Firstly I must state I am neither British nor American.
I see a lot of threads on this forum about how British boxing is a joke, has no real fighters etc. Rather than partake in the name calling, unverified general claims and insult slinging I've decided to study the list of current world champions and find out what nation is actually ahead in terms of championship belts.
Note: Many people have different opinions on the value of respective belts, but I am being subjective, I leave the discussion as to the worth of alphabet titles up to you.
Two things worth remembering.
Great Britain has a population of 57,100,000.
United States of America has a population of 303,833,000.
Current World Champions: USA
Heavyweight: none
Cruiserweight: none
Light Heavyweight: Tavoris Cloud IBF
Super Middle Weight: Andre Ward WBA
Middleweight: Kelly Pavlik WBC WBO The Ring
Junior Middleweight: Cory Spinks IBF
Welterweight: Shane Mosley WBA Andre Berto WBC
Junior Welterweight: Devon Alexander WBC Timothy Bradley WBO
Lightweight: none
Super featherweight: Robert Guerrero IBF
Featherweight: none
Super bantamweight: none
Bantamweight: none
Super flyweight: none
Flyweight: none
Light flyweight: none
Strawweight: none
Current World Champions Great Britain
Heavyweight: David Haye WBA
Cruiserweight: none
Light Heavyweight:none
Super Middle Weight: Carl Froch WBC
Middleweight: none
Junior Middleweight:
Welterweight: none
Junior Welterweight: Amir Khan WBA
Lightweight: none
Super featherweight: none
Featherweight: none
Super bantamweight: none
Bantamweight: none
Super flyweight: none
Flyweight: none
Light flyweight: none
Strawweight: none
USA Fighters: 9 Titles: 11
Great Britain Fighters: 3 Titles: 3
The last I updated this was 16 months ago and back then it was a lot closer: USA Fighters: 12 Titles: 16, GB Fighters: 5 Titles: 12
GB had fighters such as Calzaghe holding 4 belts and David Haye holding 3.
Please point out any mistakes or oversights I may have made
The USA should have 6 times as many champions based on population to draw level.
They do not have 18 world champions, so "British boxing sucks" is an invalid argument, both countries are good at boxing.
Well that wasn't the point of the thread, it was an impartial comparison between the two countries. When I originally made the thread there were a lot more U.K. champions than there are now and considering the population disparity this highlighted the success of U.K. boxing.
Yeah, it is like comparing the United Kingdom with Africa, or Asia; just completely futile. Or comparing Detroit or some other city with the UK.
In terms of size, the USA is a f**king continent! It's way bigger than Europe, for example.
I have to admit, though, the USA is still by far and away the greatest boxing nation on the planet.
Missed a lot of Geography class eh? :?!:
There is no comparrison, you cannot compare them because it's completley different scales.
Yeah, it is like comparing the United Kingdom with Africa, or Asia; just completely futile. Or comparing Detroit or some other city with the UK.
In terms of size, the USA is a f**king continent! It's way bigger than Europe, for example.
I have to admit, though, the USA is still by far and away the greatest boxing nation on the planet.
It is truly ludicrous to compare the UK to the USA. You could fit around two or three of my nation in your state of Montana. Your country is bigger than my continent!
Also, our population is no where near a sixth of the size of yours, even though our nation is ridiculously densely populated nowadays.
You Yanks win hands down.
You guys are redick if all you are going to debate is title holders. What about all the world class fighters America has but they don't have titles because other Americas have the belt. Look up and down 175, 147, or 140 there are guys that would be on top but they can't break through because it's controlled by Dawson, Mayweather/Shane, or Bradley. Secondly, the whole population debate is garbage in my book. Just because you have a high population does not mean you are going to have elite boxers(china v japan for instance). The best way to compare is head to head and when you have a world class fighter from the UK he usually loses to a world class fighter from America. I don't mean to offend my U.K. fans but facts are facts, you just can't compare the two nations.
recently the uk fighters have bean winning
calzaghe-jones/hopkins/lacy
hatton-malignaggi
haye-barret
khan-salita
froch-taylor/dirrell etc etc
I tend not to like White Brits, but I don't mind Joe Calzaghe.
