The NFL/Boxing Theory have some real weight behind it.

[A.K.A]

Bo Jackson could have been an ATG,

[Weebler I]

Actaully come to think of it.

Soccer takes away from the rest of the world. Especially South America and Europe.

Soccer is more popular than the NFL or the NBA from a world wide perspective and after doing some research it's quite shocking:


David Price:
Failed Footballer(soccer) player.. Too big. Got into boxing instead.

Sergio Martinez
Failed Soccer Player

Ricky Hatton
Failed Soccer Player

Amir Khan
Failed Soccer Player

Mikkel Kessler:
Failed Soccer Player


Just imagine how many potential Sergio Martinezes are now playing in the Premier League and La Liga?

At least dozens.

Not sure if serious but Ricky Hatton is in fact a former 'soccer' player, not so much failed but rather, he gave it up in favour of boxing despite being on the books of Man City.

If you were going to draw the (pointless) analogy, rugby union and league would be better comparisons. Anthony Mundine was actually a professional rugby league player.

[Skittlez]

Not sure if serious but Ricky Hatton is in fact a former 'soccer' player, not so much failed but rather, he gave it up in favour of boxing despite being on the books of Man City.

If you were going to draw the (pointless) analogy, rugby union and league would be better comparisons. Anthony Mundine was actually a professional rugby league player.

Ya Hatton was a former footballer.

BUT Price was actually a failed footballer. They said he tripped over his own feet .

[HeroBando]

**** this theory, the numbers don't bear out. There are about 2000 players in the NFL, that is a drop n the bucket. Good luck finding these beloved HW jewels in a sample size that small, and that ****geneous. The fascination with this theory is based in racial bias.

You might find some guys from these leagues but keep the numbers in perspective. We all know boxing doesn't require strictly athleticism.

Things that have really robbed the HW division:

Prison industrial complex/ The war on drugs (350,000 men of all races in prison for drug related offenses)
Economic and social mobility & opportunity
Education

Yeah but it's not only these 2000, it's tens of thousands more that peak at the NCAA level. All of these guys have solid athleticism that'd be an asset in boxing if they started early enough. Still college ball is a much better career path for most of them.

[Skittlez]

Yeah but it's not only these 2000, it's tens of thousands more that peak at the NCAA level. All of these guys have solid athleticism that'd be an asset in boxing if they started early enough. Still college ball is a much better career path for most of them.

Good point there.

[gratz_the_king]

Yeah but it's not only these 2000, it's tens of thousands more that peak at the NCAA level. All of these guys have solid athleticism that'd be an asset in boxing if they started early enough. Still college ball is a much better career path for most of them.

whats so good about college ball?

[Skittlez]

It really does. I'm not saying that if the NFL guys boxed, they will be Lennox Lewises and Wladimir Klithscko's. I'm just saying that boxing really did lose multiple heavyweight champions to the NFL. Caliber wise? Who knows, but the theory is legit.

Look at some examples:

Seth Mitchell. Bryant Jennings. Detontay Wilder.



Dominic Breazzle will probably not go far, but the fact that he boxed for one year and made the Olympics team is still impressive. Imagine he started at a very young age instead?



Former Heavyweight champions in regards to American Football:


Lennox Lewis

"I played football when I was young, I ended up going with boxing"
Lewis was a first team stand out and was scouted by numerous colleges.
Riddick Bowe was a WR and his coach begged him to play football instead of box.
Ray Mercer played football leading up to Army.
Tony Tucker.
Tyrell Biggs.



Once again, I'm not saying that any top NFL player could have become the HW Champ, but it will be pure ignorance to deny the fact that

Robert Griffin 3 or Cam Newton would have made great prospects.

I agree and disagree.

Lennox Lewis would have become a top 5 ATG WR but he choose boxing.

I think the main factor that led to America's decline in heavyweight boxing is quite simply it is a weak era and HEAVYWEIGHT is no longer the flagship.

That plays a huge role.

Now guys like Pacquaio and Mayweather are the kings of boxing and guys like Canelo and Broner are coming up.

[HeroBando]

whats so good about college ball?

The guys are more athletic than most heavies. Esp Div 1 football, all these guys are specimens. However football is much less stamina intensive, but if they were steered to boxing early enough, who knows.

[slimshandy69]

There's no denying those facts... what grates on other nations though is the idea that this is only a problem in America. As if all us other countries are only boxing and not playing other sports... Undoubtedly if all nfl and nba players were boxers from a young age then im sure you'd have more heavyweight champions now, same as if all rugby league and union players had boxed, we would have many more champions from middleweight and up, if all our football (soccer) players had boxed we could have many more champions.

And yes the picture was changed drastically by the opening up of the Soviet Union. This is undeniable.

exactly, what about all of ENGLANDS RUGBY players, or Andy murray go into boxing etc etc.

Its a stupid arguement to amaerican declining at sport.

[Danny Gunz]

Just think if the Rock had gone into boxing rather than football or wrestling.

We would all be mere pawns in his plans for world domination.