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It's noticeable particularly with Black Heavyweight contenders and prospects. Britain, Germany and even Australasia, stand behind their fighters and promote them more than America.
STAND UP FOR WILDER.... STAND UP FOR BIG BABY MILLER... STAND UP FOR TREVOR BRYANT... STAND UP FOR BRYANT JENNINGS.... STAND UP FOR ANDY RUIZ.... STAND UP!!!
Fans follow who they want, they follow who they connect with...maybe people haven't seen enough of Wilder, maybe his team haven't gotten him in front of enough people to make him a BRAND NAME, but the good news about that is it'll keep Wilder hungry. Attention from the media makes you soft, when did Tyson start fading? Evander didn't have that trouble because Evander wasn't beloved the way Tyson was, Evander kept a chip on his shoulder he was out to prove people wrong and that's the mental state Wilder needs to be in.
Yes Deontay Wilder should be more well known in the US, YES he should have a wave of fans pressing for a showdown vs AJ, but it's not the case right now and I don't think it will be the case until he has that fight with AJ.
People don't want to be fooled, they don't want Michael Grant take 2, they want a winner....Wilder is no Michael Grant, but can he take out Joshua? It's a big ask.
I'm not sure about if his being black matters though people were plenty happy to get behind Ali and Tyson and they're black. I think the UFC has drawn attention away from boxing just a little bit and I think boxing is struggling to figure out what is next for it as a sport with guys like Don King and Bob Arum aging out and Golden Boy being a shitshow, maybe boxing needs a LEAGUE like UFC is.
If there was anyone half decent then the TV companies would hype, support and build them up.
Not a black thing it's a just not so good thing. Wilder regardless of limitations has actually done quite well to get this far on the Global scene. That said he and his team are terrible self promoters and big picture thinkers. Easier to have belief in Miller and Ruiz if their career weights were going South rather than North.
Honestly out of the non trinket Americans Bryant Jennings still has the burning fire and desire it seems. Has also competed with far better competition than anyone I can think of. Who is Trevor Bryant ???.
I don't think it's anything racial. Under Vlad all those years the lighter divisions became very popular while you were hard pressed to find a casual fan that knew who the heavyweight champ is. Everyone knew Floyd and manny, neither of whom were white Americans. I recently saw Deontae on a news interview so he is getting exsposurs but boxing remains a niche sport here.
I like jennings, seems like a good fellow and he has beaten so. E fairly good prospects, szpilka, Mike Perez, fedesov and old blind belorussian champion liachovich(or however you spell it)... Hard to forget him getting smashed by Ortiz though....Quote:
Originally Posted by Spicoli
Also according to jennings he only started boxing at the age of 24 and had a really low amount of amateur fights before going pro, I wonder how good he could have been if he started earlier
I was a Seth Mitchell fan.
Definitely fan friendly fighter but getting no younger. Not sure if Arum has him but he's riding the undercard next month vsQuote:
Originally Posted by palmerqI like jennings, seems like a good fellow and he has beaten so. E fairly good prospects, szpilka, Mike Perez, fedesov and old blind belorussian champion liachovich(or however you spell it)... Hard to forget him getting smashed by Ortiz though....Quote:
Originally Posted by Spicoli
Also according to jennings he only started boxing at the age of 24 and had a really low amount of amateur fights before going pro, I wonder how good he could have been if he started earlier
capable Joey Dawejko but needs to hunt bigger game now.
Derrick Banks was a Mitchell fan too. At least in rematch ;D.Quote:
Originally Posted by Master
One thing that puzzles me is why hasn't Wilder fought in Vegas more. He won the WBC title there against Stiverne, and hasn't been back since. What gives? Granted, fight promotion and promoters isn't exactly my cup of tea, so I tend not to care too much about fight negotiations, only about the fights themselves. But since we're questioning the lack of backing for Wilder, the Vegas question is a legitimate one to ask. He seems to be stuck between Brooklyn and Alabama. Not a way to get a huge following behind you.
That is a sign that he is not a huge draw, even with all his antics. Maybe they think he would have lost the title by now.Quote:
Originally Posted by TitoFan
They don’t have many heavies with elite level potential. Most big guys go to gridiron
Quote:
Originally Posted by MasterThat is a sign that he is not a huge draw, even with all his antics. Maybe they think he would have lost the title by now.Quote:
Originally Posted by TitoFan
I think it's one of two things, or maybe both. Shitty and/or nonexistent promotional skills from his team..... and jaded U.S. fans (with boxing). When the U.S. had Ali/ Frazier/ Foreman to cheer, everything was rosy. Later came Tyson and Holyfield (the whining Holmes was never all that popular, IMO). Then.... came Wlad and all the air came out of the balloon as far as U.S. fans were concerned. Not just Wlad not being American, but his style did little to rouse up any excitement among U.S. fans. Now finally there's a U.S. champion. It takes a while for the fires to get stoked. Doesn't help that Wilder initially was fed a diet strictly made up of barely-live bodies. But even now that he's turned over a new leaf, people are still slow to come around. PLUS.... his (cough) promotional team hasn't slammed it through Wilder's skull that fighting in Alabama isn't exactly going to set the world on fire. Now, even though professionally he should be on even ground with Joshua..... he's reduced to having to beg for scraps. There's a lot of blame to go around for that one.
OMG:oQuote:
Originally Posted by Master
Mitchell was an embarrassment away from retiring- Which happened to him with Arreola.
American fans need to stand up. I am a Bryant Jennings fan too. Before the Ortiz fight, I had him ranked as the top young guy in America. Top #5 in the world at Heavy. But Ortiz messed up my bracket.