Thread: Is there any heavyweight fight that could sell out an arena in the U.S?

Has the interest in the heavyweight division been drained so much in the U.S that no match up between current heavyweights could sell out an arena there?

Originally Posted by Bo-Bo24

Has the interest in the heavyweight division been drained so much in the U.S that no match up between current heavyweights could sell out an arena there?

I honestly can't think of one that would unless it was maybe Arreola for a title in LA with a stacked undercard but that'd probably be the closest thing to anything and even then it'd be reaching

Originally Posted by ElTerribleMorales

Originally Posted by Bo-Bo24

Has the interest in the heavyweight division been drained so much in the U.S that no match up between current heavyweights could sell out an arena there?

I honestly can't think of one that would unless it was maybe Arreola for a title in LA with a stacked undercard but that'd probably be the closest thing to anything and even then it'd be reaching

Floyd and Manny would have to be on that undercard, against each other. LOL

The answer to the question is, maybe if he was the Undisputed World Champion and had a good undercard. The landscape is bleak, apocalyptic in the US heavyweight division.

Originally Posted by beenKOed

The landscape is bleak, apocalyptic in the US heavyweight division.

There are plenty of decent American heavyweights BUT there's precious few who fight in a style or manner the crowds like, ditto for personalities outside the ring.

Bryant Jennings and Deontay Wilder have the best chance to excite the fans but. Jennings isn't getting much attention from the channels that cover boxing and Wilder isn't fighting anyone with a pulse. Wilder had a chance as a Bronze medalist to springboard into doing something special as a pro but he's too raw. Jennings has seemingly come from nowhere, but his attitude is that of a champion. He wants to test himself, he's getting good matches, and he fights with a style more similar to Ali than Tyson so maybe fans don't know how to handle that just yet.

In the end this all boils down to US amateur boxing being in the shitter. We've got precious few stars right now Floyd Mayweather being the MAIN one and he's aging out...who will replace him? Broner? I don't know if we have the dynamic superstars we used to. We're going to have to find that fire again from the youth up to the pros...it'll happen but not soon.

Briggs v Arreola?

Wilder v Jennings?

Arreola v Wilder seems the most likely, but yet similarly unlikely to fill up an arena in a realistic sense.

Originally Posted by Vendettos

Briggs v Arreola?

Wilder v Jennings?

Arreola v Wilder seems the most likely, but yet similarly unlikely to fill up an arena in a realistic sense.

Briggs Why?


Arreola-Jennings or Wilder-Arreola would be great fights, but selling out stadiums? Nah. There's nobody THAT dynamic either as a talent or personality.

Originally Posted by El Kabong

Originally Posted by beenKOed

The landscape is bleak, apocalyptic in the US heavyweight division.

There are plenty of decent American heavyweights BUT there's precious few who fight in a style or manner the crowds like, ditto for personalities outside the ring.

Bryant Jennings and Deontay Wilder have the best chance to excite the fans but. Jennings isn't getting much attention from the channels that cover boxing and Wilder isn't fighting anyone with a pulse. Wilder had a chance as a Bronze medalist to springboard into doing something special as a pro but he's too raw. Jennings has seemingly come from nowhere, but his attitude is that of a champion. He wants to test himself, he's getting good matches, and he fights with a style more similar to Ali than Tyson so maybe fans don't know how to handle that just yet.

In the end this all boils down to US amateur boxing being in the shitter. We've got precious few stars right now Floyd Mayweather being the MAIN one and he's aging out...who will replace him? Broner? I don't know if we have the dynamic superstars we used to. We're going to have to find that fire again from the youth up to the pros...it'll happen but not soon.

That is just another symptom of something else.

I believe its more down to a lack of quality trainers.

Emmanuel Steward has said before that there are now a lot of pad holders rather than trainers.

I see it in our small boxing gym. Just like cheerleaders taking young boxers on the pads making them feel good but not really teaching them much.

I also see now, fitness coaches turning to boxing coaching like they think because they can get someone fit it now qualifies them to encourage people in to the ring and fight.

In Guernsey recently we had an amateur mma show in a cage and there were fights of all disciplines on on the night of the show. One was "white collar" and a local personal fitness trainer had this young fat rugby player who wanted to fight but also wanted to lose weight and was doing the personal trainers circuits and asked him to coach him along with a couple of other guys who train under the personal trainer who have uncompetetive martial arts back grounds and have done a bit of training alongside boxers.

Rather than thinking he would be irresponsible and out of his depth to try and teach someone how to fight, he went along with it. The lad was tough but basically just took a beating and kept turning away and the fight should have been stopped. Its only because his opponent wasnt good that he actually managed to hear the final bell.

My point is there are too many wannabe trainers who have no experience or insight to pass on but want to be involved and seen as some svengali.

