"Potential Heavyweights are now 'Football Tight Ends' and 'NBA Forwards'

[Beanflicker]

He's got a great build for boxing. SUPER long arms, tall and lanky but with superhuman strength.

Jones isn't a KO puncher but he could have been a master boxer IMO, his understanding and use of range is incredible.

[ykdadamaja]

It's true. This is why I was high on Andy Ruiz- he is one of the few organically grown HW's in the American ranks. Everyone else has switched sports late.

But, I think, anyone that starts the fight game before 15-16 and has, at least, 60 plus fights, can be considered a organically grown HW.

With that said: The only luck the American HW scene can have is IF they, by accident, start a guy off at about 8 or 9 and he looks like a runt, and by the time he gets 15/16/17 he shoots up about 5 or six inches from 5'10 or something.

Pray it happens...

[ykdadamaja]

btw: Who says a HW has to be over 6'4 and 240 lbs plus? You guys are just scared of the Klits, but no one ever talks about how skilful they are. Has nothing to do as much with height, it has to do with their skill.

I like Amir Mansour's style- he is hard to hit and has sneaky hand speed and tremendous power and he knows how to corner guys.

There are benefits in staying low!

[El Kabong]

I don't buy this argument, I think the "next potential heavyweights" are getting too late a start in boxing AND the US Amateur boxing scene is just crap at developing proper fighters at the moment because of their rules and regulations.

Late starts in boxing....this happens for a few reasons but A#1 is head injuries, everyone is big on them these days but soccer and football have head injury issues as well however they are not as stigmatized as boxing for example "Punch drunk" or "Pugilistic Dementia" ...those things aren't JUST boxing related anymore as we continue to find head injury problems in other sports.

The US Amateur boxing scene is devoid of good trainers as those professional trainers aren't allowed to train amateur fighters for some reason....hopefully something can be done or some benefactor can go in and really train up our youth to be better boxers and not just sluggers or dependent on their own natural skills