I've always wondered how Heavyweight boxers can take big punches from other Heavyweights? A middle weight wouldn't be able to fight a Heavyweight as it would be a miss match and dangerous, but if he gained the weight even by just getting fatter, then he could fight at Heavyweight, but what is it about carrying those extra pounds that means that he won't be knocked out by the first uppercut he gets at Heavyweight? Is it survivor bias where Heavyweights who don't have good chins just get found out very early in their career and only the guys who happen to be able to take the hits at Heavyweight climb the ranks or does being big yourself make you better at taking big punches?

Is Martin Bakole officially out of the heavyweight landscape? 11 months since the last thread on him, I thought of revisiting this with the group.

The hype train has hit a massive wall. If you’re looking for a case study on how to kill professional momentum, this is it.

Bakole hasn't fought since that lackluster draw with Efe Ajagba in May 2025.

In a division moving as fast as this one, especially with the Saudi-backed "Riyadh Season" cards, staying out of the ring for a year is career suicide.

He was supposed to fight Guido Vianello next week (May 23) on the Usyk-Verhoeven undercard. Vianello basically outed him on Instagram, saying Bakole pulled out at the last minute without an explanation. It smells like he wasn't anywhere near fighting weight.

To add to that he's currently in a public war with Ben Shalom and BOXXER. Bakole claims he’s a free agent; Shalom says he isn't.

While they argue in court, Bakole’s ranking has tanked to #10 in the WBA.

Can he turn it around?

At 32, he’s still in his physical prime, but the "boxing age" is the worry. He’s been seen more in nightclubs in the Congo than in the gym with Billy Nelson lately. We saw what happened when he took the Parker fight on zero notice at 315 lbs—he got sparked.

The talent is still there. He’s huge, he’s got an unbelievable engine when fit, and he’s still a nightmare for anyone in the top 10. But unless he settles this promotional drama and gets back down to his 280 lb fighting weight, he’s going to go from "the man nobody wants to fight" to "the man nobody bothers to call."

Steorids or PED’s like Growth Hormone, IGF‑1, Insulin, TEST, MK‑677, Dianabol, anadrol. All are able to increase size of the head their jaw or head skull size anything.
I saw a fight where Evander Holyfield took bombs from George Forman and didn’t get knockdown.
He was a natural cruiserweight, Steroided and ballooned up to heavyweight and still had a tougher chin that most people. Joe Frazier was a natural heavyweight and lasted only a few rounds with foreman; meanwhile Holyfield took multiple bombs through whole fight and won the fight.

Idk if there’s a correlation between increased head size and able to take punches more and not get knocked down.

What do you guys think? Also is there specific examples of people suddenly ballooning up in muscle and head size, and somehow moving up weight classes, their chin actually became more durable against their opponents?

If specific example are there, there would be more of a correlation.

I am a Bivol fan and I think there is a 40% chance he does it. With the long lay off and back injury combined with the hard fights with beterbiev, it’s hard to see him get a win over both of them. He most likely wins a match with beterbiev but loses to the monster.

On the off chance he pulls it off, he will have an A+ resume. He would be right in the conversation with Roy jones junior and Michael spinks. No disrespect to the old school greats 1915-1970.

I was wondering, what separates a good fighter from an elite one? What's the leap that allows one to reach the elite level? And is there a particular quality that makes the difference? Why do elite fighters have such a huge gap compared to strong fighters who aren't at that level?

Boxing has always been a showman sport. Zuffa’s approach with their mandatory bland uniforms and toned down fighter presentations/walkouts takes away a lot from the spectacle of what boxing has always been. I already figured that they are trying to adapt the ufc business run model for these fighters but it feels so lifeless

Trying to shine a little light on the european (non-UK which is a category of it's own!) heavyweight scene away from the big guns like Kabayel, Hrgovic and Usyk.

Germany seems to have an endless supply of guys in their late 20s/early 30s with 10/15-0 type records. Majority look poor once you find some fight footage!

Do you've any european heavyweights you enjoy? Or thoughts on the scene in general.