The boxing industry is full of diverse people from different backgrounds who have gained recognition for their feats of strength. While boxers do come in all shapes and sizes, being a tall boxer has its advantages in terms of strength and power.
If you are a fan of boxing and are interested in knowing who the tallest boxers in the world are, then keep reading.
The 7 Tallest Boxers in Boxing History
People all over the world are familiar with the names of heavyweight titleholders in the boxing industry. Read on for our list of the seven tallest champions in boxing history.
1. Gogea Mitu — 2.24 Meters
With a height of 7 feet 4 inches tall and a weight of 330 pounds, Gogea Mitu is the tallest world champion boxer in history. He was Romanian by birth and called the “Giant of Marsani.” Mitu was not only the tallest person to have entered a boxing match, but also the tallest recorded Romanian.
He was an intelligent man and became quite popular entering the circus world at just seventeen years. Later, he was discovered by an Italian boxer with a successful career, Umberto Lancia, who trained Mitu in boxing and became his manager.
After learning boxing from an institute in Paris, he took part in three professional fights against experienced boxing players. He died at a very young age of 26 in 1936 due to tuberculosis.
2. Ewart Potgieter — 2.18 Meters
Ewart Potgieter was South African and one of the tallest boxers in the world at 7 feet 2 inches and 330 pounds. In his brief 15-month boxing career, he defeated seven heavyweight champions.
He certainly caused a stir in the boxing industry during the mid-1950s, and it was unfortunate that he never won a championship title.
Ewart made his debut in 1955 against Simon Templar and won the match. Later, he faced real-time challenges in his fights with the giant Canadian boxer James Parker that turned out to be a draw and knockout for him.
Potgieter’s fight with John Holman was his last ever bout. He gave up on his boxing career when he realized that his giant size was not enough to make him a top boxer. He won a total of 11 out of 14 fights.
3. Jim Cully — 2.18 Meters
The next tallest professional boxer in line is Jim Cully, who was 7 foot 2 inches. This Irish heavyweight champion had a 50% success ratio from his six fights.
He made his boxing debut in 1942 against Butcher Howell in a historical victory. He was later defeated seven times by Chris Cole in the next fight that took place in Dalymount Park.
Cully won and lost two more fights before he retired from the boxing industry in 1948.
4. Julius Long — 2.16 Meters
Julius Long is a 44-year-old American boxer who stands at more than 7 feet tall and has an enormous reach of 90 inches.
Despite his astounding physique, he has a poor boxing record with only 18 victories out of a total of 43 fights. Long is also a professional chef and now lives in New Zealand permanently.
5. Taishan Dong — 2.13 Meters
Taishan Dong is a heavyweight champion of Chinese origin who stands 7 feet tall and has a monumental reach of 84 inches.
He tried out multiple sports including basketball, hockey, and kickboxing before he finally started his boxing career in 2014. This was after defeating Bob Sapp, a kickboxing legend.
Dong was under the training of the famous Buddy McGirt and his talent was brought to light by Golden Boy Promotions.
He won all six matches and never entered the boxing ring again. Even though Dong is still an active heavyweight champion, he last participated in a fight about seven years ago in 2015.
6. Nikolai Valuev — 2.13 Meters
Nikolai Valuev is a 7-foot tall heavyweight titleholder who outclassed his opponents both in terms of weight and height. Although both of his parents were just around 5 ½ feet, Valuev was afflicted by acromegaly, which explains his huge height.
Valuev crushed John Ruiz in 2005 and grabbed the status of tallest and heaviest champion in boxing history at 323 pounds. He lost his WBA crown to Ruslan Chagaev in 2007 and regained the title against Ruiz the following year.
Later, he also defeated 46-year-old Evander Holyfield controversially in 2008. When he was 36, he fought for the last time with David Haye in 2009. Every British boxing junkie would remember this heavyweight championship fight where Valuev lost his WBA title.
Three days later, he retired from boxing due to health issues. In 2011, it was discovered that the Russian boxer was suffering from a brain tumor.
7. Tyson Fury — 2.1 Meters
With a height of 6 feet 9 inches, Tyson Fury is another prominent name among the tallest boxers in the world. This professional boxer was a sight to behold when he stepped into the boxing ring.
He fought cleverly against longtime heavyweight titleholder Wladimir Klitschko and won the match in 2015. Tyson Fury had a remarkable power to hurt his opponents. However, it was strangely not reflected in his punching abilities.
Deontay Wilder, who many regard as the greatest puncher ever, almost beat Tyson Fury (also called the Gypsy King) in their 2018 match. The two eventually settled for a draw.
Conclusion
The boxing industry has witnessed many notable contributions by most of the above-mentioned tallest boxers in the world. Some of them had more successful careers than others. However, every single one of them drew the wonder of other boxers and spectators alike with their massive statures.