The evolution of the size of HW boxers from 1924-2020

[StopDucking]

Rules:
1) These are the average heights and weights of the top 10 HW only.
2) The rankings used are The Ring Magazine's Annual Ratings.
3) The studied years are the last years of each decade (ex: 1930, 1940...)
4) There was no ranking yet in 1920 so I'm using the one from 1924 instead.
5) Data on fighters' height and weight is taken from Boxrec.
6) A fighter's weight is the weight recorded at the pre-fight weigh-in.
7) If a fighter fought several times within the same year, results from his last weigh-in of the year will be used.
8) If a fighter had no fights in the studied year, data will be taken from the previous or following year.
9) If there's no documented height and/or weight for certain fighters, data for fighters outside the top 10 will be used.

Results:
- 1924: 6'1" (184.6 cm); 198½ lbs
- 1930: 6'1" (185.8 cm); 206 lbs
- 1940: 6'1½" (186.7 cm); 210 lbs
- 1950: 6'1" (184.6 cm); 196½ lbs
- 1960: 6'1" (184,6 cm); 200½ lbs
- 1970: 6'1" (184.9 cm); 208¼ lbs
- 1980: 6'3" (190.1 cm); 217¼ lbs
- 1990: 6'3" (189.7 cm); 231 lbs
- 2000: 6'3" (189.6 cm); 234 lbs
- 2010: 6'4" (193.4 cm); 239¼ lbs
- 2020: 6'4" (193.2 cm); 245½ lbs

 

[Hagler]

Interesting, Thanks.

 

[jojoRed]

As time went on fighters got bigger, taller, stronger. But can assume the huge jumps in weight from 1970 onwards is due to PEDs?

 

[SandisLL]

But can assume the huge jumps in weight from 1970 onwards is due to PEDs?

No. Large dudes always were around here but they didn't had so high interest about combat sports before media era had advanced. Like there a lot of $ for HW etc.
School, there: if someone is visibly athletic and large, he does have less attention from potential bullies etc alike.
Etc etc reasons why.

Now it is different: there is internet, media, everyone does knows that NBA athletes and top HW boxers are paid well, large dudes in NHL are a lot around there etc things.
ppl are a bit larger even without sport in general.
large size ppl more frequently moves to train sport, be this combat or non combat sport. Basketball is not combat sport, but if teen is tall and large with good condition for basketball, why not to try? There is NBA....... a lot of money. Ideas like : "Maybe is worth to sign son to basketball class? He is 12 but already pretty tall and large for his age."
Look how had increased median height of elite basketball players in all world.

 

[jojoRed]

No. Large dudes always were around here but they didn't had so high interest about combat sports before media era had advanced. Like there a lot of $ for HW etc.
School, there: if someone is visibly athletic and large, he does have less attention from potential bullies etc alike.
Etc etc reasons why.

Now it is different: there is internet, media, everyone does knows that NBA athletes and top HW boxers are paid well, large dudes in NHL are a lot around there etc things.
ppl are a bit larger even without sport in general.
large size ppl more frequently moves to train sport, be this combat or non combat sport. Basketball is not combat sport, but if teen is tall and large with good condition for basketball, why not to try? There is NBA....... a lot of money. Ideas like : "Maybe is worth to sign son to basketball class? He is 12 but already pretty tall and large for his age."
Look how had increased median height of elite basketball players in all world.

Those sports you have listed are mainly played by Americans. Americans have been getting taller and bigger ever since they introduced steroids to pump up their cows. Kids are digesting this stuff and it makes sense, look at Americans compared to everyone else in the world....theyre bigger and taller on average. I can pull up the data but i cba googling.

PEDs has changed sports ever since the 70's, thats a fact. Guys are bigger in weight, and more muscled to the fighters of the past.

EDIT: Seems like the stuff I struck through is wrong.

 

[LEWIS540]

Those sports you have listed are mainly played by Americans. Americans have been getting taller and bigger ever since they introduced steroids to pump up their cows. Kids are digesting this stuff and it makes sense, look at Americans compared to everyone else in the world....theyre bigger and taller on average. I can pull up the data but i cba googling.

PEDs has changed sports ever since the 70's, thats a fact. Guys are bigger in weight, and more muscled to the fighters of the past.

Not really.

 

[jojoRed]

Not really.

Just did a little research, seems like Im wrong. Good catch.

 

[StopDucking]

As time went on fighters got bigger, taller, stronger. But can assume the huge jumps in weight from 1970 onwards is due to PEDs?

