The most prominent feature that sets Tyson Fury apart from his opponents, past and present, is his height. The Mancunian towers over his foes! Secondly, with a hand reach that extends to 85 inches, ‘The Gypsy King’ becomes a challenging target to attack. Add to that his skills as a boxer as well as his agility, and he becomes a formidable fighting machine who remains unbeaten in 34 matches in a career spanning nearly fifteen years.
Even Deontay Wilder, perhaps the most ferocious hitter in the current generation of Heavyweights, falls short by 2 inches. It appears least likely that Tyson Fury would ever come across another boxer who would stare down at him. So does that mean the era’s most colossal fighter is also the tallest-ever boxer? What about the past? Whether there were boxers against whom even Tyson Fury might appear average?
A walk among the giants: Tyson Fury and other tall boxers
‘The Gypsy King,’ who turned 35 two months ago, stands tall at 6 feet and 9 inches, or 206 centimeters. But a close perusal of the records will show that he stands twentieth in the pantheon of tall boxers compiled by GroundedMMA. It means that nineteen other fighters with imposing heights existed. What might intrigue everyone the most is the name that tops the list. The honor of being the tallest boxer ever goes to Gogea Mitu from Romania. Born in September 1909, Mitu stood 7 feet and 4 inches tall.
After gaining a livelihood through multiple jobs, Gogea Mitu turned to professional boxing in 1935. His overall record stood at two bouts, both knockout victories. Sadly, the “Goliath of Romania’ passed away at age 26 in 1936. Two Americans took successive positions on the list. Seven feet and 4 inches tall, John Rankin, active only for a year in 1967, came in second. The third-tallest boxer of all time was Tom Payne. The 7-foot and 2-inch tall fighter from California was active in 1984 and 1985, during which he participated in five fights, winning three and losing the remaining two.
Apart from Fury, only two other notable names appeared on the list of the thirty tallest boxers: Deontay Wilder and Vitali Klitschko.
A stare coming from up high
Tyson Fury takes on former UFC Heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou this coming Saturday. Despite the five-inch difference, the 6-foot and 4-inch tall Cameroonian-French mixed martial artist doesn’t appear intimidated by Fury’s formidable size. The two will meet in Riyadh for a ten-round crossover bout. After that, ‘The Gyspsy King’ moves to settle a long-pending rivalry with Oleksandr Usyk, the unified Heavyweight champion. The Ukrainian’s height is 6 feet and 3 inches.
Despite Fury remaining the clear favorite to win in Riyadh, do you think Ngannou can stage a big upset by any margin? Please share your views with us in the comments below.
Watch This Story: Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou: Date, Time, Venue, Tickets, and Livestream
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