It is common to think that a bodybuilder – who is generally someone with much more muscle mass than most people – would do well in a possible fight against any opponent. After all, their weight and strength advantage over a normal man, at first, seems to be decisive.
Bodybuilding professional and current boxer, Rafael “Rey Physique” highlights that, in this case, technique takes precedence over brute force. “It’s common for lay people to say: ‘damn, that maromba must hit everyone!’ But it’s not like that. Having technique, knowing how to respect timing, knowing how to read your opponent’s movements… that changes everything”, he says.
Asked about a possible clash between a light fighter and a heavy bodybuilder, the athlete argues that it all depends on “how layman the heavier guy is” and “how good the lighter guy is”. On several occasions, it is possible to see overweight bodybuilders becoming “breathless just talking”, he adds.
Rey also points out “that, depending on the discrepancy between the techniques and experiences of these two people, a 70 kg fighter could beat a 150 kg bodybuilder.”
Despite saying that a bodybuilder is not someone trained for combat, the amateur boxer recognizes that physical advantage can be decisive in a fight: “If you come across a guy who is very muscular, very tall and, consequently, very heavy, and he has a sense of fighting, has already learned how to do one thing or another, you are lost. This difference in weight could, indeed, give an advantage to a layman.”
“If we talk about a Classic Physique, which is more normal – Open athletes are practically aliens –, we see that this guy would have greater strength, his muscles protect more. So obviously having more muscle mass is not negative in that sense. In my opinion, it’s as if your body were a weapon. But there’s no point in me having a weapon and not knowing how to use it. If a bodybuilder knows how to land a blow, it’s very difficult to get out. There are 120 kg, 130 kg being used efficiently”, he elaborates.
Finally, the athlete uses a personal example to support his argument: “My weight ranges from 90 kg to 95 kg. If I fight against a person weighing 70 kg, for example, I’ll get the better of it, especially because I’m trained. Now, if it’s a man my size who doesn’t know how to do anything, he could easily lose to a person weighing 60 kg.”
Rey turned professional in bodybuilding in 2018 by winning the Ohio edition of the Arnold Sports Festival, the Arnold Classic Ohio. Currently, he dedicates himself solely to boxing and has had several fights on the Fight Music Show.
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