Is it possible to be a heavyweight boxer/fighter at 5'6"?

[Anonymous]

The shortest heavyweight champion ever was 5'7 Tommy Burns

Dwight Muhammad Qawi is listed at 5 ft 6.5 in (1.69 m) in his wiki page

[kheserthorpe]

I think it would be brutally difficult. Burns fought in a different time, most of the HW he was fighting were under 200 lbs. Qawi was mainly a light heavy/cruiser. Tyson was a 5'10" HW champ and look at his size compared to his opponents.

The real question though is why HW? Why not whip everyone at welter or middleweight, and after clearing out the division start moving up?

[Asker]

What's the point of beating up small guys if we lose to bigger guys at the end?

[kheserthorpe]

Competitive boxing is a sport. If you want to learn boxing for self defense, you go, you train, you don't worry about weight classes. You bulk up effectively. You will be at a significant disadvantage to well trained full time fighters who have greater reach than you. You will be able to beat up the vast majority of guys out there, though hopefully don't or you will rightfully end up in jail.

At this point, every boxer on the planet loses to Wlad Klitschko in a boxing match, but that doesn't mean everyone else has wasted their time.

[Asker]

You're saying Mike Tyson and George Foreman would have lost to Wlad Klitschko?

So you're saying I am at a significant disadvantage because I am short? What's the solution than?

[kheserthorpe]

"At this point". Today, neither would beat kiltshko. In their prime, I -suspect- both win. 85% of NHA players are taller than Wlad, and Wlad smokes them in a boxing match, most within a round. Height isn't everything. Skill matters a lot. Strength matters. Most people lack both those things. Asking if you can be a HW is not asking 'can I be a good fighter'? It's saying 'can I be a good fighter relative to massive guys who also spend a lot of time practicing fighting to a point they compete' That's a big damn undertaking. I'm 6'3", I'm WAAAAAY below HW.

[Asker]

So just accept that I am inferior to bigger guys?

[kheserthorpe]

Train. Work. If you compete, you compete with the guy in front of you. That's it. Stop trying to compare yourself to the whole world at once. There are billions of men in the world. No doubt with training you could be in the top few percent.

[Klaatu51]

it has 2 do with yer WEIGHT dude... not height.

even if u were 5' u could participate if u were HEAVY

[Asker]

LoL your answer to height questions is always amusing

[Klaatu51]

thnks

[Anonymous]

It's possible. You just have to reach the weight range that will make you qualify as a heavy weight fighter.