Lying tale of the tapes

[Controversial]

It seems a fairly common thing for heights or other tale of the tape measurements to be exaggerated. No fighter is ever officially measured so the stats are normally made up or guessed.

More recently we have Fury claiming to be 6’9” and often referred to as a near 7 foot HW when he’s more likely to be 6’7”

Mike Tyson was listed as 5’11.5” early in his career, more likely to be around 5’9”

Muhammad Ali’s reach was recorded as 82” for some fights, later changed to 78”

Marciano’s brother in one book I read said Marciano was 5’9” at the most, he’s listed taller than that.

I’ve always doubted the claim that Liston had a 84” reach

What are some you know of that you think are wrong or know are wrong from meeting or seeing fighters in person.

[Caractacus]

take all the "Tales of the Tape" ever listed for any fighter,
and then average them out.

[Controversial]

take all the "Tales of the Tape" ever listed for any fighter,
and then average them out.

Eh, average them out to what?

Edit. Sorry get what you mean now, lower and highest figures etc.

[Caractacus]

yeah, remove the lowest and also the highest.
so the actual measurements are probably somewhere in be-tween them.

[Controversial]

yeah, remove the lowest and also the highest.
so the actual measurements are probably somewhere in be-tween them.

Maybe but maybe still off, I don’t think I’ve seen Tyson listed lower than 5’10” or Fury anything but 6’9” as a pro

[Bodyshot3]

A tricky-iffy area, with often promoters and managers spreading all kinds of myths to sell tickets, spook the opposition.

I am less interested in the height and more the deliberate inflation or artful lessening of weight.

The very good (but ageing) middleweight contender Tony Sibson supposedly got on the scales for a crack at Dennis Andries and his light heavyweight world crown with some ball bearings packed down his shorts

Not sure if it is true, but for a career middleweight like Sibson it might have been wise to seem bigger than he was.

McGuigan also told the story of Eusebio Pedroza - a huge featherweight by that point - basically nipping on-and-off the scales and not actually letting them settle.

Barney Eastwood is supposed to have smelt a rat and that a trick was being played but could not afford the fight to be cancelled. It might be another myth, but Pedroza turned up for that fight looking like a solid lightweight.

[Controversial]

I am less interested in the height and more the deliberate inflation or artful lessening of weight.

Henry Cooper said he was 180lbs against Ali and carried weights to appear heavier at the weigh-in

[Caractacus]

when did they stop publishing "Tales of the Tape" in the newspapers ?
check this one out from 1964.
the dude is listed at being at only 5 ft 8" inches tall, but with 18 and one-half inch biceps !
shhhheyatt !

https://ebay.com/itm/203294586763

[Expug]

Hurricane was built solid but guns like that might be a bit exaggerated.

[margaret thatcher]

giardello's measurements are very different in another tale of the tape, almost like someone justt made the numbers up

[Controversial]

They are all made up, I remember a boxing newspaper reporter saying he did just that

[Caractacus]

This may have been one of the last newspaper "Tales of the Tape" ?

https://ebay.com/itm/394024178564

[dempseyfire]

I think the problem is some in media get actual measurements and others just accept what the figher/manager tell them.

Heights of fighters particularly heavyweights are widely exaggerated but not always. Ali was a legit 6'3, but Tyson was closer to 5'10 than 5'11. Holyfield is a legit 6'2 (who've I met, and I was actually surprised at how big his frame was) but Fury is more a shade over 6'7 than 6'9. Lennox who I've also met is a legit 6'5 . . .truly massive man.

I've found the biggest exaggerations actually come shorter heavyweights than taller ones. Sam Peter was listed by the Duvas as 6'2 for years but was 6 ft. Ruslan Chagaev was listed at 6'1 but was 5'11. Ditto with Sultan Ibragimov who was listed at 6'2 but really barely 6 ft.

[Controversial]

Tyson was closer to 5'10 than 5'11.

I don’t think Tysons even that tall, he was recently photographed standing next to Ryan Garcia and Garcia was wearing socks and Tyson had thick trainers on and they were practically the same height. Garcia is maybe 5’9” or a tad taller.

https://images.app.goo.gl/K9vpnf3wGyye2md38

[goose 5]

Tyson has lost height for certain-there's even an interview with him talking about it. In it, he also says Hearns has lost height.

[Controversial]

This may have been one of the last newspaper "Tales of the Tape" ?

https://ebay.com/itm/394024178564

Yeah they look wrong too, Ali’s reach wasn't 80, he was measured live on TV and it was 78 but also seen his reach listed as 82.
They still done them in UK newspapers much more recent than Ali v Frazier, definitely remember seeing them when Lennox Lewis was active. They might even still do them but I haven't bought a newspaper for a long time.

[dempseyfire]

Tyson was closer to 5'10 than 5'11.

I don’t think Tysons even that tall, he was recently photographed standing next to Ryan Garcia and Garcia was wearing socks and Tyson had thick trainers on and they were practically the same height. Garcia is maybe 5’9” or a tad taller.

https://images.app.goo.gl/K9vpnf3wGyye2md38

You lose height with age.

[scorpio83]

Tyson was closer to 5'10 than 5'11.

I don’t think Tysons even that tall, he was recently photographed standing next to Ryan Garcia and Garcia was wearing socks and Tyson had thick trainers on and they were practically the same height. Garcia is maybe 5’9” or a tad taller.

https://images.app.goo.gl/K9vpnf3wGyye2md38

You lose height with age.

Tyson was legit 5'11" in his prime and yes, certain fighters or people would lose height with age sometimes.

[Controversial]

I don’t think Tysons even that tall, he was recently photographed standing next to Ryan Garcia and Garcia was wearing socks and Tyson had thick trainers on and they were practically the same height. Garcia is maybe 5’9” or a tad taller.

https://images.app.goo.gl/K9vpnf3wGyye2md38

You lose height with age.

Tyson was legit 5'11" in his prime and yes, certain fighters or people would lose height with age sometimes.

Tyson said he measured himself and was 5'10 so that probably means he was 5'9"

[scorpio83]

I'm with Dempseyfire, every fighter would shrink their height to their due or most likely back problems. Either Tyson stood 5'10" or 5'11" legitimately in his prime.

[Controversial]

It's interesting to see Mike Tyson on the Dick Cavett Show in 1986.

By all accounts Cavett was only 5'3" to 5’5” (although on the below clip when talking about height Tyson says to Cavett “you look about 5’7”) even so Tyson didn’t look that much taller than him. And that’s with Tyson wearing his normal chunky trainers.

But Cavett wasn’t 5’7, see Cavett and Sammy Davis Jr comparing heights in bare feet, Sammy was around 5’4 and Cavett is the same height








.

[Caractacus]

-2011- (age 46 yrs)

[Caractacus]

-2024- (age 57 yrs)

[bennie]

Dennis Andries is 5ft 11ins according to the tale of the tape against Bobby Czyz (see the 11:23 mark)







He's down to 5ft 10 1/4ins for his first fight with Jeff Harding (the 0:04 mark)

[Nile4000]

Michael Dokes wasn't 6'3", and George Foreman wasn't either.