Boxing's Biggest Men Per Era

[HomicideHenry]

Now, records are seldom complete and quite frankly many competitors have fallen through the cracks of time still waiting to be rediscovered--- especially the further back in history we go.

But we will focus on the Marquis of Queensbury (1865) rules rather than include the bareknuckle era--- 1889 was when bareknuckle contests were no longer being done for championship matches, and it'll be from that time we will focus upon.

However, to appease the possible critic that may arise--- the tallest well documented, verified, competitor of the bareknuckle era who fought actual prizefights and not exhibitions was "The American Giant" Charles Freeman whose peak height was 7'2" but died roughly 6'9" as a result of tuberculosis and other factors. His skeleton was for many years next to the skeleton of "The Irish Giant" Charles Byrne.


1890s

Ed Dunkhorst, c. 6'4" & 260 pounds
Denver Ed Martin, c. 6'6" & 220 pounds
Bob Armstrong, c. 6'4" & 210 pounds
Klondike Mike Mahoney, c. 6'3" & 220 pounds*

1900s-1910s

Tom Cowler, c. 6'4" & 220 pounds
Victor McLaglen, c. 6'3" & 210 pounds
Fred Fulton, c. 6'5" & 210 pounds
Billy Wells, c. 6'3" & 220 pounds
Andre Andersen, c. 6'5" & 230 pounds
Jess Willard, c. 6'6" & 240 pounds
Bill Tate, c. 6'8" & 230 pounds
Luther McCarty, c. 6'4" & 220 pounds
Carl Morris, c. 6'4" & 240 pounds
Gunboat Smith, c. 6'3" & 200 pounds
Jim Coffey, c. 6'4" & 220 pounds

1920s & 1930s

Primo Carnera, c. 6'5" & 270 pounds
Jose Santa, c. 6'8" & 250 pounds
Ray Impeltierre, c. 6'9" & 240 pounds
George Godfrey, c. 6'4" & 240 pounds
Gogea Mitu, c. 7'4" & 320 pounds
Harry Wills, c. 6'4" & 220 pounds
Ben Wray, c. 7'2" & 280 pounds
Vittorio Campolo, c. 6'10" & 240 pounds
Monte Munn, c. 6'4" & 220 pounds
Phil Scott, c. 6'4" & 215 pounds


1940s & 1950s

Jim Cully, c. 7'4" & 280 pounds
John Rankin, c. 7'4" & 280 pounds
Ewart Potgieter, c. 7'2" & 320 pounds
Buddy Baer, c. 6'7" & 230 pounds
Abe Simon, c. 6'5" & 240 pounds
Ben Moroz, c. 6'8" & 280 pounds

1960s & 1970s
Jim Beattie, c. 6'10" & 240 pounds**
Jack O'Halloran, c. 6'6" & 230 pounds
Claude Humphrey McBride, c. 6'4" & 340
Buster Mathis, c. 6'4" & 250 pounds
Chuck Wepner, c. 6'5" & 220 pounds
Ernie Terrell, c. 6'6" & 215 pounds
Ed Jones, c. 6'9" & 250 pounds


1980s & 1990s
Carl Chancellor, c. 7'0" & 440 pounds
Stanley Wright, c. 6'10" & 270 pounds
Mike White, c. 6'10" & 270 pounds
Jorge Luis Gonzales, c. 6'7" & 240 pounds
Paea Wolfgramm, c. 6'5" & 300 pounds
Michael Grant, c. 6'7" & 250 pounds
Lance Whitaker, c. 6'8" & 240 pounds
Henry Akinwande, c. 6'8" & 240 pounds
Jameel McCline, c. 6'6" & 260 pounds
Julius Long, c. 7'1" & 250 pounds
Marcellus Brown, c. 7'0" & 230 pounds

Special Notes to Make at This Point

As one can see the big men not only got bigger as time went on but also became more frequent--- I think that primarily was for many years because there was no real big money in basketball, football, etc which is why alot of large athletes either became professional wrestlers or boxers. When the 70s rolled around & money started rising in the NBA & NFL it started to dip--- at least in the sense that the really athletic big men were not trading in their team sports for gloves, and what was left over (for a time) was goons. It'd take the early 2000s to the present day for that to cycle back where the athleticism caught up.

