Do we write off heavyweights faster than other fighters who lose?

What do you guys think?


I think at any other weight you have numerous tries to re-invent yourself and different weight classes to move to as do your opponents but at heavyweight it seems as though you only get one shot at the big time.

I think writing off these contenders not only makes the division seem thinner than it actually is but it ruins some crossroads matchups which may send a fighter to a title shot.

Sure some guys were never the same after a loss but others lost and came back to win the title and dominate while doing it....Lennox Lewis springs to mind...and hell Buster Douglas' performance vs Mike Tyson shows us we should keep our minds open.

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Originally Posted by Lyle

What do you guys think?


I think at any other weight you have numerous tries to re-invent yourself and different weight classes to move to as do your opponents but at heavyweight it seems as though you only get one shot at the big time.

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That seems to be the case as of late. I remember when Calvin Brock was "The best American Heavyweight" once he loss then he was considered a bum. Then, it was Eddie Chambers and he loss then he was brushed aside. I think that is why Chris Arreola hasn't had a shot at the title they want him to wait and be patient.

The problems with Brock and Chambers is that they were BOXERS...but I thought Calvin Brock was a pretty good fighter, he was difficult to hit and he had a little pop in his punches....it's a shame his eye got messed up but at least he has an education to fall back on.


Eddie Chambers might be out of his natural weight class but he's a tough little guy. I thought he did a very good job vs Povetkin and had his stamina been better he would have won that fight. I think he's got a huge chance to knock off Sam Peter but hell after Sam Peter got beat by Wladimir he was never viewed as dangerous or a threat to anyone which really surprised me as EVERYONE called him the next Tyson or the next Ibeabuchi....I never thought he was THAT good but I always considered him a dangerous fighter

I think fighters in all weight classes get written off too fast when they lose their first fight. But I think in many cases a fighter can write themselves off and lose alot of confidence which can cause a downward spiral.

A good sized Heavyweight will always be a Heavyweight, if they fail there, they do (I feel) get written off a bit too soon. You have to come back from losses and do something special to get back in the mix as a Heavyweight.

Smaller guys like Cotto (just for example) can have a couple of poor fights and say they were weight drained, move up and be a bigger sucess than they were at the previous weight. Then it's all forgotten, about the poor performances, he was weight drained;D

BTW I'm not suggesting Cotto was NOT weight drained, just saying it can be an extra lifeline in a fighters career;D

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Originally Posted by Lyle

What do you guys think?


I think at any other weight you have numerous tries to re-invent yourself and different weight classes to move to as do your opponents but at heavyweight it seems as though you only get one shot at the big time.

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If anything I think heavyweights get the most second chances because of a want to put of excitement in the division. How many times has McCline been brought back? How often was Wladimer brought back? How many times has Dominic Guinn or Audley Harrison appeared? Granted Wladimer took full and great advantage of his chances. But i think heavyweights get most benefit of the doubt in hopes that something is found to add excitement.

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Originally Posted by Lyle

The problems with Brock and Chambers is that they were BOXERS...but I thought Calvin Brock was a pretty good fighter, he was difficult to hit and he had a little pop in his punches....it's a shame his eye got messed up but at least he has an education to fall back on.


Eddie Chambers might be out of his natural weight class but he's a tough little guy. I thought he did a very good job vs Povetkin and had his stamina been better he would have won that fight. I think he's got a huge chance to knock off Sam Peter but hell after Sam Peter got beat by Wladimir he was never viewed as dangerous or a threat to anyone which really surprised me as EVERYONE called him the next Tyson or the next Ibeabuchi....I never thought he was THAT good but I always considered him a dangerous fighter

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Peter is another Tua in my opinion. Dangerous puncher but always seems to falter at the higher level of competition. He was fortunate that the heavyweight division was so weak and won the title from Maskaev. But at the very least we'll always get a highlight knockout from him. But ever since McCline nearly stopped him that aura of invincibility was gone. Even though he still had an intimidation factor after the Klitschko fight. McCline got rid of it.

That's a tricky 1 Majesty because alot of fighters write themselves off. David Tua was never the same after Lewis even though he had a couple of good knockouts afterwards but he never really had that spark again even though he was given tons of opportunities. Calvin Brock had a couple of hiccups after Vlad but he couldn't get it together again. Maskaev, Rahman, Ruiz, Holyfield, Barrett and Mccline have used up their 9 lives and then some in the Heavyweights but are given numerous chances.

i think it has to do with the fact that the HW division is so weak, that you'd expect any HW with decent power and boxing ability to be a force in the division, yet they have the tendency to fuck it up and usually against weak opposition at that (Peter/McCline), so i really dunno

The division isn't weak or thin....the matchups that need to be made aren't being made. There are plenty of good fighters but there is little consitency in the division.

The answer I put on the survey is yes! If you are a middleweight as it was mentioned by someone else before me, you can rest go up and eat more pasta and be refreshed but as a Heavyweight getting tagged with murderous punches, where the hell are you going to go, Cruiser weight? The heavyweight championship is still the ultimate prize in boxing and the pride of a heavyweight won't let him go down a division. At heavyweight you are under a microscope and all eyes are on this division even if it is weak and there was a time when everyone would make plans to watch the big guys fight and it can happen again when the division gets recycled.

No they get the same treatment as the other divisions, But the Heavy div just sucks ass right now compared to the 70's and early 90's. I mean, those era's are hard to beat much less compare too.

I think they are written off right away and too early compared to other divisions.