The top end of heavyweight scene is the land of the giants.
Anthony Joshua, who holds three of the four major titles, is 6-foot-6 and he’s the short guy. Tyson Fury and titleholder Deontay Wilder, who will meet in a rematch on Feb. 22, are 6-9 and 6-7, respectively.
With the current champions and top contender in mind, Boxing Junkie presents the 10 tallest heavyweight titleholders in history (from shortest to tallest).
PRIMO CARNERA
Height: 6-5½ (1.97)
Active: 1928-46
Record: 88-14 (71 KOs)
Titles: World
Background: Carnera is a tragic figure in one sense. The massive Italian, who weighed as much as 284½ when he fought, enjoyed considerable success and the fame and fortune that went along with it. That included a sixth-round knockout of Jack Sharkey to win the heavyweight title in 1933. Fans seemed to be fascinated by both his size and power. However, prevailing wisdom is that many of his biggest fights – including the one against Sharkey – were fixed as a result of his connections to underworld figures, although Sharkey denies it. Carnera’s handlers reportedly arranged the fixes without his knowledge. In other words, the crude “Ambling Alp” wasn’t nearly as good as his record might suggest. Don’t feel too sorry for him, though. He immigrated to the U.S. and later had a successful career as a wrestler and part-time actor.