The Recent Demise of American Boxing

[Rantcatrat]

Is it me or have American boxers lost more than they've won in recent times? To name a few examples:

Danny Jacobs lost to Dimitry Pirog
Steve Cunningham lost to Tomaz Adamek
Paul Williams lost to Sergio Martinez
Kelly Pavlik lost to Sergio Martinez
Jermain Taylor lost to Arthur Abraham and Carl Froch
James Kirkland lost to Nobuhiro Ishida
Shane Mosley lost to Manny Pacquiao
Eddie Chambers lost to Wladimir Klitschko
Cris Arreola lost to Vitali Klitschko
Chad Dawson to Jean Pascal
Roy Jones lost to everyone.

There are only two Americans on the top ten p4p lis. There's only one American heavyweight in the top ten. There's only one American cruiserweight in the top ten. There's only three American light heavyweights in the top ten. There's only one American super middleweight in the top ten. There is NO American middleweight in the top ten. Junior middleweight is the only division dominated by Americans. There's only two Americans in the top ten at welterweight. And it goes on.

I understand that there are probably a dozen counter examples to the ones above, but still, boxing is a sport, where, correct me if I'm wrong, but Americans have traditionally done very well. It seems that now most of the top competition is coming from outside of the US. Am I wrong? If not, what do you think is the reason behind this recent demise in American boxing. Lack of gyms? Lack of good coaches? Rest of the world has caught up?

[erics44]

american kids play lots of strange games that take all day and are very unentertaining

baseball, american football

and the rest play dull none contact games like basketball

and then there are homosexual "sports" that dominate your tv watched by youngsters such as wrestling

you dont get such sports and games and such like entertainment in other countries

[killersheep]

american kids play lots of strange games that take all day and are very unentertaining

baseball, american football

and the rest play dull none contact games like basketball

and then there are homosexual "sports" that dominate your tv watched by youngsters such as wrestling

you dont get such sports and games and such like entertainment in other countries

Yeah we should probably get into Cricket, cause that's a quick one. Or maybe higher contact like darts. And of course no other country has wrestling right?

Anyway, American athletes have little incentive to get into boxing from a financial standpoint. The odds of them ending up getting Mayweather / De La Hoya / Tyson level paydays are slimmer than the lottery. If someone is athletic and has a chance to turn pro, they are much more likely to do it in a team sport here like baseball, american football or basketball where they can earn very good money sitting on the bench, where as with boxing unless they make special connections with corrupt people very early, they will be fighting for a 12-pack of beer. Soccer is different here as well, the leading scorer for MLS last season only made 48K for the year.

To rantcatrat Cunningham has worked his way back up. But I agree that American boxing dominance is over, the rest of the world has caught up and surpassed us, largely due to a lack of interest here.

[Fenster]

Don't be dissing the Darts, Sheep. Darts pisses all over boxing. Fact.

I think killersheep is probably about right. The type of environment that attracts fighters is no longer as attractive or relevant to modern-day America. In other words - There are easier/safer ways to earn big money.

Also boxing is far more global now than it used to be (for all fans worldwide). Just 5-6 years ago on this site it was common for American fans to state "champions" from outside the USA hadn't "proved" themselves, or had padded records and the like. I see less and less of this attitude now. So maybe you just think there has been a drastic decline?

[killersheep]

Don't be dissing the Darts, Sheep. Darts pisses all over boxing. Fact.

I think killersheep is probably about right. The type of environment that attracts fighters is no longer as attractive or relevant to modern-day America. In other words - There are easier/safer ways to earn big money.

Also boxing is far more global now than it used to be (for all fans worldwide). Just 5-6 years ago on this site it was common for American fans to state "champions" from outside the USA hadn't "proved" themselves, or had padded records and the like. I see less and less of this attitude now. So maybe you just think there has been a drastic decline?

Didn't diss darts, until they start throwing them at each other it's hardly a contact sport though no?

[Spicoli]

I bleed stars and stripes but ya know, I think it's a great thing. Frankly long overdue. Boxing is a true international sport and for the longest time we have seemed to live in a cacoon with little exposure to fighters overseas. You used to literally have to hunt fighters from Asia down, all the while American fans missed some quality gems. Higher visability, easier viewing possibility mean more oppurtunities and wider fan base. I think we- Networks are wayyyy to stuck on fast tracking guys and polishing as unfinished product for the flavor of the month, manufacturing stars rather than letting them rise. I've always thought a early lose is where the real learning and defining begins. It strips a guy to the bones of development. Oh and we still have K-9 Bundrage man, not all is lost

[erics44]

Don't be dissing the Darts, Sheep. Darts pisses all over boxing. Fact.

I think killersheep is probably about right. The type of environment that attracts fighters is no longer as attractive or relevant to modern-day America. In other words - There are easier/safer ways to earn big money.

Also boxing is far more global now than it used to be (for all fans worldwide). Just 5-6 years ago on this site it was common for American fans to state "champions" from outside the USA hadn't "proved" themselves, or had padded records and the like. I see less and less of this attitude now. So maybe you just think there has been a drastic decline?

