The fabulous fatties

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by Saintpat, Jul 1, 2025 at 7:31 PM.


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  1. Saintpat

    Saintpat Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Who are boxing’s greatest porkers?

    You know the type: the rotund or doughboy guys who waddle into the ring and somehow prove that looks aren’t everything and appearances can be deceiving — either they’re surprisingly light and can dance and box in their toes for rounds on end or they’re brawlers who look like the tough guy at the end of the bar and show that form can carry over into the ring.

    Some of them have surprising stamina. Genetics can surely play a role — Charles Barkley was known as the Round Mound of Rebound but played at a high pace (and a high level) in the NBA for years and years.

    This list will surely tilt in the direction of heavyweights (like a scale when one of these fellows steps on it) but they don’t have to be — some lighter-weight guys have had successful careers even while usually looking soft and pudgy (Roberto Duran was like this sometimes, but I think he was in shape — at least decent shape — most of the time so not really the type I’m thinking about.

    And let’s not make this a list of merely guys who were build like Frosty the Snowman … they need to have been pretty good — contender types as well as champs, not journeymen and opponents.

    So who fits this mold (even if they can’t fit into their pants without a shoehorn)?

    I’ll start us off with …

    Buster Mathis

    Leroy Jones

    Willie Meehan

    Some will insist upon Tony Galento, but I think he was just a whole lotta man.

    Who else do you have, especially below heavyweight?
     
    Saintpat, Jul 1, 2025 at 7:31 PM
    Saintpat, Jul 1, 2025 at 7:31 PM
    #1
  2. Mandela2039

    Mandela2039 Philippians 2:10-11 Full Member

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    God damn it :risas3:
     
    Mandela2039, Jul 1, 2025 at 7:35 PM
    Mandela2039, Jul 1, 2025 at 7:35 PM
    #2
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  3. Journeyman92

    Journeyman92 LONG LIVE WASHINGTON Full Member

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    Chris Byrd at one time was just a fat middleweight… Big James beat 70s Foreman so probably him.
     
    Journeyman92, Jul 1, 2025 at 7:38 PM
    Journeyman92, Jul 1, 2025 at 7:38 PM
    #3
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  4. USFBulls727

    USFBulls727 Active Member Full Member

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    Andy Ruiz

    James Toney at Heavyweight

    Struggling to come up with any non-Heavyweight contender type who I'd categorize as a "porker", but Guillermo Jones was a bit flabby at Cruiser IIRC...
     
    USFBulls727, Jul 1, 2025 at 7:40 PM
    USFBulls727, Jul 1, 2025 at 7:40 PM
    #4
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  5. Kid Bacon

    Kid Bacon All-Time-Fat Full Member

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    This thread makes no sense without my man Butterbean, the "Four rounds" King and his 500 pounds of pure unfiltered aggresion.

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    Last edited: Jul 1, 2025 at 8:29 PM
    Kid Bacon, Jul 1, 2025 at 8:11 PM
    Kid Bacon, Jul 1, 2025 at 8:11 PM
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  6. Saintpat

    Saintpat Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    I’m not going to challenge any nomination on this thread by a guy named @Kid Bacon — too much cred to contradict.
     
    Saintpat, Jul 1, 2025 at 8:18 PM
    Saintpat, Jul 1, 2025 at 8:18 PM
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  7. cross_trainer

    cross_trainer Liston was good, but no "Tire Iron" Jones Full Member

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    Tua, Ruiz, Toney, Fury, Old Foreman, Galento, Meehan, Mathis...some of the Eastern Europeans like Povetkin and Chagaev looked a bit borderline.

    An all-fat heavyweight division would actually be a pretty tough place to compete in.
     
    cross_trainer, Jul 1, 2025 at 8:22 PM
    cross_trainer, Jul 1, 2025 at 8:22 PM
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  8. Pugguy

    Pugguy Ingo, The Thinking Man’s GOAT Full Member

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    Tony Tubbs - what’s in a surname, eh?

    A body beautiful (remember, it’s in the eye of the beholder - :confused:), whose curvaceous shape belied the ridiculously fast hands he possessed.

    “TNT” enjoyed the best of both worlds.

    He was built for comfort AND for speed.
     
    Pugguy, Jul 1, 2025 at 8:29 PM
    Pugguy, Jul 1, 2025 at 8:29 PM
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  9. Journeyman92

    Journeyman92 LONG LIVE WASHINGTON Full Member

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    Could any one champion get through that lot undefeated on a real timeline? - Ali had Norton, Louis had his moments, Holmes had multiple hiccups.
     
    Journeyman92, Jul 1, 2025 at 8:39 PM
    Journeyman92, Jul 1, 2025 at 8:39 PM
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  10. Pugguy

    Pugguy Ingo, The Thinking Man’s GOAT Full Member

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    Sam Langford became increasingly “girthier”(girth is more important, right? :D) in the later stages of his career.

    Vs Harry Wills, 1914, 5’7” 190 lbs Sam vs 6’3”? 210 lbs Harry Wills (see link below) - btw, the amazing Sam won this one by KO in round 14.

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    Pugguy, Jul 1, 2025 at 8:47 PM
    Pugguy, Jul 1, 2025 at 8:47 PM
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  11. Mandela2039

    Mandela2039 Philippians 2:10-11 Full Member

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    Amazing how an old not in best physical shape Langford still had the skill and power to ko an ATG... whilst being in church pants

    Amazing
     
    Mandela2039, Jul 1, 2025 at 9:31 PM
    Mandela2039, Jul 1, 2025 at 9:31 PM
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  12. RockyValdez

    RockyValdez Active Member Full Member

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    Frankie Swindell was a pretty good fighter even after he got fat.
     
    RockyValdez, Jul 1, 2025 at 9:47 PM
    RockyValdez, Jul 1, 2025 at 9:47 PM
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  13. Pugguy

    Pugguy Ingo, The Thinking Man’s GOAT Full Member

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    We should be thankful that Sam didn’t opt for the Lingerie for Men line of boxing attire that Corbett tried to make popular some years earlier.
     
    Pugguy, Jul 2, 2025 at 12:12 AM
    Pugguy, Jul 2, 2025 at 12:12 AM
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  14. Greg Price99

    Greg Price99 Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Young Griffo was reportedly pretty "soft" looking round the belly later on in his career, yet managed draws with the likes of Joe Gans, George Dixon, George Lavigne and Frank Erne.
     
    Greg Price99, Jul 2, 2025 at 11:05 AM
    Greg Price99, Jul 2, 2025 at 11:05 AM
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  15. Glass City Cobra

    Glass City Cobra H2H Burger King

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    Charles was something else.

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    Glass City Cobra, Jul 2, 2025 at 11:16 AM
    Glass City Cobra, Jul 2, 2025 at 11:16 AM
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