Should heavyweight boxing introduce height & reach divisions (minimum 6 foot 4 inches of height)?

[siablo14]

This has been discussed before. Weight is probably the more sensible way to cut divisions. However, if they lowered the CW limit to 190 or 195 and then had a 210-215 division followed by an unlimited division, it might give some non-giants a chance.

They would still blow up to get the bigger paying fights at the unlimited weight. Remember the current "stars" such Wilder and Joshua will be at the unlimited weight. Remember fighters leave the Cruiser weight to get paid more in the heavyweight division.

[SenorPipino]

This has been discussed before. Weight is probably the more sensible way to cut divisions. However, if they lowered the CW limit to 190 or 195 and then had a 210-215 division followed by an unlimited division, it might give some non-giants a chance.

If they ever add in a division between Cruiserweight and Heavyweight I'm done with the sport. They would have disgraced the sport forever, and they might as well just stop doing it if they sink that low.

"The Heavyweight Champion of the World" for over 100 years has been the measuring stick for who is THE MAN in Boxing. If they suddenly changed that after CENTURIES of tradition to where there is now a "Super Heavyweight Champion" it would sicken me to my core, and I would consider it a betrayal to the sport and the fans.

All this is true.

But alas I fear that the time will come when the powers that be will create some sort of new division between cruiser and heavy.

The sanctioning bodies are always toying with schemes to ensure additional champions and thereby haul in additional sanctioning revenue.

Of course they won't admit that's the reason. They'll just take a bogus high road and claim it will give fighters under 215 or so, a supposedly fairer opportunity to win a title.

But it wasn't too difficult for a 208 lb. Holyfield to topple a 246 lb Douglas. At the heavyweight ranks, talent, not size, matters.

[jamamb]

yes IrFro, fury won a medle at world junior amateur championships. all the big guys you listed won medles at the olympics or worlds. so lets just have that as the basis then why dont we. then we can include other good boxers who arent quite giants.. like your favourite povetkin, who has been top 5 for like a decade, ranked above so many bigger men

go for the guranteed skill and class man!! we can include other high level qualifying events to.

[candyslim]

Firstly a new division couldn't be called super-heavyweight because this would devalue over 100 years of the heavyweight division and it's great champions. Heavyweights are getting bigger and more athletic. Boxers like Usyk who are disadvantaged by their size but feel capable by virtue of their talent will always gravitate toward the heavyweight division because that's where the big money and the most glory abides.

For those without the talent to overcome their physical disadvantages, they will have to compete as a cruiserweight or face the fact they will be physically unlikely to make an impact at the highest level of the open weight category. Height divisions are unnecessary and undesirable but the intoduction of a super-cruiserweight division as an option for those who can't make cruiserweight and are physically uncompetitive at heavyweight, is not the big deal you think it is. Like I said it will start out with very little credibility and many eligible super-cruisers will initially shun it. For a long time it will be dismissed as an irrelevance but gradually it will gain traction until one day it's producing wonderful fights and fighters as we are seeing at cruiserweight today.

Trust me Gil I've lived through the introduction of the cruiserweight division, expressed similar misgivings (ok I never was anywhere near as anti as you are) but it was never worth your contempt. Most boxers went for the glamerous heavyweight and light-heavyweight divisions but it started to get a little respect courtesy of the Carlos DeLeons and ST Gordons and it's grown into one of the very strongest divisions in pro-boxing.

You would have slated it at first but I bet you don't feel like that now?

[gilgamesh]

Firstly a new division couldn't be called super-heavyweight because this would devalue over 100 years of the heavyweight division and it's great champions. Heavyweights are getting bigger and more athletic. Boxers like Usyk who are disadvantaged by their size but feel capable by virtue of their talent will always gravitate toward the heavyweight division because that's where the big money and the most glory abides.

For those without the talent to overcome their physical disadvantages, they will have to compete as a cruiserweight or face the fact they will be physically unlikely to make an impact at the highest level of the open weight category. Height divisions are unnecessary and undesirable but the intoduction of a super-cruiserweight division as an option for those who can't make cruiserweight and are physically uncompetitive at heavyweight, is not the big deal you think it is. Like I said it will start out with very little credibility and many eligible super-cruisers will initially shun it. For a long time it will be dismissed as an irrelevance but gradually it will gain traction until one day it's producing wonderful fights and fighters as we are seeing at cruiserweight today.

