The Historical Riddle of the Big Heavyweights
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondents
Styles make fights. In the heavyweight division, size does too. As has often been explained, if you are not familiar with a particular opponent or their mindset, it could prove troubling if you enter the ring with the wrong approach.
Tall heavyweight Jess Willard stood 6’6 ½’ and towered over Jack Johnson and Luis Angel Firpo. Willard, the ‘Pottawatomie Giant’ was perhaps the first noteworthy ‘big man’ heavyweight to win and defend the world heavyweight title (1915-1919) relying purely on his height and size. Jack Johnson was not prepared for the riddle, Jack Dempsey was.
When you look at tall heavyweight champions like Tyson Fury, Riddick Bowe and Lennox Lewis, you can see where even superior boxing skills are second consideration. 6’10” Mike White is about the most extreme, and even managed to outpoint 30-1 Dicky Ryan over ten rounds in Las Vegas. At 6’4”, Shannon Briggs barely makes the list. 6’4” is above the minimum in height you would expect from a tall heavyweight.
Nicolai Valuev at 7’0” and 313 to 328 pounds, is about the high extreme of the heavy weight division of heavyweight champions, towering over Evander Holyfield, although it looked like a gift decision he got. At 6’3” David Haye appears to be a big man, and was able to outpoint Valuev, thohg Haye is not as tall as he appears to be in the ring. At 6’3 ½” and 220 to 267 pounds, Big George Foreman appeared big in the ring, though not nearly as big as Valuev.
6’8” Canadian southpaw Tye Fields gave many boxers trouble, though not all. 6’7” boxers Michael Grant and Jorge Luis Gonzalez fought based on size. At 6’5”, Tony Thompson handled 6’8” David Price rather handily. At 6’5 ½”, Audley Harrison won many matches based on his size, though lost the key matchups.
At 6’7” Deontay Wilder was able to stop 6’5” Johann Duhaupas. At 6’9”, Tyson Fury is probably the most dangerous heavyweight by height. At 7’1”, Julius Long will fight undefeated Peter Graham for the World Boxing Federation’s version of the world heavyweight title in Darwin, Australia, on February 27, 2016.
As Iron Mike Tyson proved, size is the not the whole grail determining factor. At 6’5” and 218 to 271 pounds, Lennox Lewis and Riddick ‘Big Daddy’ Bowe proved size sure helps when you are the champ, as Bowe beat every opponent he fought.
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