Not many guys have been World Champion for well over a decade and retired undefeated. Also, for him to unify his division, then go and win a World title at Light-Heavyweight against the great Bernard Hopkins (long before Bernard destroyed Kelly Pavlik) is kinda impressive.
So what are you then? Apart from an obvious alt that is!
As a proud Brit who adores both Joe Calzaghe and Ricky Hatton, I would like to see Hatton win this one, but I cannot see it.
Pacquiao is too relentless and too quick for anyone, even Hatton.
I don't like Brits, so I'm not one to stick up for 'em, but this is bullshit.
Just because this old whore brings a lot of tourism into the United Kingdom means jack shit.
Also, what have her family ever done for America? They ain't never fought for us in Afghanistan. None of them have
I must admit that i enjoyed this speech from the woman tho.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IelUFNw1TI
A non-White, British friend of mine from England (he is biracial like David Haye) said that the anti-Black and anti-Asian racism in England is horrendous.
Apparently they have this thing called 'positive discrimination' whereby Asian Muslims are not allowed to even apply for certain top jobs.
It's disgusting.
Every day of his life Khan is probably attacked and racially abused so I don't blame him for leaving UK.
I tend not to like White Brits, but I don't mind Joe Calzaghe.
Not many guys have been World Champion for well over a decade and retired undefeated. Also, for him to unify his division, then go and win a World title at Light-Heavyweight against the great Bernard Hopkins (long before Bernard destroyed Kelly Pavlik) is kinda impressive.
huh? you do know those two fights happened the same year... I've always hated Calzaghe but then I grew to like him... And I always hoped he'd come back and whoop Carl Froch's ass... The only critisizm ive said about Calzaghe is that he never fought in America all those years he was champion... IMO if you're a champion then you havnt proved shit until you come and fight the american champs... Ane then he came and fought two 40 year old americans and called it a day... but Calzaghe wasnt young him self so i cant blame him i guess
Britain produces fighters just not elite or technically sound fighters.
Its to do with training techniques and physicy of British people, British people sacrifice technique and intelligence for endevour, tenacity whether its Football or Boxing.
Most British fighters have zero defence, fight with a lack of intelligence and are prominently aggressive fighters, even Calzaghe who is considered by many the best British fighter lacked defense and was all about offence/workrate.
I tend not to like White Brits, but I don't mind Joe Calzaghe.
Not many guys have been World Champion for well over a decade and retired undefeated. Also, for him to unify his division, then go and win a World title at Light-Heavyweight against the great Bernard Hopkins (long before Bernard destroyed Kelly Pavlik) is kinda impressive.
A lot has to do with training and opportunities.
The US has far better Gyms and trainers.
The US has a better history of boxing and maybe more poverty and ghetto's.
LOL
true though
Despite that, we still have great boxers. Froch, Haye, Khan, Hatton, Mitchell, DeGale, Brook and of course, MattHatt.
Let's not forget the US fighters are likely all on something, very unscrupulous lot they are, look at Carl Lewis, Marion Jones, Roy Jones, Shane Mosley. Fraud superstars.
British boxing sucks.
Undisputed champs in Lewis, Haye, Calzaghe in the last decade so s t f u.
we don't have the resources, exposure, money or gyms as they do in the US.
US population is 5 1/2 times that of the UK. The UK has a BETTER TITLE:PERSON RATIO meaning if we had a population the size of the USA, we'd have more champions and more belts :P..
bigot
Kevin Mitchell and Kell Brook could win titles this year.
Amir Khan will unify.
Haye will unify.
Froch will probably lose his strap.
Matthew Hatton will beat Floyd (LOL)
The American-British boxing rivalry is so artificial. It doesn't exist imo
IMO when we do have a good fighter, he can take on the Yanks, but not always win.