Mike Tyson once said he would not have the patience to act as atrainer but I think he is dabbling a little bit now. He knows so much about boxing and has been in with some of the biggest punchers ever and masses of experience.

What you need is a drive to encourage the old pros to get back in to clubs or introduce it in to schools as part of the kids physical education where they can have teams challenge other schools.

Right now there are a lot of charlatans parading as boxing coaches who are diluting the skill levels as the generations move on.

Mike Tyson v Holyfield 3 would get more fans than Wilder v Arreleo

ross, you're right the age of great trainers from the United States being a dime a dozen is over. Steward has died, Freddy Roach won't be around forever, who fills the shoes of those men?

But also who is there for the trainers here to train? Football players who couldn't hack it, ex-cons, guys getting late starts. The issue begins at the amateur level our boys aren't getting taught properly and we're suffering. US boxing is doing the exact opposite of US soccer. US soccer had an identity crisis, it met it head on, the players we got were tough and gritty, and would gut out wins and now we're starting to get more polished in our talent. With US boxing we have gone from THE finished product to being guys who only have heart to offer if that.

Originally Posted by El Kabong

ross, you're right the age of great trainers from the United States being a dime a dozen is over. Steward has died, Freddy Roach won't be around forever, who fills the shoes of those men?

But also who is there for the trainers here to train? Football players who couldn't hack it, ex-cons, guys getting late starts. The issue begins at the amateur level our boys aren't getting taught properly and we're suffering. US boxing is doing the exact opposite of US soccer. US soccer had an identity crisis, it met it head on, the players we got were tough and gritty, and would gut out wins and now we're starting to get more polished in our talent. With US boxing we have gone from THE finished product to being guys who only have heart to offer if that.

Draft in some south american coaches.

Even mexican journeymen have some sublime skills and defence and can put more than one or two punches together, mixing uppercuts and hooks, hooks to the body and how to defend them. Whos teaching them this?

Originally Posted by ross

Draft in some south american coaches.

Even mexican journeymen have some sublime skills and defence and can put more than one or two punches together, mixing uppercuts and hooks, hooks to the body and how to defend them. Whos teaching them this?

Pedro Diaz is solid...hell Ronnie Shields used to be a very good highly respected trainer, but he's got nobody to work with.

We probably need a thread of "The Best American boxing Trainers around today"

No, don't see it. We want the short time investment and big time payoff now. I don't think it's lack of potential guys, not entirely, so much as the impatience of major promoters and fans in general. The cable networks are not as consistent and the huge promoters are spending time with stunts like microwave title bids for other international prospects. Potential heavyweight stars are either treated like finally groomed tea cup poodles, risk adverse and the last Olympic medalist America produced is basically still an untested 4 round fighter...others are ignored and competing with the rise of network poster boys in lower weight classes. When they do make noise it's not Americans they will most likely face and certainly not for a strap at least for the time being.

Promoters...there's another interesting thing to consider Don King used to run the heavyweight division up until recently. Golden Boy and Bob Arum haven't really defeated him, but the Europeans have.

Universum
K2
Sauerland
Frank Warren
Hayemaker

Those guys have the heavyweights and what do they know or care about winning over the American fans?

Speaking of King you know what might do well, a return of those Cedric Kushner like "Heavyweight Explosion" cards. They were never massive..but frequent with alot of the guys riding huge exposure then. No, they have the ball in there court and THE champions and you would only hope U.S heavys are using the time to build and knock down the doors for exposure. Scott gets a push then gets shipped out to lose, Jennings is active and impressive but might as well be on a milk carton, Seth Mi...anyway, Arreola got the top but it fell on him, Wilder...I just get the feeling they are 'done' building him and are really just waiting for the brothers to retire or vacate, Andy Ruiz can fight a bit but gets laughed at. I mean ffs we still have Antonio Tarver though and he'll be featured on the next GBP card with Luis Ortiz and may be lined up to be HIS next foil.

Originally Posted by Spicoli

Speaking of King you know what might do well, a return of those Cedric Kushner like "Heavyweight Explosion" cards. They were never massive..but frequent with alot of the guys riding huge exposure then. No, they have the ball in there court and THE champions and you would only hope U.S heavys are using the time to build and knock down the doors for exposure. Scott gets a push then gets shipped out to lose, Jennings is active and impressive but might as well be on a milk carton, Seth Mi...anyway, Arreola got the top but it fell on him, Wilder...I just get the feeling they are 'done' building him and are really just waiting for the brothers to retire or vacate, Andy Ruiz can fight a bit but gets laughed at. I mean ffs we still have Antonio Tarver though and he'll be featured on the next GBP card with Luis Ortiz and may be lined up to be HIS next foil.

American heavyweights should fight other American heavyweights and build themselves up that way. Jennings is close to contender status. If Jennings fights Arreola or someone he might be ready.