I wanted to talk about something I have been diving into lately – the longest reach in boxing. It’s such a fascinating topic, and I’ve spent a good amount of time trying to figure out who actually holds the title for the longest reach. It’s not as straightforward as you’d think!
First, I started looking for some famous boxers with a big reach. I scoured through a bunch of websites, and some names kept popping up. One that really caught my eye was Ewart Potgieter. This guy was a South African boxer, and get this – he was 7’2″ tall! Can you imagine that? Apparently, he had this massive reach and won all his fights by knockout. I dug a little deeper and found some articles mentioning his name repeatedly in relation to the longest reach in boxing history.
- Looking for giants: I started my search by looking at the heavyweights. It makes sense, right? The bigger the guy, the longer the reach.
- Finding Potgieter: I found this name, Ewart Potgieter, in some old boxing articles. He seemed like a good starting point.
- Measuring up: I tried to find exact measurements for Potgieter’s reach, but it was tough. No official records, just mentions that he was huge.
Other Contenders
But then I stumbled upon some other names. There’s this guy, Julius Long, who’s also mentioned as having a record-breaking reach. And then I read about Hasim Rahman and Lennox Lewis, two legendary boxers known for using their long reach to dominate their opponents. But there is a problem. I only found one record saying Sonny Liston’s reach is 84”. What a mess!
I also learned that the average reach in the welterweight division is around 71.2 inches. For example, Thomas Hearns, he had an arm span of 78 inches, which is pretty impressive for his weight class. It seems like a longer reach can really give a boxer an advantage, letting them land punches from a safer distance. I tried to find records about Gogea Mitu, but all is about that he was a very tall guy, too.
- Comparing to the average: I checked the average reach for different weight classes to get a sense of what’s considered “long.”
- Considering other boxers: I looked into other well-known boxers like Julius Long and Lennox Lewis to see how their reach compared.
- Double-checking sources: I made sure to check multiple sources to get the most accurate information I could, but I failed to find what I want.
So, where did this leave me? Well, honestly, it’s still a bit unclear who truly has the absolute longest reach in boxing history. While Ewart Potgieter seems like a strong contender, especially with his height, I couldn’t find any concrete numbers to back it up. It’s more like a legend passed down through boxing stories. I guess sometimes these things become more about the myth than the actual measurement. It was a little frustrating, but also kind of cool to see how these stories get passed down in the boxing world. I just wish I could have found some solid evidence!
Anyway, I just wanted to share my little investigation with you all. It’s a fun rabbit hole to go down, even if it doesn’t lead to a definitive answer. And it really makes you appreciate the physical advantages some of these boxers have. I might keep digging around, and if I find anything new, I’ll let you guys know!
