the myth that todays fat HW's are bigger and stronger

[joseph5620]

Here is a list of my top 10 strongest heavyweight champions. I have no criteria except what I've read and seen on film. You're welcome to bash, smash and tear this list down.....but don't be a wuss and not provide one of your own.

1. George Foreman
2. Jim Jeffries
3. Primo Carnera
4. John L. Sullivan
5. Sonny Liston
6. Lennox Lewis
7. Wladimir Klitschko
8. Evander Holyfield
9. Rocky Marciano
10. Joe Frazier

From what I have read, Muhammad Ali was extremely strong. This coming from Ken Norton, Dundee,Larry Holmes. Norton claimed that Ali was much stronger than Holmes and punching Ali to the body was like hitting a brick wall. I could see a lot of that in the way Ali would handle his opponents in clinches. The Foreman fight is an example. But I've noticed lot of people interpret strength as punching power. They don't always go together to work as one and the same.


As far as your list, I don't see anything to bash.

[Cardinal Buck]

Here is a list of my top 10 strongest heavyweight champions. I have no criteria except what I've read and seen on film. You're welcome to bash, smash and tear this list down.....but don't be a wuss and not provide one of your own.

1. George Foreman
2. Jim Jeffries
3. Primo Carnera
4. John L. Sullivan
5. Sonny Liston
6. Lennox Lewis
7. Wladimir Klitschko
8. Evander Holyfield
9. Rocky Marciano
10. Joe Frazier

Off the top of my head, and not limited to champions because there's a disparity between physical strength and success in boxing, something along the lines of this (in no order):

Jeffries, Vitali, Foreman, Liston, Tua, Bonecrusher (maybe), McCall, Cleveland Williams (maybe), Lewis, Golata (maybe), Ruddock, Galento, Wlad, Ibeabuchi.

It's a list of guys who tend to (a) weigh a lot (b) be physically large and (c) are overrepresented by fighters from the last 20-30 years. Part of that is my bias, but it's not enough to singly write off my list.

I'm admitting to leaving off some guys from the black and white film era because I haven't seen enough of them.

[Scott9945]

From what I have read, Muhammad Ali was extremely strong. This coming from Ken Norton, Dundee,Larry Holmes. Norton claimed that Ali was much stronger than Holmes and punching Ali to the body was like hitting a brick wall. I could see a lot of that in the way Ali would handle his opponents in clinches. The Foreman fight is an example. But I've noticed lot of people interpret strength as punching power. They don't always go together to work as one and the same.


As far as your list, I don't see anything to bash.

That's a good point. People often confuse physical strength with punching power. Ali is a good example and Pernell Whitaker is another. Other factors besides strength (timing, speed, accuracy, etc.) determine KO power.

[JAB5239]

Does "strongest" mean best AKA greatest?

No, it doesn't, you mean just physical strength.

It was pretty self explanatory Flo....."The strongest Heavyweight champions". If you'd like to expand upon that feel free. How about a list?

[JAB5239]

From what I have read, Muhammad Ali was extremely strong. This coming from Ken Norton, Dundee,Larry Holmes. Norton claimed that Ali was much stronger than Holmes and punching Ali to the body was like hitting a brick wall. I could see a lot of that in the way Ali would handle his opponents in clinches. The Foreman fight is an example. But I've noticed lot of people interpret strength as punching power. They don't always go together to work as one and the same.


As far as your list, I don't see anything to bash.

Your reasoning is why I don't have Tyson on my list. He was an explosive puncher, but he didn't seem to be able to just push people around. Good points Joe!

[JAB5239]

Off the top of my head, and not limited to champions because there's a disparity between physical strength and success in boxing, something along the lines of this (in no order):

Jeffries, Vitali, Foreman, Liston, Tua, Bonecrusher (maybe), McCall, Cleveland Williams (maybe), Lewis, Golata (maybe), Ruddock, Galento, Wlad, Ibeabuchi.

It's a list of guys who tend to (a) weigh a lot (b) be physically large and (c) are overrepresented by fighters from the last 20-30 years. Part of that is my bias, but it's not enough to singly write off my list.

I'm admitting to leaving off some guys from the black and white film era because I haven't seen enough of them.

Look at everybody you've named my friend. Save for just a few, every one of them trained down to their best weight. Training down to your best weight use to be common practice so you could have as much stamina as possible which is why I say if most fighters did that today guys wouldn't be looking so much bigger. There are exceptions just as there are in every era, but I don't think today's fighters are physically stronger as a whole than other era's.

[Cardinal Buck]

^my list is modern heavy whether they trained down or not.

[JAB5239]

^my list is modern heavy whether they trained down or not.

So you're saying you're basing your entire opinion on weight. Sorry, but that makes no sense to me whatsoever.

[AntonTheMeh]

joe frazier would beat the dogsh#t out of haye and adamek

and wlad klitschko. and current vitali, too. i think he'd stop both. just look at the trouble old vitali had with derek chisora. if there's a fighter that derek chisora wishes he was, it's joe frazier. chisroa is frazier on welfare.


he would be a HW. he was an incredibly hard worker in the gym and he weighed in the low 200's in his prime. that's not a cruiserweight even if he tried. he weighed 197 at his lowest and he was barely 20 years old.

when he was in his prime he was a steady 205ish. dog shape.

you are a lot of fun to have in the history section, though, and i want you to stay around. you are ceaselessly amusing to most of us.

i lol'd hard at this post. frazier was chisora's idol too right?

[Cardinal Buck]

@jabs where did I say that? My list has more recent or fairly recent fighters on it. That's what implied.