The advantages of fat in boxing

[just the facts]

How do you think natural middleweights James Toney or Jared Cannonier (mma) would have faired at heavyweight without being fat? Why is it that in many other fighting sports as well as boxing (sumo wrestling in particular) fat is either necessary or complimentary for certain fighting styles? Some fat men can do 12 hard rounds no problem, while muscular athletic types often gas after 3-4 hard rounds.

You're ALWAYS better off in shape and ready to go. ALWAYS!

[_Rexy_]

Everyone is different. Buster Mathis would have likely had a better pro career had he not attempted to lose all that fat when he turned pro. He was over 300lbs as an amateur with freakish quickness and great punch recovery. They had him down to the 240's by the time he faced Joe Frazier as a pro. Looked nowhere near as good.

Everyone is different. This is boxing, not modelling.