Why are USA Heavyweights so poor?

[Kev]

Summed up well by those above. Good, big American alteletes can go into football or basketball, with more chance of making alot of money, more chance of being a star, and less chance of getting hurt. Smaller Americans aren't so desired in other sports, which is why they are still prevailent in alot of other weight classes, and the top heavyweights are now coming from Europe, where boxing is still a top way for a big man to make himself some money. Football (soccer) tends to favour smaller, nimble men.

It has nothing to do with desire to play other sports... You can be an incredibly gifted athlete, strong fast, powerful, with cat like reflexes... But if you're 5'8 and in shape you weigh 147 pounds your not exactly going to make waves in the NFL or NBA. that's why America will always produce great boxers at the lower weights, as will many other countries. You have a good point about soccer though, it's just that it isn't terribly popular in the states.. In many many countries I'd guarentee the best athletes below 200 lbs are playing soccer as that's where the money and prestige is.

Read that quote again, he was saying exactly what you said. He meant that smaller guys weren't desired by by the NFL and NBA so you are only agreeing with him and therefore no need to correct him

[Taeth]

Their are two resons for the decline in U.S heavyweights:

1. Most of young kids these days want to fight straight away, they don't want to have to wait 6 months to spar for the first time. They need to learn their trade before they start fighting. This frustrates the kids and they go back to the street which is easier, faster and infinitely more profitable.

2. Some potential fighters quit to try to play in the NFL.

This needs to change if U.S.A are going to have some top class heavies again.

SO WAS THAT FROM YOUR OWN EXTENSIVE ANALYSIS or are you just saying the same thing everyone else is saying

throw ray lewis in the ring with Wlad and Wlad will beat his a$$ back to Baltimore....

Let Ray Lewis learn how to box and he would destroy Wladimir. Ray is one of the best Athletes or was in his prime IN THE WORLD. He is way faster, stronger, and more agile than Wladimir. Ray has better body control, more aggressive and would be by far the best athlete to ever box. Guys like Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell lead the revolution of big guys playing other sports.

[El Kabong]

Football and basketball were around in the 60's and 70's it didn't hurt then.

When the right guys come along we'll know....the Europeans are doing what the Americans don't want to do....soon someone will get pissed off enough to do something about it


Taeth they said the same things about Bob Gibson and Jim Brown....but look how good Mark Gastineau did at boxing

[Fire]

throw ray lewis in the ring with Wlad and Wlad will beat his a$$ back to Baltimore....

Of course Wlad would beat him, because Wlad has trained as a professional boxer and Ray Lewis hasn't.
Throw Wlad on a football field and Ray Lewis would break Wlad in half, because Ray is a professional football player and Wlad isn't.

I'm not sure what you meant with that line...

what i meant with that line is to say if lewis would have trained in boxing wlad would whoop his ass...

ther is ALOT of good football, basketball players who choose to play baseball because it is an easier sport to make money in...

if current HW boxers was so horrible today that means all them athletes would be boxing to make the easy money...

name me some great hw's that would have been good enough to play in the nba or nfl... its takes a completely different skill set mentally and physically to play american sports than to box at the highest level...

futhermore alot of football players, rugby players, mma fighters, basketball players, alot of those guys try boxing and hardly any ever make it....

[Taeth]

Football and basketball were around in the 60's and 70's it didn't hurt then.

When the right guys come along we'll know....the Europeans are doing what the Americans don't want to do....soon someone will get pissed off enough to do something about it


Taeth they said the same things about Bob Gibson and Jim Brown....but look how good Mark Gastineau did at boxing

Have you played high level football? I would rather take a punch then get tackled at a university level let alone in the NFL. Just playing allstar football as a kid I would get worse body bruising from football than I ever did from boxing.

[Taeth]

throw ray lewis in the ring with Wlad and Wlad will beat his a$$ back to Baltimore....

Of course Wlad would beat him, because Wlad has trained as a professional boxer and Ray Lewis hasn't.
Throw Wlad on a football field and Ray Lewis would break Wlad in half, because Ray is a professional football player and Wlad isn't.

I'm not sure what you meant with that line...

what i meant with that line is to say if lewis would have trained in boxing wlad would whoop his a**...

ther is ALOT of good football, basketball players who choose to play baseball because it is an easier sport to make money in...

if current HW boxers was so horrible today that means all them athletes would be boxing to make the easy money...

name me some great hw's that would have been good enough to play in the nba or nfl... its takes a completely different skill set mentally and physically to play american sports than to box at the highest level...

futhermore alot of football players, rugby players, mma fighters, basketball players, alot of those guys try boxing and hardly any ever make it....

