Is America too rich to produce a hungry HW?

[cupocity303]

It's pretty obvious that if you're not 6'3 or taller, you don't have a lot of options as far as professional sports are concerned.

A 6'7 athletic guy has options when young. A 5'7 guy? Not so much. At that height, he better be jumping as high as Spud Webb or forget about it. Even the vast majority of Tennis players are above 6ft tall.

Boxing is the only sport where your size doesn't matter. All sizes are welcome. And it's a sport with a chance (even if small) to make some real money. Thus the 5'7 guy living right next to a Boxing Gym will choose Boxing while the 6'7 guy will keep playing High School/College ball and hope he gets recruited.

[4Corners]

Naw. The United States still has plenty of low income places/neighborhoods and people from hard backgrounds. But if you're offered a scholarship to play basketball or football, versus a chance to turn pro in boxing....what are you going to take???

[Phantomas]

Not at all. Heavy lifting and over exerting yourself stunts growth in all capacities. Which is why kids aren't supposed to lift weights. The argument has zero proof or scientific merit. Sorry to burst your bubble. A kid who is well fed and nurtured and participates in athletics has a leg up on a kid who eats next to nothing and is overworked. One gets strong while the others body is malnourished.

Nobody says they would be faster or stronger, or bigger, tougher yes. Paleontologists can tell you right away what kind of life a person had by looking at their bones, lifetime hard workers always have thicker bones... as long as they didnīt starve too much of course.

Ps.- And that theory of weight lifting is not for kids is a thing of the past century.