Incredible Expanding Fighters

Historically, a boxer tends to gain weight over the course of his career. Sometimes to challenge a fighter at a higher weight class for a bigger payday. Sometimes as a natural result of aging and growing into one's body. Among heavyweights, however, it's often a result of not having to make any particular weight before they step into the ring ... leading to lack of discipline in training and some physiques which do not in any way scream out "professional athlete".

James Toney certainly isn't the first fighter to put on a lot of weight during his career ... but he has taken gaining weight and raised it to an art form. In fact, Toney's expanding midsection makes George Foreman's legendary battles with the scale seem positively lightweight by comparison. Toney entered the ring for his recent heavyweight title fight against Hasim Rahman a full 80 pounds - or 51%! - above his lowest weight as a pro.

We searched far and (especially) wide and came up with lots of fighters whose weights fluctuated greatly during their ring careers. However, Toney - through a combination of steroids (at least in his bout with John Ruiz) and lots and lots of food - appears to be greatest weight gainer in the long history of professional prizefighting. Take a look at the chart below for details on the expanding waistlines of some other notable fighters ...