The reach of the heavyweight champs

[Overhand_Right]

Maybe I’ve got too much time on my hands, but I’ve compiled a list of the heavyweight champions by reach. Don’t know whether this has been done before, but I was surprised by what I found.

Not sure that Valuev belongs here as I don’t think he beat Ruiz and his second reign was completely bogus, but by including him I did expect him to be top, but I did not think Carnera would have the same reach.

I certainly did not think Sonny Liston would be only an inch shorter in reach than Valuev and Carnera – at 84 inches Liston is equal to Lennox and considerably greater than both Klitschko brothers! Truly he has beastly dimensions!

Don’t know whether there’s much interesting discussion in this anyhow, but have a look and I’m sure you will be surprised by where some ex-champs appear. Max Baer the same reach as Wladimir and greater than Vitali? Ken Norton’s reach equal to Wladimir, Oliver McCall a greater reach than either Klitschko?! Astonishing.

80 +

Primo Carnera – 85
Nikolay Valuev – 85
Lennox Lewis – 84
Sonny Liston – 84
Buster Douglas – 83
Jess Willard – 83
George Foreman – 82
Tony Tucker – 82
Frank Bruno – 82
Oliver McCall – 82
Riddick Bowe – 81
Larry Holmes – 81
Greg Page – 81
Gerrie Coetzee – 81
Max Baer – 81
Wladimir Klitschko – 81
Muhammad Ali – 80
Ken Norton – 80
Vitali Klitschko – 80
John Tate – 80

Less than 80

Tony Tubbs – 79
Evander Holyfield – 78
Michael Moorer – 78
Trevor Berbick – 78
Mike Weaver – 78
Michael Dokes – 78
John Ruiz – 78
Jack Dempsey – 77
Gene Tunney – 77
Jim Jeffries – 77
Pinklon Thomas – 77
Joe Louis – 76
Max Schmeling – 76
Michael Spinks – 76
Leon Spinks – 76
Jimmy Ellis – 76
James J Braddock – 75
Jack Johnson – 74
John L Sullivan – 74
Jersey Joe Walcott – 74
Tommy Burns – 74
Smokin’ Joe Frazier - 73
Ezzard Charles – 73
Gentleman Jim Corbett – 73
Jack Sharkey – 72
Mike Tyson– 71
Floyd Patterson – 71
Bob Fitzsimmons – 71
Rocky Marciano – 67

[KOJOE90]

Marvin Hagler called by some a small Middleweight had a 75″ reach, just goes to show.

[MATTDONNELLON]

Interesting and worthwhile exercise. Reach is measured in tip to tip wingspan so guys with broad shoulders eg Liston score well. Perhaps a measurement from the armpit to the tip of the clenched fist might be more relevant? Or maybe the side of the neck outwards?

[Overhand_Right]

I know what you mean but ultimately, whether its torso or arm lenght, when Max Baer has a greater reach than 6'8 250 lb Vitali Klitschko that says 'something' about the old school heavies being 'too small'.

[blv30]

I've seen Page's reach to be about 82 or 83.

[Overhand_Right]

That wouldn't surprise me if you were correct - he did seem to have freakishly long arms, let alone his rather broad back/shoulders.

Interesting. I'll have to check some fights.

[hagler04]

Looking at this thread again due to the Holmes-Lennox debate, is anyone else perplexed by Jack Sharkey's listed reach of 72' inches?? Looking at him on film his arms seem to be noticeably longer than Dempseys and Schmelings, both of who have considerably longer listed reaches . . .I have to think that his reach listing is incorrect . . .perhaps it was mixed up with the smaller Tom Sharkey's reach, which would make more sense???

[hawk5ins]

to be incorrect.

These reach measurements all depend on the source being used.

Holmes's reach has been listed as 79, 80, 81 and 82 in different sources I've read over the years.

Probably it's somewhere in the middle.

Hawk

[Overhand_Right]

I hate you all.

[Surf-Bat]

to be incorrect.

These reach measurements all depend on the source being used.

Holmes's reach has been listed as 79, 80, 81 and 82 in different sources I've read over the years.

Probably it's somewhere in the middle.

Hawk

To give you an example of how wrong(or straight up falsified) tales of the tape can be: the tale of the tape in the meticulously researched book "The Earp Decision" for Bob Fitzsimmons and Sailor Tom Sharkey has Fitz's thigh "officially measured" at 23 inches, while Sharkey's is listed at 22!

One look at the build on those guys- Fitz and his famously skinny, pipestem legs and Sharkey's tree trunks- is all you need to see that somebody screwed up huge.

[Dino1]

I can vouch that Mike Tyson's reach is about 70" (my reach). Because I met him in NYC back in the 80's. He was a perfect gentleman and very friendly. We jokingly compared reach and his was exactly the same as mine. He is not 5'11 1/2 though. He seemed about 5 9 1/2. He was so kind and patient with my wife I will always remember him that way.

[Theo Netherland]

Marvin Hagler called by some a small Middleweight had a 75″ reach, just goes to show.

I've always wonderd if the 83″ reach of lightheavyweight Rudi Koopmans is correct. He would be in the top 5 of this heavyweight list.

http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?hum...2513&cat=boxer

[walshb]

. He was so kind and patient with my wife I will always remember him that way.

What was he looking for I wonder?

[Gallicrow]

Looking at this thread again due to the Holmes-Lennox debate, is anyone else perplexed by Jack Sharkey's listed reach of 72' inches?? Looking at him on film his arms seem to be noticeably longer than Dempseys and Schmelings, both of who have considerably longer listed reaches . . .I have to think that his reach listing is incorrect . . .perhaps it was mixed up with the smaller Tom Sharkey's reach, which would make more sense???

Here is a contemporary "tale of the tape" prior to Sharkey's 1933 title defence against Carnera:
http://images.rarenewspapers.com/eba...9/image005.jpg
(I haven't made this an image in the message because most people won't be particularly interested!).

It gives Sharkey's reach as 74.5", 2.5" longer than listed above. However it says Carnera's reach is a mere 80", 5" shorter than that listed in the original post! I think this shows that the numbers cannot be relied on. They vary wildly depending on how the measurements were made, who took them and what impression the manager felt like giving if he was simply asked for the numbers.

[doomeddisciple]

I would like to see the stat from recently deceased Manute Bol's reach for that abhorrent Celeb boxing match with The Fridge. Just for curiosity.

[PD99]

Gallicrow - maybe my eyes are letting me down but the Sharkey-Carnera tott you provided also lists Carnera's biceps at a mere 14", 1/2" less than Sharkey's!

One that has always struck me has been Jack Johnson's uniform listing of "14 fists (comparable to Carnera's and Liston's) and "10 wrists (comparable to my ankle!). Now I have seen a photograph of Lil Arthur comparing fists with Abe Simon and Gigantic Abe's fist was appreciably larger.

[Dino1]

Does anyone know what Ingo's reach was? My guess in the mid 70's

[hawk5ins]

"How many SACKS did Deacon Jones have?" or "How many BLOCKS did Wilt Chamberlain have?", we will probably never know for certain, as there really has never been an OFFICIAL compilation of these fighters measurements. Specifically fighters before the 80's.

ANd unfortunately there never has been a uniform way of doing the measurements so there is always going to be variances.

Hawk