BoxRec

To continue from the "Whyte: I don't think Usyk will do well at Heavyweight" thread, and a discussion quoting the oft-used phrase - "A good big un will always beat a good little un", I thought it was worth throwing together a list that disproves that phrase. Not a list of guys who moved up and beat a bang average guy, but two good fighters with a gulf in natural weight and where the little guy won - do not need to all be Leonard v Hagler but could be just Bryd v Tua.

Yes, it is often the case, but also it is also not the case which for me proves it is not true - SOMETIMES it happens and sometimes not but that makes it a rule which does not exist.

I will kick off with a few easy ones:-
Bob Fitz v James J Corbett
Holyfield v Bowe
Henry Armstrong v Barney Ross
Sugar Ray v Olsen ./ Fullmer / Basillo / Others
Duran v Leonard
Spinks v Holmes
Moorer v Holyfield
Toney v Vassiliy Jirov
Toney v Holyfield

A couple do include the loser being a little older but Holmes went on to good things again later, and Holyfield was much bigger than Toney or Toney being a better fighter than Jirov but again massive natural weight difference.

I enjoyed watching that Michael hunter win vs billy nelsons guy.

Haye vs valuev I suppose? Tho I guess valuev would be described as bang average.

Didn't chris Byrd beat a few biguns?

Floyd vs DLH (tho I personally scored it a draw I think)

PAC vs marg.

PBF v Canelo

Steveh583 wrote: ↑06 May 2019, 03:18 I enjoyed watching that Michael hunter win vs billy nelsons guy.

Haye vs valuev I suppose? Tho I guess valuev would be described as bang average.

Didn't chris Byrd beat a few biguns?

Floyd vs DLH (tho I personally scored it a draw I think)

PAC vs marg.

Pac v Maragarito is a good shout Manny absolutely took him apart.

Holyfield v Bowe?

Hulk hogan vs andre the giant

Not boxing but Cormier has shown a little guy can beat big guys.

Harry Greb leathered a few good heavies and light heavies. Henry Armstrong and Mickey Walker did good work against bigger guys.

Cormier's small in the way that Tyson was small, though — height, not build. And height's less important in MMA, although still clearly a factor re: Cormier-Jones.

Jimmy Young?

As a rule of thumb a good big un does normally win. Holyfield found this in the first Bowe fight.
His success at heavyweight was due to him successfully putting on weight!

Sam Langford beat a lot of big 'uns.

Pac vs cotto
" " vs hatton
" " vs clottey
" " vs barerra
" " vs De La Hoya
Canelo vs GGG

Floyd vs The Big Show

Jones vs Ruiz
Hopkins vs Tarver

Calzaghe vs hopkins,i know hopkins was middleweight but he moved to light heavy and beat the man.

Adonis stevenson vs chad dawson

Rocky vs Thunderlips.

Loftgroov wrote: ↑06 May 2019, 16:45 Rocky vs Thunderlips.

That was a draw

Grilling Machine wrote: ↑06 May 2019, 08:29 Cormier's small in the way that Tyson was small, though — height, not build. And height's less important in MMA, although still clearly a factor re: Cormier-Jones.

Jimmy Young?

Cormier makes light heavyweight and yet can still beat up the biggest heavyweights in his sport.

Cornier was never in good shape as a light heavy. His success at heavy says much more about the level at that weight.

thechump wrote: ↑06 May 2019, 13:39 Calzaghe vs hopkins,i know hopkins was middleweight but he moved to light heavy and beat the man.

Adonis stevenson vs chad dawson

I don't think we can say Calzaghe vs Hopkins - Hopkins was a career long Middleweight.

Hopkins vs Tarver is a different matter.

Stevenson vs Dawson is a good call.

Bellew vs Haye?

Haye vs Valuev obviously and Harrison.

Byrd vs Klitchsko

Michael Moorer v Evander Holyfield I

dookus wrote: ↑07 May 2019, 18:36 Michael Moorer v Evander Holyfield I

Moorer was heavyweight for a while when he fought evander,had a slugfest with bert cooper in the early 90's

thechump wrote: ↑07 May 2019, 18:48 Moorer was heavyweight for a while when he fought evander,had a slugfest with bert cooper in the early 90's

They both did! But Moorer had a long reign at light-heavyweight while Holyfield had been a cruiser, and Holyfield looked a lot bigger in there.

dookus wrote: ↑07 May 2019, 18:52 They both did! But Moorer had a long reign at light-heavyweight while Holyfield had been a cruiser, and Holyfield looked a lot bigger in there.

I remember the holyfield fight with bert cooper,think Lennox lewis smashed biggs in 3 round on the undercard

Ali Foreman

Joey Maxim defeated the great Sugar Ray Robinson when Robinson stepped up in an attempt to win Maxim's world light-heavyweight title. The heat was unbearable (for both men, let's not forget) and referee Ruby Goldstein had to be replaced at the end of the 10th round. Robinson, ahead on points, was pulled out by his corner at the end of the 13th.

I just noticed that it's a good little 'un beats a good big 'un. My bad. Tommy Hearns had never weighed above 160 pounds when he took on Dennis Andries for the WBC light-heavyweight title in Detroit in 1987 yet he destroyed Andries. OK, Tommy was a great fighter but it was still one helluva jump in weight.