Fighters who would have benefitted from modern weights

JC · Post by JC » 17 Feb 2005, 16:58

Which fighters from the past who did not really fit in the traditional weight divisions would have found a home in one of today's new weight divisions.

One that springs to mind is Jake LaMotta, it's well documented he had trouble making 160 if he were fighting today maybe he would he been an awesome super middleweight. Another is Henry Cooper who would have been a Crusierweight today and may have had more success at that weight than at heavy.

I know it was different then as they ften weighed in at ringside so there was less drying out and stacking on weight. But I'd be interested to hear what you think.

jimglen · Post by **jimglen** » 18 Feb 2005, 01:25

Jock McAvoy and Bert Gilroy, today Super-middleweight.

tonyevs · Post by **tonyevs** » 18 Feb 2005, 17:05

Joe Louis, cruiserweight...then again almost all the heavyweight champs prior to the 80`s.

KOJOE90 · Post by **KOJOE90** » 18 Feb 2005, 17:47

Jimmy Wilde - Straw-weight.
Henry Cooper - Cruiserweight.

tonyevs · Post by **tonyevs** » 18 Feb 2005, 18:34

And with modern weigh in times I guess almost all the old timers would have been in a division smaller

Boxscribe · Post by **Boxscribe** » 18 Feb 2005, 19:42

Charley Burley. At his best at around 150 - 155. A good light-middlewight.

Ray Robinson would have been a champ at that weight too probably. It may have suited him well (not that he struggled at welter or middle) and he could have had even more people to avoid ;o)

crooked nose · Post by **crooked nose** » 19 Feb 2005, 03:12

Henry Armstrong would have easily added to his stack of titles if jr. divisions had been around in his day. Imagine someone holding five belts all at once: feather, jr. light, light, jr. welter to welter. It coulda happened.

tonyevs · Post by **tonyevs** » 19 Feb 2005, 08:38

Yes he was very fortunate in getting a lot of chances at the title, I wonder why??

Roll With The Punches · Post by **Roll With The Punches** » 27 Feb 2005, 05:59

Dempsey
Marciano

a lot of heavyweights come to think of it

KOJOE90 · Post by **KOJOE90** » 27 Feb 2005, 07:23

Glenn McCrory would have benefited from the new Cruiserweight limit.

Boxscribe · Post by **Boxscribe** » 27 Feb 2005, 07:51

Wasn't McCrory Commonwealth and IBF Cruiser champ?

KOJOE90 · Post by **KOJOE90** » 27 Feb 2005, 08:24

Boxscribe wrote:Wasn't McCrory Commonwealth and IBF Cruiser champ?

Yes, but he often struggled making the weight. When he lost his IBF crown he was dead at the weight and was stopped by a bodyshot.

I believe the now higher Cruiserweight limit would have suited McCrory much better.

JC · Post by JC » 27 Feb 2005, 13:47

Herbie Hide is another who might have benefitted from the higher Cruiserweight limit.

Lenny · Post by **Lenny** » 01 Mar 2005, 09:00

Unfortunatly most of the heavyweights mentioned would probably just pile on the weight to stay in the glamour division. There are a lot of heavy's around who would be better suited to fighting at cruiser.

6 Pack · Post by **6 Pack** » 01 Mar 2005, 22:32

I dont know if I would say guys like Dempsey adn Louis would BENEFIT from modern weights. Sure they would fit into modern weights, but those guys thrived on beating larger, slower, men with blows that were too fast to get out of the way of.

Louis is the most dominate heavyweight of all time. I don't think he needed a weight class adjustment. His best opponents were all the same weight anyways, so it would not have made much a difference.

Same with Dempsey, who lost his title to a man his size anyways, but always beat the hell out of the big lads.

Just my thoughts.

JC · Post by JC » 23 Apr 2005, 18:53

Sorry to bump an old thread but was just watching Dick Tiger vs. Bob Foster and realised Tiger never weighed more than 168lbs even when he held the Lightheavy title. I haven't seen much of him apart from the Foster fight but he looks very strong for 168lb. Anyone who remembers him, how good do you think he could have been at super middleweight, where he'd not be giving away so much in weight?

Tantum · Post by **Tantum** » 23 Apr 2005, 21:00

Floyd Patterson would knock the hell out of the current Cruiserweights.

Broncano · Post by **Broncano** » 23 Apr 2005, 22:20

Tantum wrote:Floyd Patterson would knock the hell out of the current Cruiserweights.

Certainly not Jean Marc Mormeck

Tantum · Post by **Tantum** » 24 Apr 2005, 02:42

Here's a couple clips from my collection...

Right click; "save as".

Patterson 1
Patterson 2
Patterson 3

Fighters who would have benefitted from modern weights

Fighters who would have benefitted from modern weights

Jnr Middleweight

Cruiser

Re: Cruiser