If you think that Lewis owuldn't beat Wlad if he went into boxing then you are not a good gauge on athletes at all. Lewis has it all to be the best heavyweight ever.

[SweetPea]

Football and basketball were around in the 60's and 70's it didn't hurt then.

Yes, except the NFL and NBA were nothing like they are today. The sports weren't unionized and the players weren't reaping the financial benefits that they get today.

[El Kabong]

Football and basketball were around in the 60's and 70's it didn't hurt then.

When the right guys come along we'll know....the Europeans are doing what the Americans don't want to do....soon someone will get pissed off enough to do something about it


Taeth they said the same things about Bob Gibson and Jim Brown....but look how good Mark Gastineau did at boxing

Have you played high level football? I would rather take a punch then get tackled at a university level let alone in the NFL. Just playing allstar football as a kid I would get worse body bruising from football than I ever did from boxing.

Yes as a matter of fact I have....and as a guard I had to pull and run full speed into a defensive tackle who was NO SHIT 6'5 330 and although he wasn't strong running into him was like hitting a brick wall and my shoulder seperated. It hurt but it's not like getting punched in the head for a living either



Very true SweetPea

[undefeated]

there has been no "great" to come along and take the titles back--the HW division is in its weakest era of all time right now. it desperatly needs a louis, marciano, dempsey ,ali -2 come along and save it

[MTL_box]

well its because of all that money in the NFL and NBA. If they paid them nothing more would do boxing as why would you go do boxing and have good chance at getting brain damage later on for rest of your life or play in the those sports.

Also the sports image to boxing for the youths is not there. The other brand sports market towards young guys with jersey's, great video games, plus those sports are team ones, which most parents try and get their kids into when their young.

[Punisher136]

Death is more common during competition in college football than it is in pro boxing (per 100,000 participants). Football wrecks your whole body and brain damage is just as likely in football (maybe alittle less for some positions) as well as knee/back/shoulder/neck injuries. After boxing you might not know where you're going, but atleast you can walk there.

[Kirkland Laing]

throw ray lewis in the ring with Wlad and Wlad will beat his a$$ back to Baltimore....

Of course Wlad would beat him, because Wlad has trained as a professional boxer and Ray Lewis hasn't.
Throw Wlad on a football field and Ray Lewis would break Wlad in half, because Ray is a professional football player and Wlad isn't.

I'm not sure what you meant with that line...

what i meant with that line is to say if lewis would have trained in boxing wlad would whoop his a**...

ther is ALOT of good football, basketball players who choose to play baseball because it is an easier sport to make money in...

if current HW boxers was so horrible today that means all them athletes would be boxing to make the easy money...

name me some great hw's that would have been good enough to play in the nba or nfl... its takes a completely different skill set mentally and physically to play american sports than to box at the highest level...

futhermore alot of football players, rugby players, mma fighters, basketball players, alot of those guys try boxing and hardly any ever make it....

If you think that Lewis owuldn't beat Wlad if he went into boxing then you are not a good gauge on athletes at all. Lewis has it all to be the best heavyweight ever.

I think we should wait to see him throw a punch before we go declaring him the greatest of all time. He may have a jaw made out of the finest crystal.

[southakron314]

There are a few good young American Heavyweights right now. One in particular is Chris Arreola. He is coming up strong, is aggressive and exciting to watch.

The kid is a prodigy.

[El Kabong]

Jonathan Banks is an exciting fighter too
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Hasim Rahman Jr.....oddly enough is being trained by Emanuel Steward....that's a GOOD pairing IMO

[Punisher136]

And for the record, there is a steadily increasing rate of foreign born players playing in the big four (nba,mlb,nfl, and nhl wether you wanna realize it or not) so you'd have to believe that some time soon american athletes will start being pushed towards combat sports.

Europeans and canadians will continue to play well in the nhl.
Big men are coming from europe to play in the nba as centers and a few as other positions as well.
Baseball attracts a lot of latin players from all over the place.
Football is the only one thats predominantly american but with the closing of euro-league and the nfl's apparent plans to globalize, you'd have to assume its just a matter of time before a huge influx of foreign born players move to that as well.