BoxRec

Does anybody know how tall Frazier really was?

Based on my standing next to him many times

in the gym

and outside the gym in street clothes

he was 5' 9" tall at the tallest.

I was surprised how short he was, but he was a fireplug. Worked on stage with him at the Sheraton In Hampton VA in the late 70's. His singing was not the best but no one would speak up. I wonder why.

granberry wrote:Based on my standing next to him many times

in the gym

and outside the gym in street clothes

he was 5' 9" tall at the tallest.

Frazier is listed at a shade under 6 feet. I have heard many people who stand next to Tyson swear he's no taller than 5'10", but he's listed at a shade under 6 feet as well.

Some people even say, Tyson is 5` 9 or 5`8 , although he always was listed as 5-11.5 or 5-11. Larry Merchante once said that he saw Tyson getting messured as 5-11. Similar case like Frazier, who also was listed as 5 11.5, but many people say he was really short. I once read in an article that Frazier was "suprising small".

Tyson was measured accurately on HBO at 5'11. Frazier was probably around the same height. But both of them have slouched postures that make them look shorter than they really are.
Im built very similar to them and when I'm forced to stand perfectly straight Im 6'1. When I'm relaxed I look shorter.

Another question. I always thaught that Tommy Burns with the height of 5`7
is the shortest HW-Champion in history, but on boxrec Sam Langford ist listed
with 5`6 1/2. Who is the shortest - Burns or Langford?

Jan wrote:Another question. I always thaught that Tommy Burns with the height of 5`7
is the shortest HW-Champion in history, but on boxrec Sam Langford ist listed
with 5`6 1/2. Who is the shortest - Burns or Langford?

Sam Langford NEVER GOT his chance at the heavyweight title

because Jack Johnson refused to defend his title against Langford.

What was Tommy Burn's reach?
I was watching the fight of his with Jack Johnson.
Burns looked to have some long arms for his height or was it just some kind of optical illussion?

I think, Tommy Bruns`reach was 73.5 inches.

http://deadspin.com/5858061/george-fore ... each-other

foreman also sas frazier was 5-9..

Jan wrote:I think, Tommy Bruns`reach was 73.5 inches.

Nope, Burns reach is same length as mine. 75" finger tip to fingertip. I am 5'10" myself, so Burns being 5'7" with same reach as me is pretty neat.

I met Joe a few times. I'm 5'10....and although I was impressed by his powerful presence (he was remarkably serene and self confident) I did sort of marvel at the fact that I felt I was taller than the man.

Well seems that 5-9 is about right. i wonder why these height listening are soo fake. i think most fighters are shorter than listet. haye for example is 6-3, but maybe closer to 5-11...

Jan wrote:Well seems that 5-9 is about right. i wonder why these height listening are soo fake. i think most fighters are shorter than listet. haye for example is 6-3, but maybe closer to 5-11...

Possibly a psychological thing of trying to gain an advantage ?

but it makes no sense. what does it effect when i lie about my height? at latest when the other fighter stands in front of you, he sees you are not that tall. i think its from the management because of marketing. dennis rodman was told from the nba to lie about his height. he was told to say he is 6.8, although hes 6-6..

anyway frazier is awesome. such a short guy and sooo goood ( tyson too)

Jan wrote:but it makes no sense. what does it effect when i lie about my height? at latest when the other fighter stands in front of you, he sees you are not that tall. i think its from the management because of marketing. dennis rodman was told from the nba to lie about his height. he was told to say he is 6.8, although hes 6-6..

anyway frazier is awesome. such a short guy and sooo goood ( tyson too)

Lol that's true, I was just throwing it out there as a possibility, as I never really knew why either. But that is more what I meant, from the management.

I'm guessing the official height is closer to accurate. How many times do fighters go through that process? Regardless of my "subjective" opinion I'm inclined to go with Joe being taller than me. I do tend to stand straight, If Joes posture was hunkered a bit that would explain my impression.

On the psyche vs physical end of things we are often surprised at the genuine physicality of those we admire not being what we had imagined.

I met Ali as well, as I recall he seemed smaller than I had imagined as well. Though he was certainly taller than me. Andre the Giant whom I met in Louisville, did seem to live up to his "larger than life" reputation. He could hide a beer bottle within his hand unseen. Which is exactly what he did with MY BEER.....and he would have had a fight on his hand if he would have attempted to chug it.

The two strangest claims I ever heard outside of boxing were from a friend who met Dennis Rodman at a club and said he was 6-4 tops, and not 6-7, and another guy involved in youth hockey who met Mario Lemieux, and for once, insisted the man in question was way taller than his listed height of 6-4. He put him at 6-8. I think alot of it has to do with posture, hard to imagine that the tale of the tape got it wrong every time.

http://www.boxingnews24.com/2010/09/is- ... d-to-haye/

haye here looks only arround 5.11, even if we ignore the possibility that harrison can be shorter than hes listed to.


there are many fakelistenings, i think. holyfield was listed 6-1 as a cruiser, but 6.3 or 6.2 in hw.

According to Joe Frazier's 1996 autobiography SMOKIN' JOE(with Phil Berger).
He was very specific about his height at least at age 21.
page 36,
"Five feet eleven and one-half inches tall"

he also listed his reach at "seventy-one inches"
which is shorter
then the reach boxrec lists it as.

Jan wrote:http://www.boxingnews24.com/2010/09/is- ... d-to-haye/

haye here looks only arround 5.11, even if we ignore the possibility that harrison can be shorter than hes listed to.


there are many fakelistenings, i think. holyfield was listed 6-1 as a cruiser, but 6.3 or 6.2 in hw.

That article has the wrong height for Harrison, he's closer to 6' 6" than 6' 4".

Haye looked a fair bit taller than Mormeck who is listed as 5' 11" and looks a shade taller than Froch who's listed as 6' 1", so I doubt he's 5' 11".

did anyone here met tyson and can say how big he is? Frazier maybe 5-10, but i dont think more.

This is a good page if you're interested in Tyson's height.

http://www.celebheights.com/s/Mike-Tyson-1161.html

Absolutely no way is David Haye 5'11''. I'm a shade over 5'11'' and Haye towered over me when I met him. I think I might have glimpsed he had Timberlands on, big boots, but he was still a very large bloke, tall and broad. From what I saw he was absolutely around 6'3''.

Those face off photos are always misleading. Harrison is 6'6'', not 6'4'', and if he is in a suit he is likely to be in smart shoes with a raised heel. Haye in casual is probably wearing trainers. Who knows?