger but they didn't survive.)

Biomechanics, metabolism, and ecological factors, place limits on size.

Plus, we can add the Earth's gravity to the biomechanics demands as well, I suspose.

That's a factor we can't control with civilization/technology.

So in the end, just how big can a man get?

The past 75 years has seen an explosion in size.

Can this pace continue or are we close to seeing a another 1000 year plateau in size growth?

Just how far can nutrition take us before the other factors step in?

[Dr Z]

Does this include Jim Jeffries who was measured in a Doctors surgery at an even 6 ft ,and was 210 and under for 8 of his 24 fights?

Jeffries was measured at 6'2" and 6'1 1/2 several times with a 76 1/2 or 77" reach. I he was active today, he be 230-235 lbs in shape. He was around 240 for one of his fights.


See the web and read the news clips. Now who was this Dr. you referring to? His name was? You won't answer that question I bet. Like many of my questions you run and duck and come back with something completely irrelevant to the trend and " think " you are scoring points.

[Bronson66]

Jeffries was measured at 6'2" and 6'1 1/2 several times with a 76 1/2 or 77" reach. I he was active today, he be 230-235 lbs in shape. He was around 240 for one of his fights.


See the web and read the news clips. Now who was this Dr. you referring to? His name was? You won't answer that question I bet. Like many of my questions you run and duck and come back with something completely irrelevant to the trend and " think " you are scoring points.

It's in Pollack's biography of Jeffries I'm not trawling all the way through that for you and you wouldn't accept it if I did anyway.

Below is a 224lbs Jeffries with Jack Munroe ,Jeffries is soft in the chest area and has the beginnings of a paunch has no tone to his biceps. Jeffries at 240 lbs would be overweight and slow ,his best weight was under 220lbs.The only one who ran away was you ,when you came to the UK refusing to give me details of your flight time ! lol
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Jeffries and Fitzsimmons Below. Fitz was under 6 feet.


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[Willie Pep 229]

It's in Pollack's biography of Jeffries I'm not trawling all the way through that for you and you wouldn't accept it if I did anyway.

Below is a 224lbs Jeffries with Jack Munroe ,Jeffries is soft in the chest area and has the beginnings of a paunch has no tone to his biceps. Jeffries at 240 lbs would be overweight and slow ,his best weight was under 220lbs.The only one who ran away was you ,when you came to the UK refusing to give me details of your flight time ! lol
image.png

I don't see that as 'paunch' -- looks like a silverback gorilla's belly is forming.

Men hit thirty, or so, they change shape, but it doesn't mean the power has subsided, often it means more strength, even with the belly, (although it gives up speed, endurance, and agility, to youth, yes.)

Also his arms look stronger than his opponents.

P.S. He still has the legs of a great athlete.

[Bronson66]

I don't see that as 'paunch' -- looks like a silverback gorilla's belly is forming.

Men hit thirty, or so, they change shape, but it doesn't mean the power has subsided, often it means more strength, even with the belly, (although it gives up speed, endurance, and agility, to youth, yes.)

Also his arms look stronger than his opponents.

P.S. He still has the legs of a great athlete.

His belly is sticking out further than his chest.His opponent looks like he has never seen the inside of a gym,no muscle tone whatsoever.Jeffries was 29 years old in that photo ,got any other excuses? Jeffries looked in better shape 6 years later in Reno when he had a six pack abdomen.


Jim Jeffries "Never Fight" Jack Johnson.

James J Jeffries Has Choice Racist Words For Jack Johnson & Sparring Partner

[Willie Pep 229]

His belly is sticking out further than his chest.His opponent looks like he has never seen the inside of a gym,no muscle tone whatsoever.Jeffries was 29 years old in that photo ,got any other excuses?

Not excuses. I'm not arguing with you. Just sharing my observation of the photo.

Yeah, the other guy doesn't look like much of anything, fighter or athlete.

So, you don't like my 'silverback gorilla' anology?

Let me just say, I think Foreman II was more powerful than Foreman I.