Didn't diss darts, until they start throwing them at each other it's hardly a contact sport though no?

darts is none contact yes but not for athletes and not something young people who might have got into boxing get into

its for people who like sitting in pubs drinking beer

[erics44]

american kids play lots of strange games that take all day and are very unentertaining

baseball, american football

and the rest play dull none contact games like basketball

and then there are homosexual "sports" that dominate your tv watched by youngsters such as wrestling

you dont get such sports and games and such like entertainment in other countries

Yeah we should probably get into Cricket, cause that's a quick one. Or maybe higher contact like darts. And of course no other country has wrestling right?

you got an issue with cricket?

[killersheep]

american kids play lots of strange games that take all day and are very unentertaining

baseball, american football

and the rest play dull none contact games like basketball

and then there are homosexual "sports" that dominate your tv watched by youngsters such as wrestling

you dont get such sports and games and such like entertainment in other countries

Yeah we should probably get into Cricket, cause that's a quick one. Or maybe higher contact like darts. And of course no other country has wrestling right?

you got an issue with cricket?

Yes it takes a very long time and is very unentertaining.

[Fenster]

Cricket is the most boring sport on earth. Darts is the greatest (fat British drunk guys become millionaires). That's why don't be dissing it, sheepster

[armin]

If the decline is due to people not wanting to be punched in the face to make money, shouldn't mma be in just of bad as shape?

[VictorCharlie]

If the decline is due to people not wanting to be punched in the face to make money, shouldn't mma be in just of bad as shape?

I think MMA's rise in popularity has a couple things working for it.

1. First and foremost it is on free TV more often and the UFC does a much better job marketing itself to the 18-35 male market than boxing. Personally I became more of a MMA fan b/c I felt my $50 paid for a better product. Obviously entertainment is subjective but a MMA card has at a minimum 5 fights, most of which are good relevant fights that the fans want to see.

2. While the UFC isn't the only MMA org it is far and away the predominant one. Fans for the most part get to see the fights they want to see in a timely fashion. The frustration with the alphabet orgs and dodgy promoters doesn't exist in MMA like it does in boxing. A federal boxing commission that only recognized one belt and one sanctioning body would go a long way to improving the American fan's opinion of the sport.

3. Boxers take years to hone their craft to be at a world class level. MMA has a technical side that is ever evolving but it puts much more of an emphasis on athleticism. A guy that was a good at wrestling, BJJ, Judo, Muy Thai, Kick boxing and is a great athelete can be competitive in the sport at this point as they evolve the other aspects of the sport. As the sport evolves more and more this may eventually not be true. My hometown's only boxing gym is largely unknown to most but there are several martial arts academies that cater to the MMA crowd.

4. Lastly there is a generational issue. Young people regardless of their likes/dislikes about boxing will veiw it as their parent's combat sport and MMA, which is for all intents and purposes 20 years old in the U.S., their combat sport. I work with lots of 18-35 yr old males and very few could name 10 professional boxers but most regularly watch MMA.

[#1FightFan]

I'm american and I'm embarrassed by our fighters, minus a few!
I for one welcome great foreign fighters. they fight to win!!
matthyesse, kotelnik, maidana, pacman, donaire, froch, kessler, bute...all are great, and don't act like complete douchebag thugs like Judah, Gayweather, etc.

i just wish these guys would not get robbed by us Americans, like matthyesse, kotelnik & maidana did. it's BULLSHIT! and pisses me off, an American, bigtime!!

[Pavlik]

american kids play lots of strange games that take all day and are very unentertaining

baseball, american football

and the rest play dull none contact games like basketball

and then there are homosexual "sports" that dominate your tv watched by youngsters such as wrestling

you dont get such sports and games and such like entertainment in other countries

wrestling a homosexual sport, Brock Lesnar a by product of that male soap opera is the scariest man alive. It maybe fake but we can't deny the athleticism behind it. I wonder how many times we can bench press, Brock's warm up of 225 lbs.

[VictorCharlie]

Historically speaking the great American boxers have come from the ethnic/immigrant groups at the bottom of the socio-economic ladder. These communities have seen a large decline in the number of gyms available to them. The lack of gyms is a chicken or egg issue. Did the gyms decline due to a lack of interest in boxing or did the lack of interest in boxing happen due to the decline of gyms. Baseball has also had a decline in American minority participation due to the number of participants needed, equipment availability and lack of facilities. I'd be willing to make a hefty wager that just about every low-income housing area in the U.S. has some sort of basketball court hence inner city black kids simply need a ball and 2-10 guys to get a game going. This is pretty similar to my experience in third world countries where a group of barefoot children kick a makeshift ball around a dirt patch. As the quality of life has improved in the U.S. along with more athletic opportunities (regardless of the international interest in them) its not hard to see why someone would choose a sport that doesn't involve them being punched in the face. Barring another Tyson or SRL that grabs the collective U.S. interest and/or another influx of immigrants with a cultural history of boxing I think the current status of American boxing is here to stay.