Why do I keep hearing the same old refrain: "The heavyweight division has gone to hel

[TitoFan]

Does it have to be "America" to produce the next great HW champion for the division to be hugely popular again? I should sure hope the hell not. I'll state my point again: Boxing is an INTERNATIONAL sport. There's great boxers from every corner of the world. If America can embrace fighters from other countries in other weight divisions, it can sure embrace foreign HWs as well.

[Truth]

All I'm saying is Americans love to cheer for someone who is their "type". This is generalizing but someone who is loud, confident and a bit brash. Not too multilingual quiet Ukrainian brothers with PHDs. If Haye were to become the undisputed champ they'd love it because it fits their mold. I'm not saying it's correct or fair its just the way it is. We rank the state of boxing by how it does in the USA. Of course the Americans can still produce great champions it's just that their talent pool has been depleted as of late.

[ICB]

Anyone who thinks the heavyweights of years past are better then the current ones are simply delusional. Look at the NFL great lineman used to be 6' 260 lbs now they're 6'6 310 lbs modern nutrition and modern training have played a huge role in our advances in sports. The problem people have with the heavyweight division today are
1)The Klitschko's are too dominant
2)American kids are less likely than ever to get involved in boxing
3No current boxer has had close to the charisma or star appeal of Heavyweights from the "golden era's"

I think your delusional personally, if these Heavyweights are so better, why are most of them out of shape and slow ? with all the modern training, there slower and have less stamina.

So if the boxers in the old days, are faster and have better stamina. Without the modern training doesn't that make them look even better ?

The fact that a 46 year old 6'2 Evander Holyfield, was able to beat one of the modern Heavyweight champions, in Nikolai Valuev who is 7'0. But Evander Holyfield was robbed of a decision, tells me that size isn't always better.

Also why do the Heavyweights, lack excitement if there so much better ? and why doesn't any normal armchair fan even know who the hell the Heavyweight champion currently is ?

They do, in Germany and Eastern Europe. You're looking at it from a Brit viewpoint which many Americans also shared with you, but not the general consensus whatever.

I know this might be shocking, but there is an entire world out there besides your homeland. Shocking ain't it?

Well all i know is when i was younger, everyone knew who the Heavyweight champion was. Yes of course in Germany and ETC, they will be popular. Because how many times have they had a Heavyweight to root for ? probably not since Axel Schulz in the 90's.

And yes i am looking at it from a Brit point of view, what way am i supposed to look at it ? i remember back in the day, how exciting it was watching the big Heavyweight fights, and all the hype it used to get.

Now no one even cares or knows anything about the Heavyweight division, except what that read in the paper about David Haye. Yes im talking about Britian because im sharing how much it has changed over here.

And i bet if you done a poll worldwide, if people thought whether or not the Heavyweight division is popular. Well i think we can safely say they would all mostly agree with me, even hardcore boxing fans get bored to fuck watching Heavyweight fights now, so can you imagine armchair fans ?

[Dave Hughey]

Does it have to be "America" to produce the next great HW champion for the division to be hugely popular again? I should sure hope the hell not. I'll state my point again: Boxing is an INTERNATIONAL sport. There's great boxers from every corner of the world. If America can embrace fighters from other countries in other weight divisions, it can sure embrace foreign HWs as well.

Hi Tito,

He has to be American to be popular in America, of course! Ali said it best, "I am the King of the World". Americans are not going to be happy unless the "King of the World" is an American. The King of the World is in Europe right now, and the Europeans are enjoying every moment of it while the Americans are moping.

[generalbulldog]

I think your delusional personally, if these Heavyweights are so better, why are most of them out of shape and slow ? with all the modern training, there slower and have less stamina.

So if the boxers in the old days, are faster and have better stamina. Without the modern training doesn't that make them look even better ?

The fact that a 46 year old 6'2 Evander Holyfield, was able to beat one of the modern Heavyweight champions, in Nikolai Valuev who is 7'0. But Evander Holyfield was robbed of a decision, tells me that size isn't always better.

Also why do the Heavyweights, lack excitement if there so much better ? and why doesn't any normal armchair fan even know who the hell the Heavyweight champion currently is ?

They do, in Germany and Eastern Europe. You're looking at it from a Brit viewpoint which many Americans also shared with you, but not the general consensus whatever.

I know this might be shocking, but there is an entire world out there besides your homeland. Shocking ain't it?

Well all i know is when i was younger, everyone knew who the Heavyweight champion was. Yes of course in Germany and ETC, they will be popular. Because how many times have they had a Heavyweight to root for ? probably not since Axel Schulz in the 90's.

And yes i am looking at it from a Brit point of view, what way am i supposed to look at it ? i remember back in the day, how exciting it was watching the big Heavyweight fights, and all the hype it used to get.

Now no one even cares or knows anything about the Heavyweight division, except what that read in the paper about David Haye. Yes im talking about Britian because im sharing how much it has changed over here.

And i bet if you done a poll worldwide, if people thought whether or not the Heavyweight division is popular. Well i think we can safely say they would all mostly agree with me, even hardcore boxing fans get bored to fuck watching Heavyweight fights now, so can you imagine armchair fans ?

Here's the thing you are applying your view as an Brit to the standards of the worldwide view and claiming it as fact. Maybe the average fan in the UK doesn't know who the Klitschko brothers are and probably America, but in Germany and Eastern Europe they know who they are. You do know how big Eastern Europe is right?

That's like the majority of Americans thinking that soccer is a dead sport and no one watches it, when it is very popular outside of America and many parts of the world. It would be erroneous of me to use the American viewpoint on soccer and applying it to the rest of the world and saying, "No one watches soccer because no one watches it or cares about it in the US! Therefore it must be true for the rest of the world!" That's an illogical way of looking at things.

[DaxxKahn]

Why is all the "He has to be American" debate coming into play...That is BULLSHIT>>>>

What was Lennox Lewis?......Everyone knew who Lennox was.......

To be a known champion you can not stay at home be it Germany, Russia, Ukraine or Jasck Ass Back Street No whereville you have to be shown around the world...

The name of the title is WORLD CHAMPION.....

You don't have to fight everywhere in the world but you sure as hell need to have your fights shown around the world

[Dave Hughey]

Well, I can see we have strayed a bit off-topic. Perhaps some-one should start a thread about why America will never be happy, and should never be happy, until the belt comes back to the Home of the Brave.

But at least we have managed to reach consensus that the heavyweight division has never been stronger, and that's quite an accomplishment. We should be proud of ourselves.