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 2011 heavyweight bout with Damon Reed a full 100 pounds - or 64%! - 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 ...

Expanding Boxers

		Min	Max	Wgt	%
	Name	Wgt	Wgt	Gain	Chg
	James Toney	157	257	100	64%
	Iran Barkley	157	236	79	50%
	Roberto Duran	118	176	58	49%
	Eric "Butterbean" Esch	280	417.5	137.5	49%
	Michael Moorer	171	251	80	47%
	Manny Pacquiao	106	145.75	39.75	38%
	Tommy Hearns	144	191	47	33%
	Chris Byrd	169	222	53	31%
	Roy Jones Jr.	153	198.25	45.25	30%
	Riddick Bowe	218	280	62	28%
	Evander Holyfield	176	226	50	28%
	George Foreman	212	267	55	26%
	David Tua	201	253	52	26%
	Oscar De La Hoya	128.75	160	31.25	24%
	Sugar Ray Robinson	134.5	165.5	31	23%
	Kirk Johnson	215	260	45	21%
	Henry Armstrong	125	148	23	18%
	Sugar Ray Leonard	141	165	24	17%