Trust me Gil I've lived through the introduction of the cruiserweight division, expressed similar misgivings (ok I never was anywhere near as anti as you are) but it was never worth your contempt. Most boxers went for the glamerous heavyweight and light-heavyweight divisions but it started to get a little respect courtesy of the Carlos DeLeons and ST Gordons and it's grown into one of the very strongest divisions in pro-boxing.

You would have slated it at first but I bet you don't feel like that now?

How would Super Cruiserweight give these guys any more glory than Cruiserweight does?

Some of the all time great Heavyweight Champions would've been Cruiserweights today. If you keep raising the weight of what Cruiserweight is you're taking away the chance of seeing some of the ATG talents like we've seen in the past of ever coming along again.

[KiwiRider]

Isn't boxing complicated enough?

I have to explain belts to my wife, and I'm not getting any younger or more patient.

[candyslim]

Firstly a new division couldn't be called super-heavyweight because this would devalue over 100 years of the heavyweight division and it's great champions. Heavyweights are getting bigger and more athletic. Boxers like Usyk who are disadvantaged by their size but feel capable by virtue of their talent will always gravitate toward the heavyweight division because that's where the big money and the most glory abides.

For those without the talent to overcome their physical disadvantages, they will have to compete as a cruiserweight or face the fact they will be physically unlikely to make an impact at the highest level of the open weight category. Height divisions are unnecessary and undesirable but the intoduction of a super-cruiserweight division as an option for those who can't make cruiserweight and are physically uncompetitive at heavyweight, is not the big deal you think it is. Like I said it will start out with very little credibility and many eligible super-cruisers will initially shun it. For a long time it will be dismissed as an irrelevance but gradually it will gain traction until one day it's producing wonderful fights and fighters as we are seeing at cruiserweight today.

Trust me Gil I've lived through the introduction of the cruiserweight division, expressed similar misgivings (ok I never was anywhere near as anti as you are) but it was never worth your contempt. Most boxers went for the glamerous heavyweight and light-heavyweight divisions but it started to get a little respect courtesy of the Carlos DeLeons and ST Gordons and it's grown into one of the very strongest divisions in pro-boxing.

You would have slated it at first but I bet you don't feel like that now?

How would Super Cruiserweight give these guys any more glory than Cruiserweight does?

Some of the all time great Heavyweight Champions would've been Cruiserweights today. If you keep raising the weight of what Cruiserweight is you're taking away the chance of seeing some of the ATG talents like we've seen in the past of ever coming along again.

It wouldn't. The greatest glory will always be in the heaviest weight category because theoretically the champ beats all the others. That's what I said: If you're supremely talented like Usyk your ambitions will be at heavyweight. If your just a good boxer you'll (allelse being equal) settle for the weight category that fits you best.

The trouble is there are small heavyweights who can't possibly boil down to 200 lbs and are condemned by their size to be irrelevant at heavyweight. There was I believe, a time when light-heavyweight was regarded as a bit of a bastardized division, sandwiched as it was between the pukka divisions of heavyweight and middleweight.

I don't understand what you mean about the ATG talents. Marciano would have been an ATG cruiserweight if he were around today although he'd still be conceding weight.

[gilgamesh]

An ATG Cruiserweight clearly doesn't carry the same weight historically as being an ATG Heavyweight.

What I'm saying is that if a Heavyweight man is over 200 pounds, and he's truly talented he'll be Heavyweight Champion. Even in the modern era.

Guess what. There were big 250 and 240 pound guys back in the old days too. Joe Louis has a 1st round KO over Buddy Baer for instance.

A 200 pound man sufficiently trained and skilled SHOULD be able to beat anybody. It's not a size issue. It's a talent issue. They don't need more weight classes so that everyone gets a trophy, they need to develop their skills to be the best.

[Heretic]

The jab and grab strategy that Wlad used against Povetkin would be poison to any of the old great but short champions.

