Any instances of a fighter being compromised as a heavyweight due to being too small?

[billeau2]

My curiosity was piqued about the cruiserweight division in another thread and I did some research. Nothing earth shattering.....One way to look at the cruisers, seems to me, is a heavyweight division with a weight limit.....Considering that the top weight is 200 pounds and if boxing is international and 200 pounds is considered "big" today....and considering that the weight class below the cruisers is called "light" heavyweight.

There was a fellow (presumably a fellow?) who asked the following question that was not answered which is the question I want to pose in this thread?

What fights have demonstrated that a fighter was overmatched and beaten due to a weight advantage held by the other opponent?

For example was Bob Foster's fight against Ali a problem for Foster due to the size disparity?

How about the Michael Spinks against Tyson....was the weight the problem?

[billeau2]

I also want to say at the onset that I have a chip on my shoulder. I think that when we understand that the heavyweight division is open and that many fighters who could fight cruiserweight enter the heavyweight division for fairly obvious reasons, we will find that size is simply one possible advantage and nothing more, provided it has basic constraints. On other words, if we start at 200 pounds my belief is that any fighter can probably fight as a heavyweight...Maybe even beneath this weight, but without trying to guage the exact weight let it be sufficient to say that a middle weight should not be fighting as a heavyweight!

Lets also realize when size is a disadvantage.

[Sugar Adam Ali]

Foster is a good example of a guy being a destroyer at 175 but not much success higher, but he did fight really top level guys at heavy...

same thing with adamek.. He had the skills to be a good solid heavy but the size disparity and shots he took at heavy really slowed him down

[f15bone]

Marvis Frazier may have had a successful career as a cruiserweight, but his brilliant daddy Joe figured otherwise...Subsequently Marvis was destroyed by both Larry Holmes & Mike Tyson...2 heavies he had absolutely no business being in the ring with...

Another that comes to mind is Leon Spinks...Leon was just TOO small to compete effectively against the best heavyweights...He could have had more success fighting in a lower weight division....

[lazy]

Bobby Czyz was a firepug but never should have been a heavyweight.

[f15bone]

Bobby Czyz was a firepug but never should have been a heavyweight.

Good example...