The Best of the Heavyweight Big Men

HomicideHenry · Post by **HomicideHenry** » 20 Jun 2006, 02:21

Who do you think was the best champion big man?

barry · Post by **barry** » 20 Jun 2006, 04:33

Carnera sucked, but Willard was a solid heavyweight! As solid as either of the Clitschko's!

HomicideHenry · Post by **HomicideHenry** » 20 Jun 2006, 07:06

No, I meant as far as champions went.

The Great John L · Post by **The Great John L** » 20 Jun 2006, 07:18

What is your definition of "big man"? With my definition of 240+ lbs, the only one who could be considered an ATG is Lewis. Pretty easy selection because besides Carnera and Willard, he was the only really big HW that was a true unified champion. Oh yeah, there was also Bowe, but besides the 3 fights with Holyfield, his resume was pathetic.

So I would say Lennox Lewis is the best of the big HW champions.

barry · Post by **barry** » 20 Jun 2006, 10:02

I would probably have to say Lewis as well!

The Great John L · Post by **The Great John L** » 20 Jun 2006, 10:04

The Great John L wrote:What is your definition of "big man"? With my definition of 240+ lbs, the only one who could be considered an ATG is Lewis. Pretty easy selection because besides Carnera and Willard, he was the only really big HW that was a true unified champion. Oh yeah, there was also Bowe, but besides the 3 fights with Holyfield, his resume was pathetic.

So I would say Lennox Lewis is the best of the big HW champions.

Oh yes, I'm using the term "all time great" pretty loosely here!

Trent · Post by **Trent** » 21 Jun 2006, 07:28

Carnera sucked, but Willard was a solid heavyweight! As solid as either of the Clitschko's!

I think thats going a bit far.

HomicideHenry · Post by **HomicideHenry** » 21 Jun 2006, 17:14

The first of the champion big men was James J. Jefferies, was roughly 6'3" and 225-240 pounds, and was 260-300+ when not in shape. Ironically despite his size, he never really used it to his advantage, as he fought in a crouching style.

As far as the absoloute best of the big men, I'd say Larry Holmes was the best, dominating the 80's with that long reach of his.

BoxBuzz · Post by **BoxBuzz** » 21 Jun 2006, 17:29

So George Foreman is too shrimpy to compete in the Big Man's competition?

HomicideHenry · Post by **HomicideHenry** » 21 Jun 2006, 17:39

George Foreman was almost a super-athlete. If he had been a football player he would have been a full back. In his prime he was a huge man, and even in his comeback, weighing close to 270 pounds, he handled himself well against prime Holyfield and of course won the title from Micheal Moorer.

Foreman was almost 6'4" and weighed 215 pounds in his prime. Like I have said before, the division today hasn't gotten bigger and better, it has gotten HEAVIER and duller. Back in the day a Heavyweight was a well conditioned 200 pound athlete, these days, it's the bay of pigs.

George Foreman I would probably place #3 overall in the best of the big men, with James J Jefferies as #2 and Larry Holmes as #1.

Hell, I wouldn't pass up a bet that Bob Fitzsimmons or even Tommy Burns, being no more than 5'7" and 170 pounds could prolly reign a holy terror on the so-called super heavyweights of today. It was stupid to have made the Heavyweight class 211 and up---all it is is encouraging guys to get as big as they wish.

Like I heard one fighter comment on James Toney, that Toney only made the move to Heavyweight so that he could eat whatever he wanted and still make a million dollars. Give me a time machine any day, and I'd bet guys like LaMotta, Conn, and hell even Greb who jumped divisions constantly, could easily tear up the division now, with the lard ass beached whales proclaiming to be athletes that fight now.

The Great John L · Post by **The Great John L** » 21 Jun 2006, 18:07

IrishRufusMurphy wrote:George Foreman I would probably place #3 overall in the best of the big men, with James J Jefferies as #2 and Larry Holmes as #1.

Irish, I think many of us misunderstood what you meant by "big HW", as I think most of us were thinking in the 6-5 240+ range.

BTW, Foreman was about 220-225 in his prime, and Jeff was in the 215-220 range in his prime. Not sure he ever fought over 225 until his ill fated comeback attempt.

HomicideHenry · Post by **HomicideHenry** » 21 Jun 2006, 18:23

Compared to the Heavyweights of his time, Jefferies was rather big. He wasn't called the California Bear for nothing. lol

Yes I understand that in this day and age, it's hard to imagine a man of Jefferies size or Holmes or even Foreman's size to be "big" but, I am going by champions and by era.

Cojimar 1945 · Post by **Cojimar 1945** » 21 Jun 2006, 22:40

Jeffries was big for his era but would not be very big today. The elite heavyweights seem to be getting bigger but since crusierweight vs heavyweight matches are not currently taking place its hard to know how the giants match up against the guys from 175-200 lb.

The Great John L · Post by **The Great John L** » 22 Jun 2006, 06:55

Decagon wrote:
The Great John L wrote:BTW, Foreman was about 220-225 in his prime, and Jeff was in the 215-220 range in his prime. Not sure he ever fought over 225 until his ill fated comeback attempt.
A lot of the guys who fight at 240 or 250 simply walk around at their fighting weight, or add to their walking-around weight with weight training. Foreman was a 240-pound guy who trained down to 215 or 220 because that's what was in fashion at the time.

Now, the fashion is to be fat. Foreman was truly an innovator. He was fat before fat was cool.

Dec, we actually agree on this.

It did used to be in fashion to enter the ring in shape, and in the past both trainers and fighters understood that carrying extra fat into the ring was actually a bad thing.

I guess not all things are getting better...

Cap · Post by **Cap** » 22 Jun 2006, 09:54

IrishRufusMurphy wrote:The first of the champion big men was James J. Jefferies, was roughly 6'3" and 225-240 pounds, and was 260-300+ when not in shape.

Wow! Jim Jeffries just keeps getting bigger and bigger. Jeff had himself checked out before the second Sharkey fight by a doctor at UCLA(no doubt a publicity gimmick). Amongst other interesting tidbits relayed to the press, it was noted that Jeffires was precisely 6 feet tall and, at the time of the examination, weighed 205 pounds. At his best, Jeffries looked like a white version of Mike Weaver.

Cap

hawaiianpunch · Post by **hawaiianpunch** » 26 Jun 2006, 14:38

Lennox Lewis. Wlad's got all the tools, but lacks the chin.