Now days the super big guys are athletic and know how to use that reach advantage to full effect. I don't see HW being ruled by anyone under 6''3'' in the future.

[Heretic]

# bradinho

Would you please remove my name from the wrong quote from the last page.

You are putting some real garbage in my mouth there

[candyslim]

An ATG Cruiserweight clearly doesn't carry the same weight historically as being an ATG Heavyweight.

What I'm saying is that if a Heavyweight man is over 200 pounds, and he's truly talented he'll be Heavyweight Champion. Even in the modern era.

Guess what. There were big 250 and 240 pound guys back in the old days too. Joe Louis has a 1st round KO over Buddy Baer for instance.

A 200 pound man sufficiently trained and skilled SHOULD be able to beat anybody. It's not a size issue. It's a talent issue. They don't need more weight classes so that everyone gets a trophy, they need to develop their skills to be the best.

Well I gave the example of Usyk, I could have used Povetkin, of 'if you're good enough you'll go for heavyweight ' but sadly these guys are still handicapped by their size. Imagine what a 6' 6" 260lb version of one of those guys could accomplish, although could be they wouldn't have experienced the same kind of need to refine their technique.

Marciano at 185 lbs wouldn't have stood any chance against Joe Frazier, never mind a 6' 6" titan of the 21st century. He would be able to try of course but I think he'd soon realize cruiserweight would be a better option for him. Of course a 1990 born Rocky might be more like 6' 2" and 240lbs and might be highly competitive at heavyweight in which case no problem, but if not I'm saying there should be an option for the the smaller heavyweight that is a little more appealing than getting crushed like a bug by the modern behemoth who has a 40lbs of solid muscle advantage.

100 years ago a top heavyweight was 6'. There were guys of 6'6" around but they were freakish and uncoordinated. By the 70's the top heavyweight was 6' 3" and 215lbs. Now they are 6' 6" and 250lbs. There are guys of 7'0" around but they are freakish and uncoordinated. Give it a few decades the 7' guys will be as athletic as Joshua and just as coordinated. You think Louis destroys Joshua like he did Buddy Baer?

[asdfjkl]

Funny to see opinions changing, I still remember the times I was being called an idiot for saying Vitali Klitschko would win against Muhammad Ali.

[Kalan]

WTF? Height and reach?

Mike Tyson's dominance as a short heavy in his prime ruins silly theorys like this.

Mike Tyson beat a lot of guys who had better height and reach... Even Michael Spinks was taller and longer... Buster Douglas and Lennox Lewis were too big and strong for Little Mikey Tyson..... It's really size that's the issue not length... We definitely need weight divisions... Human beings were smart enough to put weight classes in from the beginning.

I don't want height or reach "divisions" cuz weight is the biggest factor... David Tua would kill Tommy Hearns... Joe Frazier crushed Bob Foster -- who had a massive amount of height and reach on Frazier.... George Foreman smashed Frazier -- his height and reach advantages were beside the point -- cuz he was just too big and strong for Smokin'

You have a good point! But, since 2000, the number 1 dominant heavyweight champion of the world has ALWAYS been above 6 foot 3 inches in height. So not only were they heavy, but they were always taller than 6 foot 3 inches.

Is there any reason why we haven't seen a 6 foot 2, 240 pound boxer become the number 1 dominant heavyweight champion? Since we had plenty of heavyweights in the last 2 decades that were 6 foot 2 or shorter who weighed 240 pounds or more.

Perhaps when weight is equal, height and reach really matter. A 240 pound boxer with a 85 inch reach and standing 6 foot 7 inches tall perhaps shouldn't be allowed to fight against a 240 pound boxer who is 6 foot 2, with a 73 inch reach? Am I correct with that assessment? Since short boxers rarely have success against giant heavyweights with weight being relatively equal.

So maybe in the heavyweight division, there should be a height and reach division were two boxers with not just the same weight, but also height and reach fight against each other.

So have 2 boxers that weigh 240 pounds, that are 6 foot 2 inches tall and have a 75 inch reach fight each other in the heavyweight division.

And separately

Have 2 boxers who are 240 pounds, that are 6 foot 4+ inches tall, with 80+ inches of reach fight among each other.