I didn't include Lewis, Bowe or the Klitschko's because they were the most well known of the big men in their era, and that same logic was used with not including James J. Jeffries (1900s/1910s) or George Foreman (1960s/1970s). As time went on, I had to make the decision to make anyone OVER 6'5" get listed because 6'4"-6'5" was the norm; Wolfgramm gets mentioned because of sheer bulk to go with the height.

Asterisks in the Listings

*Klondike Mike Mahoney; best known for his Paul Bunyanesque life in the Yukon he was a champion amateur in his youth and fought professional sporadically between mining & traveling across Canada. He defeated Tommy Burns (then known as Noah Brusso) in a "lumberjack match" where kicks were allowed.

**James Beattie; the 6'10" Heavyweight was once the Golden Gloves champion and is probably best remembered today for starring in THE GREAT WHITE HOPE as "The Kid" (Jess Willard).


This is NOT a complete listing of the all-around biggest heavyweights per era in boxing history from 1889 onwards. This is a work in progress.

[Alguiffer]

An interesting read, thanks !

[APerno]

Ben Moroz 6' 8" 280-302 lbs 1939-1945 (21-17-1)

Out of Philly; TKO loss Lou Nova

[HomicideHenry]

Thanks for that APerno

[Caractacus]

Monte Munn had an interesting story.
He had been a star football player at the University of Nebraska
( Class of 1918)
and was a protege of Jack Johnson.
I think they still talk about him at the University.
There use to be a lot more about him on the inter-net some years ago
(including a photograph of him training under Jack Johnson,
but I unable to find it now).
here is one article I found about him here at this link.
http://www.tss.ib.tv/boxing/articles-of ... oxing-life

[HomicideHenry]

I think he was related to "Big" Wayne Munn, the football player & wrestler & boxer from roughly the same time period.

[Ambling Alp II]

Wells and Gunboat Smith didn't weigh anywhere close to what you have them listed.

You could add Seal Harris from the 1920s and 1930s.
Tom Hawkins from the 1920s.
LeRoy Jones from the 1970s.
Maybe John Tate from the 1970s and 1980s.

Probably many others throughout the years.

[HomicideHenry]

That doesn't help your case much Alp when you want to make all these men of earlier years lighter and lighter

[Ambling Alp II]

I am just correcting your factually incorrect statements. Has nothing to do with "my case". I also listed a few notable guys that you missed from way back.

[Jan]

does anybody know who currently is the tallest boxer in the world?

[jwfg]

Where's Wilt Chamberlain and Ed 'Not Tall Enough' Jones?

Wilt essentially beat Ali and Jones was on the verge of greatness when he retired.

[SteveO]

Wilt essentially beat Ali

??????????????

[gilgamesh]

Wilt essentially beat Ali

??????????????

Long story

[Sweet Dick Willie]

1980s & 1990s
Julius Long, c. 7'1" & 250 pounds

Julius "The Towering Inferno" Long? Wasn't his debut in the 00s?

And dang, I never realised Primo Carnera was that short

[Sweet Dick Willie]

Who the hell is/was Carl Chancellor? The only over 400 pounder on that list... That's huge!

[cannonball]

Carl "the eclipse" Chancellor was a low level journeyman/can who i saw get flattened in a round by the talented lard bucket James Gaines.
Gaines btw was another who should have made the list at 6ft 6" and 300lbs plus

[gp.]

Wilt essentially beat Ali

??????????????

Chamberlain was unbeaten in the ring, and Ali lost to a man who couldn't even swim. It's obvious if you give it some thought.

[damage]

Wilt essentially beat Ali

??????????????

Chamberlain was unbeaten in the ring, and Ali lost to a man who couldn't even swim. It's obvious if you give it some thought.

Give us a clue!

[gp.]

??????????????

Chamberlain was unbeaten in the ring, and Ali lost to a man who couldn't even swim. It's obvious if you give it some thought.

Give us a clue!

viewtopic.php?t=200617

I warn you, it's 75 pages.

[SteveO]

Wilt essentially beat Ali

??????????????

Chamberlain was unbeaten in the ring, and Ali lost to a man who couldn't even swim. It's obvious if you give it some thought.