Why do you think there aren't any more GREAT Heavyweights like back then?

Because i know at least in America if you are a big guy with athletic talent you will be in basketball and football before you are in a boxing ring

HW's were smaller before. The new breed of HW's are all huge. They got boxing skills, but they're obviously slower, more susceptible to fatigue, and not as fun to watch. They can't all put on the kinda performances that make global stars. the majority of the top guys at heavyweight(klitschko brothers not included) are actually not very big. Think about it. Chambers looks like he could easily be Cruiserweight, and looked by far the best of his career weighing only 208lbs. Povetkin looks slightly chubby even at 220, if he lost a little weight he would naturally be at around 210. even Chagaev is pretty low 200s. he weighs around 225 in shape, and hes not exactly ripped. even the best Heavyweight prospect around(Denis Boytsov) is considered a pretty small heavyweight, and could make Cruiserweight if he felt like it. and all these guys are under 6'2, unless Im mistaken. I guess you could bring up Sam Peter or Valuev, but Valuev is losing to 46 year old Cruiserweights and Peter still got outboxed by a heavy Eddie Chambers, so... point is, outside the Klitschko bros, the top guys nowadays really aint that big. a lot of them are blown up Cruiserweights.

When I think of it, there is really no sport where there are dominant "big men" anymore. In boxing, the heavyweight division is one of the weakest. In basketball, there aren't anymore true centers anymore. In hockey, there's only Chara. In baseball there's some big home-run hitters but yea.

sounds logical. And yeah I do think the Klitchkos brothers are legit Heavyweights. Just sucks that they have no compeition.

The fighters are just to out of shape and big to put on a good show excluding the Klits. The heavyweight division even during its weak period of the 80's was able to produce some amazing fights like Dokes vs Holyfield, Snipes vs Berbick etc. If you want to see good heavyweight fights look at the cruiserweight division its produced some brilliant fights over the last few years.

Economics and prestige. All of the other major sports pay better than boxing and for the most part have greater national exposure. The most bum ass NFL, NBA cat makes 6 figures warming the bench. If you're an athlete, the only way you choose boxing over anything else is either: A: You grew up around it. B: You just happened to come across it, and fell in love with it. C: You weren't good enough to be a pro in another sport. cuz da salary cap in da nba n nfl has skyrocketed since da 90s.. true story. these kids nowadays make more jus bein on a team then boxing elites.. unlike da 90s where nba n nfl didnt pay like now, jordan even sed he was underpaid his first 5 seasons. thats why why da middle welter n light heavy weight divisions r loaded, no1s play ball at 147 or 154, but the american athletes 200 lbs and up are , think bout it

Why do you think there aren't any more GREAT Heavyweights like back then? Economics and prestige. All of the other major sports pay better than boxing and for the most part have greater national exposure. The most bum ass NFL, NBA cat makes 6 figures warming the bench. If you're an athlete, the only way you choose boxing over anything else is either: A: You grew up around it. B: You just happened to come across it, and fell in love with it. C: You weren't good enough to be a pro in another sport.

The Klitschko Brothers are GREAT Heavyweights. What they aren't though, is American. Which, if we are being honest, answers the original question; there are no great heavyweights because only Americans qualify and the current American batch could be better, shall we say. To be fair, they have also suffered somewhat from a lack of competition from great heavyweights. Although the only fight one has had against a great heavyweight (who, being Brit/Canadian rather than Eastern European, managed to somehow sneak past the entry requirements) was lost.

HW's were smaller before. The new breed of HW's are all huge. They got boxing skills, but they're obviously slower, more susceptible to fatigue, and not as fun to watch. They can't all put on the kinda performances that make global stars.