Or another solution is to simply introduce a new weight division between cruiser weight and heavyweight. What do you think about that idea? Something like 225 - 240 pound range and naming it 'super cruiser weight'?

The fact is that most guys who weigh a solid 250 are going to be taller and longer.... Extremely few 6'3" athletes are going to be able to pack that much weight on an extremely athletic frame... There are too many weight divisions as it is.... It's sheer insanity to create a flood of new divisions -- all based on height and reach.

[jamesmcdonnell]

An ATG Cruiserweight clearly doesn't carry the same weight historically as being an ATG Heavyweight.

What I'm saying is that if a Heavyweight man is over 200 pounds, and he's truly talented he'll be Heavyweight Champion. Even in the modern era.

Guess what. There were big 250 and 240 pound guys back in the old days too. Joe Louis has a 1st round KO over Buddy Baer for instance.

A 200 pound man sufficiently trained and skilled SHOULD be able to beat anybody. It's not a size issue. It's a talent issue. They don't need more weight classes so that everyone gets a trophy, they need to develop their skills to be the best.

Well I gave the example of Usyk, I could have used Povetkin, of 'if you're good enough you'll go for heavyweight ' but sadly these guys are still handicapped by their size. Imagine what a 6' 6" 260lb version of one of those guys could accomplish, although could be they wouldn't have experienced the same kind of need to refine their technique.

Marciano at 185 lbs wouldn't have stood any chance against Joe Frazier, never mind a 6' 6" titan of the 21st century. He would be able to try of course but I think he'd soon realize cruiserweight would be a better option for him. Of course a 1990 born Rocky might be more like 6' 2" and 240lbs and might be highly competitive at heavyweight in which case no problem, but if not I'm saying there should be an option for the the smaller heavyweight that is a little more appealing than getting crushed like a bug by the modern behemoth who has a 40lbs of solid muscle advantage.

100 years ago a top heavyweight was 6'. There were guys of 6'6" around but they were freakish and uncoordinated. By the 70's the top heavyweight was 6' 3" and 215lbs. Now they are 6' 6" and 250lbs. There are guys of 7'0" around but they are freakish and uncoordinated. Give it a few decades the 7' guys will be as athletic as Joshua and just as coordinated. You think Louis destroys Joshua like he did Buddy Baer?

Marciano knocked out Walcott who was bigger than Frazier.

7 foot tall guys will never be that athletic.

[candyslim]

I'm not suggesting Frazier beats Marciano because he's taller. Walcott was a skillful boxer but couldn't match Rocky's power and strength., Marciano and Frazier were both tanks separated in time and by 30lb in weight. To continue the tank analogy it's a Cromwell or a Sherman against a Tiger II, i.e. as Ali would say ... "two chances slim and none"

You might have said the same thing about guys of AJ's size back when I was a kid.

[Enlightened-One]

7 foot tall guys will never be that athletic.

As the years pass by, fighters approaching seven feet tall will eventually become commonplace in the sport of boxing, to the point that people will inevitably appreciate their athletic ability.

For example: the Klitschko’s were originally considered as freak show novelty acts until Vitali Klitschko destroyed Herbie Hide and forced Lennox Lewis to endure an horrendous ordeal, sufficient enough to convince the Brit to retire from our beloved sport.

[candyslim]

Exactly. Except I guess the time has to come eventually when incremental growth slows between generations or we'll have 10' humans one day.

[asdfjkl]

An ATG Cruiserweight clearly doesn't carry the same weight historically as being an ATG Heavyweight.

What I'm saying is that if a Heavyweight man is over 200 pounds, and he's truly talented he'll be Heavyweight Champion. Even in the modern era.

Guess what. There were big 250 and 240 pound guys back in the old days too. Joe Louis has a 1st round KO over Buddy Baer for instance.

A 200 pound man sufficiently trained and skilled SHOULD be able to beat anybody. It's not a size issue. It's a talent issue. They don't need more weight classes so that everyone gets a trophy, they need to develop their skills to be the best.