Yeah, something must have happened in the 1970s. Before that, the heavyweights' height and weight were always consistent, which surprised me; I expected boxers from the earlier days to be much smaller than those from the 1960s. I mean, Rocky Marciano was 5'10" and 185 lbs.

 

[Cariñito]

1940s guys were bigger than 50s 60 and 70s.
I'd also say those heavyweights threw faster punches back then they do now.
And were generally faster. Who moves like Ali or Frazier in the HW division anymore? They're physically just slower now.

 

[SandisLL]

Who moves like Ali or Frazier in the HW division anymore?

If you talk about Ali from 60 ies: legs I think better than for current LHW top boxers and this for ~215 lbs Ali from 60 ies.....
LHW weight in limit is 175 lbs now ( usually ).

 

[revoltub]

Yeah, something must have happened in the 1970s. Before that, the heavyweights' height and weight were always consistent, which surprised me; I expected boxers from the earlier days to be much smaller than those from the 1960s. I mean, Rocky Marciano was 5'10" and 185 lbs.

Dont forget cruiserweight was added in 79. Also, if you notice the weight goes up drastically after 1990. 15 rounders were done with around 88 I believe. I remember a fighter might've been ray leonard mentioning how the drop from 15 to 12 rounds allowed for bigger guys to come in because stamina or something.

 

[Ancient Warrior]

Interesting thread.

I know that’s too short of a time span for some kind of genetic evolution, but it’s supposedly a single generations worth of good nutrition, hygiene and health care that can take stressors off the human body and allow it to reach its potential.

I’m sure the fact that there are at least 3x more people in the world since the early 1900’s also plays a role in some way.

 

[Cariñito]

Dont forget cruiserweight was added in 79. Also, if you notice the weight goes up drastically after 1990. 15 rounders were done with around 88 I believe. I remember a fighter might've been ray leonard mentioning how the drop from 15 to 12 rounds allowed for bigger guys to come in because stamina or something.

Maybe that's why they got bigger.
9 mins less of fighting is drastic.

 

[jeff7b9]

It is a combination of things

MONEY + competition + information

PPV came along and it brought bigger purses, fighters on the high end started making 10-20 million for a big fight.

also Steroids and more information was around regarding weight training, bodybuilding etc.


Older boxing had the idea that muscles slow you down (they do) and that lifting weights to build muscle would slow your speed (this I think is debatable)

As strength and conditioning changed, we saw bigger muscular guys that were still athletic, because we learned how to train correctly and not get “muscle bound” by stretching and doing more athleticism oriented exercise.
(vs just power lifting meathead squat/bench/deadlift low reps high weight approach)

 

[Badr Hari]

The sport had more talent back in the day and all fighters in the 176-200 pound zone competed at HW there was barely a place for overweight fighters in the top10.

 

[Kendodsworth]

Rules:
1) These are the average heights and weights of the top 10 HW only.
2) The rankings used are The Ring Magazine's Annual Ratings.
3) The studied years are the last years of each decade (ex: 1930, 1940...)
4) There was no ranking yet in 1920 so I'm using the one from 1924 instead.
5) Data on fighters' height and weight is taken from Boxrec.
6) A fighter's weight is the weight recorded at the pre-fight weigh-in.
7) If a fighter fought several times within the same year, results from his last weigh-in of the year will be used.
8) If a fighter had no fights in the studied year, data will be taken from the previous or following year.
9) If there's no documented height and/or weight for certain fighters, data for fighters outside the top 10 will be used.

Results:
- 1924: 6'1" (184.6 cm); 198½ lbs
- 1930: 6'1" (185.8 cm); 206 lbs
- 1940: 6'1½" (186.7 cm); 210 lbs
- 1950: 6'1" (184.6 cm); 196½ lbs
- 1960: 6'1" (184,6 cm); 200½ lbs
- 1970: 6'1" (184.9 cm); 208¼ lbs
- 1980: 6'3" (190.1 cm); 217¼ lbs
- 1990: 6'3" (189.7 cm); 231 lbs
- 2000: 6'3" (189.6 cm); 234 lbs
- 2010: 6'4" (193.4 cm); 239¼ lbs
- 2020: 6'4" (193.2 cm); 245½ lbs

I'd of had it then....weight of the 90s, height of the 1800s

 

[Kim Jong Un]

Note how it basically correlates perfectly with the manlet chart.