The misconception about heavyweights in the past compared to heavyweights today.

[Boxingwizard]

Idiots on these forums will say that boxers weigh 230-260lbs because their naturally bigger than heavyweights in the past, and that's true for some boxers, but most of that is garbage talk.

The REASON why boxers in the past would weights 205-220lbs is because they were in shape, they had a strict diet, and they weren't dining out in burger king everyday.

Boxers like Muhammad Ali, Joe Fraizer, Larry Holmes, etc didn't play video games in their spare time, they did not eat out every freaking day, and they weren't lazy.

[$partacus]

American heavyweights are overweight and that's why they weigh more, but eastern european fighters are naturally bigger than heavyweights of the past.

[Boxingwizard]

American heavyweights are overweight and that's why they weigh more, but eastern european fighters are naturally bigger than heavyweights of the past.

Yet this is considered a weak era in heavyweight history.

[Thread Stealer]

The Klitschkos are genuinely very big heavyweights, so is the large ugly hairy beast, but some of the other top HWs now and in recent years have not been that big. Chambers, Povetkin, Byrd, Toney, Brock...not truly big HWs.

Ali wasn't that strict with diet though, at least not in the 70s. I remember watching and reading about how Ali loved his sweets and desserts and all that and ate too much of it. Still, an "out of shape" Ali in his mid 30s still was only around 230.

[DLT]

TS, I know what youre saying but I dont agree. I mean just look around. Look at the NFL and NBA. Guys are bigger today. There are still a ton of in shape huge HW's like the past but the difference is that theyre in the NFL now. However, they would still be bigger then the guys in the past

[Boxingwizard]

The Klitschkos are genuinely very big heavyweights, so is the large ugly hairy beast, but some of the other top HWs now and in recent years have not been that big. Chambers, Povetkin, Byrd, Toney, Brock...not truly big HWs.

Ali wasn't that strict with diet though, at least not in the 70s. I remember watching and reading about how Ali loved his sweets and desserts and all that and ate too much of it. Still, an "out of shape" Ali in his mid 30s still was only around 230.

Yeah but there weren't that many chemicals in those foods right? Those cakes and desserts were mostly organic. Look at all the junk food we have now and all the chemicals that are put in it like MSG and Aspartame. I have heard of Doritos, Twinkees have serious sides effects to the body.

[Boxingwizard]

TS, I know what youre saying but I dont agree. I mean just look around. Look at the NFL and NBA. Guys are bigger today. There are still a ton of in shape huge HW's like the past but the difference is that theyre in the NFL now. However, they would still be bigger then the guys in the past

True, I think it has more to do with laziness and not having a strict diet.

[HaglerSteelChin]

We recently had 3 HW champs who were 6-7, 6-6, and one who was 7feet, i can't recall another time when there WBA,WBC, and IBF champs that tall. It takes special fighters like a Dempsey or a TYson in his prime to be able to deal with those discrepancies.