Well I gave the example of Usyk, I could have used Povetkin, of 'if you're good enough you'll go for heavyweight ' but sadly these guys are still handicapped by their size. Imagine what a 6' 6" 260lb version of one of those guys could accomplish, although could be they wouldn't have experienced the same kind of need to refine their technique.

Marciano at 185 lbs wouldn't have stood any chance against Joe Frazier, never mind a 6' 6" titan of the 21st century. He would be able to try of course but I think he'd soon realize cruiserweight would be a better option for him. Of course a 1990 born Rocky might be more like 6' 2" and 240lbs and might be highly competitive at heavyweight in which case no problem, but if not I'm saying there should be an option for the the smaller heavyweight that is a little more appealing than getting crushed like a bug by the modern behemoth who has a 40lbs of solid muscle advantage.

100 years ago a top heavyweight was 6'. There were guys of 6'6" around but they were freakish and uncoordinated. By the 70's the top heavyweight was 6' 3" and 215lbs. Now they are 6' 6" and 250lbs. There are guys of 7'0" around but they are freakish and uncoordinated. Give it a few decades the 7' guys will be as athletic as Joshua and just as coordinated. You think Louis destroys Joshua like he did Buddy Baer?

Marciano knocked out Walcott who was bigger than Frazier.

7 foot tall guys will never be that athletic.

You should google Olivier Richters



He's 7ft2, he used to live near my cousin

[Luis Fernando12]

This has been discussed before. Weight is probably the more sensible way to cut divisions. However, if they lowered the CW limit to 190 or 195 and then had a 210-215 division followed by an unlimited division, it might give some non-giants a chance.

If they ever add in a division between Cruiserweight and Heavyweight I'm done with the sport. They would have disgraced the sport forever, and they might as well just stop doing it if they sink that low.

"The Heavyweight Champion of the World" for over 100 years has been the measuring stick for who is THE MAN in Boxing. If they suddenly changed that after CENTURIES of tradition to where there is now a "Super Heavyweight Champion" it would sicken me to my core, and I would consider it a betrayal to the sport and the fans.

All this is true.

But alas I fear that the time will come when the powers that be will create some sort of new division between cruiser and heavy.

The sanctioning bodies are always toying with schemes to ensure additional champions and thereby haul in additional sanctioning revenue.

Of course they won't admit that's the reason. They'll just take a bogus high road and claim it will give fighters under 215 or so, a supposedly fairer opportunity to win a title.

But it wasn't too difficult for a 208 lb. Holyfield to topple a 246 lb Douglas. At the heavyweight ranks, talent, not size, matters.

But do you think Evander Holyfield could ever become the number 1 dominant world heavyweight champion in an era where Lennox Lewis, Klitschko brothers, Anthony Joshua or Tyson Fury exist?

Do you think Alexander Povetkin could ever become the number 1 dominant world heavyweight champion in an era where Lennox Lewis, Klitschko brothers, Anthony Joshua or Tyson Fury exist?

It's one thing to beat a big heavyweight that isn't very skilled or athletic like Buster Douglas. It's another thing to beat super heavyweights that are very skilled and athletic.

If Alexander Povetkin beats Anthony Joshua or Tyson Fury before he retires, then I might reconsider my opinion / conclusion. Likewise, if any of the current small heavyweights like Andy Ruiz Jr, Evgeny Romanov, Oleksandr Usyk or Murat Gassiev
(if they ever move up to heavyweight) become the number 1 dominant world heavyweight champion, then I might also change my conclusion / opinion. Until then, I can't see a heavyweight shorter than 6 foot 4 dominating the heavyweight division for the foreseeable future.

[Luis Fernando12]

An ATG Cruiserweight clearly doesn't carry the same weight historically as being an ATG Heavyweight.

What I'm saying is that if a Heavyweight man is over 200 pounds, and he's truly talented he'll be Heavyweight Champion. Even in the modern era.

Guess what. There were big 250 and 240 pound guys back in the old days too. Joe Louis has a 1st round KO over Buddy Baer for instance.

A 200 pound man sufficiently trained and skilled SHOULD be able to beat anybody. It's not a size issue. It's a talent issue. They don't need more weight classes so that everyone gets a trophy, they need to develop their skills to be the best.

