The Older, Smaller Heavyweight won the Title Fight

[Blond Beast]

People will find that a lot of shorter fighters still have longer reach than they’re opponents. Sometimes even by several inches. It’s one of the more interesting tale of the tapes. So a shorter, older, lighter, less reach, might leave out more matchups than people would expect. I’m sure Qawi beat a lot people who had all those advantages.

[SaturdaysRadio]

From the 80's -

Spinks - Cooney. Michael was older than Gerry by about two weeks.
Holmes - Cooney
Holmes - Smith

[GhostofDempsey]

Tyson vs Seldon

[QueensburyRules]

So with the talk of Fury's place in history after his win over Wilder it got me thinking, how many times has a heavyweight title fight been won by the older & smaller fighter?

For sake of standardizing the research, I will say for the fighter to be older he has to be at least one year older than his opponent. For him to be smaller he has to be giving up both height & reach, also his opponent can't have just moved up in weight (ie Foster v Frazier).

I am sure there are some more instances of it happening in the past century, but the two that come to mind for me are Holyfield v Bowe II, and Ali v Foreman (though I don't know if Ali technically meets the definition as being smaller).

What are the other big time heayweight title fights where the smaller, older, guy won?

- -One name suffices in spades without adornment, Sam Langford.

[DeeMoney]

Uhh, Fury is way bigger than Wilder. Kinda craps on your thread.........

And he is older than him too....

But to be fair I wasn't implying that Fury fit the bill; rather that- "Fury's place in history after his win over Wilder it got me thinking, how many times has a heavyweight title fight been won by the older & smaller fighter"

In other words seeing that Fury won the fight in which he was both Bigger and Younger than his opponent led me to wonder how often a fighter who had neither of those advantages won.

Once again, not saying that Fury fits that description, simply that he is what got me thinking about it.

[QueensburyRules]

- -Duran whooped Sugar sugarless from pillar to post for his first and only welter title.

Topic is so endemic as to be asking when is water wet, sky blue.

[DeeMoney]

- -Duran whooped Sugar sugarless from pillar to post for his first and only welter title.

Topic is so endemic as to be asking when is water wet, sky blue.

Duran SRL is an interesting point, except does not fit in with the original post which specifically states:

"What are the other big time heayweight title fights where the smaller, older, guy won?"

I wouldnt ask for lighter weights because weight classes keep them close in size. But for heavyweights there can be greater discrepancies

[ShoulderRoll]

- -Duran whooped Sugar sugarless from pillar to post for his first and only welter title.

Topic is so endemic as to be asking when is water wet, sky blue.

U no read? U no know what "heavyweight" means?

Time for U diaper change and nap.

[QueensburyRules]

Duran SRL is an interesting point, except does not fit in with the original post which specifically states:

"What are the other big time heayweight title fights where the smaller, older, guy won?"

I wouldnt ask for lighter weights because weight classes keep them close in size. But for heavyweights there can be greater discrepancies

- -True, but that was much bigger than any heavy fight of that year, hence my endemic comment.

[QueensburyRules]

- -Don't think anyone mentioned Braddock vs Baer that was a major upset in the day.