Why so many heavyweight southpaws?

[cross_trainer]

In the last ten years or so (according to boxrec) we have had the only five heavyweight southpaw champions/beltholders in history--Chris Byrd, Michael Moorer, Sultan Ibragimov, Ruslan Chagaev, and Corrie Sanders.

Why?

[McGrain]

In my opinion, annuling southpaw advantage is about footwork primarily. I would tentetively postulate that footwork is weaker in the HW division than it used to be.

[Jack Dempsey]

Wasn't left-handedness (a word??) frowned upon years ago, I know of stories of lefties being made to use their right hands at school, maybe the same in boxing

[DamonD]

In my opinion, annuling southpaw advantage is about footwork primarily. I would tentetively postulate that footwork is weaker in the HW division than it used to be.
Hmm, could be a great point, actually.
I always felt, for one, that Don Turner never seemed to have a clue about how to fight a southpaw.

[Unforgiven]

Why so FEW southpaws in heavyweight history ?

[Mendoza]

In the last ten years or so (according to boxrec) we have had the only five heavyweight southpaw champions/beltholders in history--Chris Byrd, Michael Moorer, Sultan Ibragimov, Ruslan Chagaev, and Corrie Sanders.

Why?

The reason is because man old timer trainers forced natural lefties to fight orthodox, and many old time southpaws experienced some difficulty getting fights.

[janitor]

Why so FEW southpaws in heavyweight history ?

There have been a few converted southpaw heavyweight champions. Corbett anf Jeffries were both converted southpaws.

[fists of fury]

1) Lefties weren't in vogue with trainers decades ago because being a southpaw was regarded as almost as bad as being a leper. Many southies were changed to orthodox stances.

2) Those guys were all modern fighters who fought for a partial title. None of them were ever considered the best heavyweight around. Had we had a unified belt, it's highly unlikely any of them would have won the title.

[DamonD]

Could there be an argument that Moorer was seen as the best around after beating Holyfield?

He was certainly linear. I know the guy got little respect at the best of times...but Tyson was still in jail, Lewis wasn't liked and had had problems with Bruno, Bowe was already hefty and looking uninspired with his comeback, and Holyfield was practically seen as done & dusted. Foreman wasn't even in the picture.

[fists of fury]

I think you're right about Moorer.

Curses.:lol:

[Vantage_West]

well most people i know go into boxing becuase they are left handed they know it's an advantage to some extent and will have a go...it only starts them to box i did becuase im left handed.

not just that southpaw also means you have to be quicker and a bit more faster moving. thus these soutpaws rise to the top because of it

[cross_trainer]

There have been a few converted southpaw heavyweight champions. Corbett anf Jeffries were both converted southpaws.

Very interesting indeed...which sources mention this?

[janitor]

Very interesting indeed...which sources mention this?

I have only seen it in secondary sources myself.

Monte Cox claims that Corbett was a converted southpaw while Tracy Callis makes the same claim of Jeffries.

[The Kurgan]

The reason is because man old timer trainers forced natural lefties to fight orthodox, and many old time southpaws experienced some difficulty getting fights.

Exactly. Florida's Al Jones could have upset Frazier/Foreman/Ali on their worst nights, but never got the shot. Al Jones was a heavyweight who, if he was called Yuri Tikhonov and was white, would fit right into the modern heavyweight scene: 6"5, a southpaw, prone to injuries, with some very soft match-making.

Ali demanded such a high purse to face Al Jones in South Africa that the fight failed to come off; part of that was fighting in South Africa, but part of it was that no top heavyweight would fight Al Jones without a worthwhile purse.

In general, though, if every left-handed boxer (and many right handed boxers) were trained as southpaws in the past, you'd see a lot more southpaw heavyweight champions. Even back in the 1930s, being a southpaw was considered as fundamentally flawed by many experts (eg. Jack Johnson) as fighting with both arms down.