Can we stop pretending previous generation heavyweights are too small? Usyk and Joe Louis are the same size

[billeau2]

Louis felt it prudent to come in around 200lb because that was his best fighting weight and, unlike Usyk, he never needed to cut weight for a weigh in.

Louis looked awesome and had his best performances at 200 - give or take a couple of pounds. Usyk, who is taller and longer than Joe, looked awesome and just had his career best win at 221lbs. Clearly, Usyk is naturally bigger than Louis.

Yeah Usyk is built taller than Louis, but thats really not my point. Louis fought below 200 at his best, and he could have easily chose to come in around 220... thats my point. He didn't do so because it was better for him not to do so...

[kafkod]

Yeah Usyk is built taller than Louis, but thats really not my point. Louis fought below 200 at his best, and he could have easily chose to come in around 220... thats my point. He didn't do so because it was better for him not to do so...

I'll agree that Joe Louis could probably have bulked himself up to 220 with a modern style S&C program.

Thinking about this thread again though, I'm going to say that it wasn't having 20lbs on a peak Joe Louis that enabled Usyk to beat AJ. By modern standards, Usyk is still a small HW, and he beat AJ by using the advantages that a small HW has over a big guy - speed and mobility - plus ring IQ, highly developed defensive skills and a good game plan.

Usyk, because of his particular individual talents, style and approach, was able to beat a much bigger, more powerful guy by making it a fight where size, strength and power didn't matter as much as speed and skill. Some of the old time greats could probably have done the same - Ali springs to mind here. Others, like Louis, wouldn't fare so well, imho.

[HOF Hater]

The lineal heavyweight champions from all previous eras would destroy every fighter in this era.

Dont tell me they’re too small. They clearly aren’t.

Previous HWs would've dominated Wilder, Fury, and Joshua. They would've demonstrated that size is just size and definitely NOT the be all, end all.

NONE of Fury, Wilder, or Joshua are relevant against Mike Tyson, Holyfield, Lewis, Holmes, etc.

[Boxing>MMA]

Lol the snail joe Louis was 2 inches smaller than Usyk. Also Usyk only beat an overrated Bodybuilder. If he beats Fury (which he wont) we could talk about guys like Ali being competetive. Joe Louis lmao. Just watch footage and you ll see he would get nuked by todays superheavys.

[QueensburyRules]

The lineal heavyweight champions from all previous eras would destroy every fighter in this era.

Dont tell me they’re too small. They clearly aren’t.

- -U IQ be too small.

Y Jr two grades ahead of U?

[billeau2]

I'll agree that Joe Louis could probably have bulked himself up to 220 with a modern style S&C program.

Thinking about this thread again though, I'm going to say that it wasn't having 20lbs on a peak Joe Louis that enabled Usyk to beat AJ. By modern standards, Usyk is still a small HW, and he beat AJ by using the advantages that a small HW has over a big guy - speed and mobility - plus ring IQ, highly developed defensive skills and a good game plan.

Usyk, because of his particular individual talents, style and approach, was able to beat a much bigger, more powerful guy by making it a fight where size, strength and power didn't matter as much as speed and skill. Some of the old time greats could probably have done the same - Ali springs to mind here. Others, like Louis, wouldn't fare so well, imho.

Ill buy that. Louis was not a particularly mobile fighter... one can make of that what they will. It is logical to assume that might be an issue.

[Ascended]

This is a by a slow person cause they dont say to small as meaning just that they add in movement and skill joe wouldn't be able to make it has nothing to do with size only

[Good ol' Douglas]

The lineal heavyweight champions from all previous eras would destroy every fighter in this era.

Dont tell me they’re too small. They clearly aren’t.

They are too small AND technically primitive. Usyk is the best technical HW of all time.

Louis fought in an era of 190 lbs HWs and was so unathletic compared to next gen ATGs.

What do Louis, Ali, Lewis, W. Klitschko and Fury all have in common? They were very big HWs for their respective eras.

[sunny31]

They are too small AND technically primitive. Usyk is the best technical HW of all time.

Louis fought in an era of 190 lbs HWs and was so unathletic compared to next gen ATGs.

What do Louis, Ali, Lewis, W. Klitschko and Fury all have in common? They were very big HWs for their respective eras.

This is the most relevant point and I'm surprised no one else made it, Louis fought like a big man because he was in his era. Usyk fights like a small man because he has to, David Haye fought like a big man as a cruiserweight because he was a tall long cruiserweight, but you saw how ineffective he was against a taller technically proficient heavy who knew how to control distance.

[QueensburyRules]

The lineal heavyweight champions from all previous eras would destroy every fighter in this era.

Dont tell me they’re too small. They clearly aren’t.

- - U put on U majic dunce cap again?

U can't couldn't take Marvin Hart, but 100% certain I could, and that just for starters.