Well I gave the example of Usyk, I could have used Povetkin, of 'if you're good enough you'll go for heavyweight ' but sadly these guys are still handicapped by their size. Imagine what a 6' 6" 260lb version of one of those guys could accomplish, although could be they wouldn't have experienced the same kind of need to refine their technique.

Marciano at 185 lbs wouldn't have stood any chance against Joe Frazier, never mind a 6' 6" titan of the 21st century. He would be able to try of course but I think he'd soon realize cruiserweight would be a better option for him. Of course a 1990 born Rocky might be more like 6' 2" and 240lbs and might be highly competitive at heavyweight in which case no problem, but if not I'm saying there should be an option for the the smaller heavyweight that is a little more appealing than getting crushed like a bug by the modern behemoth who has a 40lbs of solid muscle advantage.

100 years ago a top heavyweight was 6'. There were guys of 6'6" around but they were freakish and uncoordinated. By the 70's the top heavyweight was 6' 3" and 215lbs. Now they are 6' 6" and 250lbs. There are guys of 7'0" around but they are freakish and uncoordinated. Give it a few decades the 7' guys will be as athletic as Joshua and just as coordinated. You think Louis destroys Joshua like he did Buddy Baer?

Marciano knocked out Walcott who was bigger than Frazier.

7 foot tall guys will never be that athletic.

Yes! Eventually, there'll come a point when even 7 foot giant super heavyweights will become athletic. Very few people believed in the 1960's that 6 foot 6 boxers will ever become athletic until the advent of Lennox Lewis and the Klitschkos. Don't hold your breath is all I can say!

[Luis Fernando12]

Mike Tyson beat a lot of guys who had better height and reach... Even Michael Spinks was taller and longer... Buster Douglas and Lennox Lewis were too big and strong for Little Mikey Tyson..... It's really size that's the issue not length... We definitely need weight divisions... Human beings were smart enough to put weight classes in from the beginning.

I don't want height or reach "divisions" cuz weight is the biggest factor... David Tua would kill Tommy Hearns... Joe Frazier crushed Bob Foster -- who had a massive amount of height and reach on Frazier.... George Foreman smashed Frazier -- his height and reach advantages were beside the point -- cuz he was just too big and strong for Smokin'

You have a good point! But, since 2000, the number 1 dominant heavyweight champion of the world has ALWAYS been above 6 foot 3 inches in height. So not only were they heavy, but they were always taller than 6 foot 3 inches.

Is there any reason why we haven't seen a 6 foot 2, 240 pound boxer become the number 1 dominant heavyweight champion? Since we had plenty of heavyweights in the last 2 decades that were 6 foot 2 or shorter who weighed 240 pounds or more.

Perhaps when weight is equal, height and reach really matter. A 240 pound boxer with a 85 inch reach and standing 6 foot 7 inches tall perhaps shouldn't be allowed to fight against a 240 pound boxer who is 6 foot 2, with a 73 inch reach? Am I correct with that assessment? Since short boxers rarely have success against giant heavyweights with weight being relatively equal.

So maybe in the heavyweight division, there should be a height and reach division were two boxers with not just the same weight, but also height and reach fight against each other.

So have 2 boxers that weigh 240 pounds, that are 6 foot 2 inches tall and have a 75 inch reach fight each other in the heavyweight division.

And separately

Have 2 boxers who are 240 pounds, that are 6 foot 4+ inches tall, with 80+ inches of reach fight among each other.

Or another solution is to simply introduce a new weight division between cruiser weight and heavyweight. What do you think about that idea? Something like 225 - 240 pound range and naming it 'super cruiser weight'?

The fact is that most guys who weigh a solid 250 are going to be taller and longer.... Extremely few 6'3" athletes are going to be able to pack that much weight on an extremely athletic frame... There are too many weight divisions as it is.... It's sheer insanity to create a flood of new divisions -- all based on height and reach.

Okay! That's a fair point! But don't you think the weight disparity between a small and a super heavyweight (such as between Anthony Joshua and Carlos Takam) is far too big. That there is greater reason for another weight division to be introduced above 200 pounds compared to the lower weight divisions where boxers are merely separated by 10 pounds or less. Isn't a 215 pounds heavyweight, facing a greater disadvantage against a 250 pounds heavyweight than a 126 pound boxer facing a 135 pound boxer?

