When did all the best American heavyweights start playing in the NFL?

[Superflo777]

Stop making excuse the real problem is Black men can't compete with Big strong White European men. Back in the day these men wern't allowed to box professionally. Even though the Klitschkos are boring I can't see a 205 pound Fraizer or a 215 pound Ali compete with the Klitschkos they would have been knock out.

Has nothing to do with skin color.

[4Corners]

To put it simply, because Boxing is dead in America.

The physically gifted athletes are not choosing to devote their lives to boxing, which is very high risk and very low reward sport, when there are more lucrative and safer sports, that can actually give them a life and a livelihood.

It's not dead, as evidence by the large number of PPV buys in America still. HW Boxing is dead in America, I'll give you that one for sure.

If another star in the making doesn't appear before Floyd and Manny retire though, It'll be interesting to see what happens to American Boxing fans.

[Paclan]

If you're 6'9 240 pounds and an amazing athlete,

and you have a choice between Football/basketball, which will give you a free ride in college and a multi million dollar pro, or average paying amatuer carreer.

And boxing, where you wont make any money whatsoever for at least a few years, and you have to get a job on the side just to stay alive, all while risking permanent brain damage

What would you choose?

[ИATAS]

If you're 6'9 240 pounds and an amazing athlete,

and you have a choice between Football/basketball, which will give you a free ride in college and a multi million dollar pro, or average paying amatuer carreer.

And boxing, where you wont make any money whatsoever for at least few years, and you have to get a job on the side just to stay alive

What's the smarter choice?

that's what it boils down to really. Much more of an incentive to go into football or basketball.

It should also be clear that most american heavyweights right now are ex-ball players. Maybe they suffered some kind of injury and while in rehab or whatever started boxing then made a serious go at it. Too late in the game though, gotta start early.

And as for the good american fighters in general, any weight class, seems like most of them come from boxing families. Boxing is kinda forced on them.

If more colleges offered scholarships for boxing you'd see a lot more american fighters. It's pretty rare but I think Mike Lee had a boxing scholarship at Notre Dame...but even he was a linebacker before he started boxing so I think football may have had something to do with it.

[WARQUEZ]

If you're 6'9 240 pounds and an amazing athlete,

and you have a choice between Football/basketball, which will give you a free ride in college and a multi million dollar pro, or average paying amatuer carreer.

And boxing, where you wont make any money whatsoever for at least a few years, and you have to get a job on the side just to stay alive, and if you win a title still be making 1/10 of what NBA/NFL players make,

What's the smarter choice?

The smarter choice is football if you wanna play it safe, but guess what? I don't like playing it safe, and as a boxing fan I realize the HW division is wide open right now and once the Klitschkos leave it's easy pickings and if that athlete has a personality he could be on an easy 1 way trip to being an American superstar making millions of dollars fighting guys like Hasim Rahman.

You gotta look at the bigger picture man. Sure the NFL is a safer choice, but the HW division right now is just BEGGING for a money maker.

[Uns]

Boxing is the hardest sport in the world.

No organisation that provides free physio or healthy food.
No team mates to train with.
No guarantee of being on TV.
It's not even that fun.
Getting hit hurts.
Getting cut hurts.
Taking shots to the body hurts.
Losing your vision hurts.
Running in the morning by yourself is boring and hard.
Breaking bones in your hand, ribs and face hurts.
Not everyone has a chin.
You can't have a bad night in boxing, where as team sports you can.
In boxing there is no season or league, or tournaments like tennis, you lose a few times and your career could be over. If you take a beating for 12 rounds, then you could be finished.

Boxing is not appealing and hurts, and the risk is too high.

Maybe there are some guys who can have boxed and been heavyweight champs, but even in the lower weights, America hasn't got that many as they did I believe.

[ИATAS]

The smarter choice is football if you wanna play it safe, but guess what? I don't like playing it safe, and as a boxing fan I realize the HW division is wide open right now and once the Klitschkos leave it's easy pickings and if that athlete has a personality he could be on an easy 1 way trip to being an American superstar making millions of dollars fighting guys like Hasim Rahman.

You gotta look at the bigger picture man. Sure the NFL is a safer choice, but the HW division right now is just BEGGING for a money maker.

tell that to the kids though. I'm sure no one is telling 8-10 year olds look kid, the heavyweight division is wide open!

I read some article recently about some millionaire trying to build up the heavyweight division, giving young kids an incentive to go into boxing. will be interesting to see how that turns out. We need more than one rich guy though

[4Corners]

The smarter choice is football if you wanna play it safe, but guess what? I don't like playing it safe, and as a boxing fan I realize the HW division is wide open right now and once the Klitschkos leave it's easy pickings and if that athlete has a personality he could be on an easy 1 way trip to being an American superstar making millions of dollars fighting guys like Hasim Rahman.

You gotta look at the bigger picture man. Sure the NFL is a safer choice, but the HW division right now is just BEGGING for a money maker.

There's younger up-and-coming HW's that I like really.

I don't like Seth Mitchell, don't see why everyone thinks he's going to be the next really good HW.

I like David Price from the UK, he looks pretty solid and heavy handed as f**k.

I like Bryant Jennings, he looks pretty good, the best American HW i think.

I liked Mike Perez and Deontay Wilder, but will they ever step up???? I'm not sure.

I liked Malik Scott a lot, but his injury and manager problems threw his career off. He's still only 31, and has a lot of skill, but he needs to step up and do so fast.

Kubrat Pulev looks pretty good as well.

[ИATAS]

There's younger up-and-coming HW's that I like really.

I don't like Seth Mitchell, don't see why everyone thinks he's going to be the next really good HW.

I like Bryant Jennings, he looks pretty good, the best American HW i think.

I liked Mike Perez and Deontay Wilder, but will they ever step up???? I'm not sure.

I liked Malik Scott a lot, but his injury and manager problems threw his career off. He's still only 31, and has a lot of skill, but he needs to step up and do so fast.

See, these guys are all ex-ball players too besides Malik Scott.

Mitchell - football till he was injured.

Bryant Jennings - played football & basketball from a little kid all through highschool.

Deontay Wilder - dreamed of playing in the NBA or the NFL his whole life, but gave up college football and basketball to care for his sick daughter (spina bifida).

None of these american's planned on being boxers, it just happened by pure chance.

[4Corners]

See, these guys are all ex-ball players too besides Malik Scott.

Mitchell - football till he was injured.

Bryant Jennings - played football & basketball from a little kid all through highschool.

Deontay Wilder - gave up college football and basketball to care for his daughter.

I'm not disputing that. There is a reason that since Lewis-Bowe-Holyfield era was done, the skill level of HW's has dropped significantly. Malik Scott, I remember being really excited about him. Than he had his injury and manager problems and it really threw his career off. He came back last February after 3 years and still looked quick and his skills looked the same. But he needs to step up and fast.