To solve the problem of having too many weight divisions in boxing. Would you agree with removing some of the lower weight divisions whilst adding at least one weight division above 200 pounds that could be placed between cruiser weight and heavyweight? Or are you still okay with keeping the heavyweight division as it is and don't deem bouts between small and super heavyweights as mismatches?

[Luis Fernando12]

To the OP.

Hell no

This ranks amongst the stupidest suggestions I've seen on this forum.

Why?

Because overcoming a height disadvantage or using it to your advantage is simply part of the game. Most fighters train to use their height to their advantage somehow whether they be short or tall.

The 5'10 Jack Dempsey for instance absolutely smashed the 6'5 Jess Willard giving him one of the worst beatings in Heavyweight Championship history.

Unfortunately, in over 2 decades now, there have come many skilled small and short heavyweights who have yet to overcome their height, reach and size disadvantage to become the number 1 dominant world heavyweight champion. Why is that the case? Since the late 1990's, why is it that every number 1 dominant world heavyweight champion has been a super heavyweight and not a small / short heavyweight?

Perhaps it's about time we accept that there'll never come a small heavyweight shorter than 6 foot 4 inches in height that would ever become the number 1, most dominant world heavyweight champion of the world? If they could, then they would've already come by now in around 2 decades but they haven't. Maybe it's about time we accept that they'd never come and it's simply impossible?

Alexander Povetkin, David Haye and Evander Holyfield have been the 3 most skilled / best small heavyweights since the late 1990's but even they've failed to become the number 1 dominant world heavyweight champion of the world whilst living in the company as the top super heavyweights like Lennox Lewis, Klitschko brothers, Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury.

[Luis Fernando12]

So you're okay with small heavyweights who inevitably stand nearly no chance at winning against super heavyweights, fighting super heavyweights, even though the outcome is nearly guaranteed?

4) Andy Ruiz Jr

why should they even belong in the same weight division?

So you are saying that Ruiz should not have fought against the too big opponents he had no chance of beating?

He should never had to face the giants like Hanks, Love, Austin and Gormley who all are 6'4'' or above.

There's a difference between low level giant super heavyweights and top level giant super heavyweights. Sure, Andy Ruiz Jr (and other small heavyweights) can beat giant heavyweights who aren't at the top level. But, Andy Ruiz Jr, Alexander Povetkin, David Haye, Carlos Takam and Bryant Jennings. All whom are small heavyweights shouldn't be allowed to face top level giant super heavyweights like Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury or the Klitschkos.

Gennady Golovkin could probably beat Alexander Brand or another low level light heavyweight. Does that mean he could also beat Sergey Kovalev or Artur Beterbiev? Absolutely not! This is why Golovkin and Kovalev don't belong in the same weight division.

[Luis Fernando12]

The best active heavyweight of this century is Povetkin...

That's only because he is from Klitschko's era and most active heavyweights today are relatively new.

Well then just the past decade, Wilder fought since 2008, I think Povetkin showed more in the past 10 years.
Actually, I think Tyson Fury is the only one who showed more in the past 10 years, AJ ain't active long enough.

That's because Deontay Wilder didn't have as much of an amateur career and subsequently boxing experience as Povetkin had before he turned pro. So Deontay Wilder had to start off gaining experience by fighting against low level opposition when he turned pro. Only now has he gained the experienced for the elite level.

[Luis Fernando12]

The best active heavyweight of this century is Povetkin...

That's only because he is from Klitschko's era and most active heavyweights today are relatively new.

Well then just the past decade, Wilder fought since 2008, I think Povetkin showed more in the past 10 years.
Actually, I think Tyson Fury is the only one who showed more in the past 10 years, AJ ain't active long enough.

That's because Deontay Wilder didn't have as much of an amateur career and subsequently boxing experience as Povetkin had before he turned pro. So Deontay Wilder had to start off gaining experience by fighting against low level opposition when he turned pro. Only now has he gained the experienced for the elite level.