Would it even be a question that the US would still dominate the HW division

Well, you're kind of saying that if the US devoted all its' athletic resources solely to boxing they would completely dominate it and that may well be true. But that obviously would never happen and might apply to many other nations anyway. It's not like boxing is the #1 sport anywhere else either. In the UK it's what - #5, #6? If that. Regardless it's way more popular in the UK in proportion to its homegrown sports than in the US. Wilder had an interview recently where he admitted boxing is behind college sports in the US in popularity. Look at AJ, if this 6'6", 250 lbs guy grew up in the US I'd wager if he could have made it in US football over boxing he would have chosen that. The massive public praise AJ gets as boxer in the UK is something no boxer gets in the US anymore. That's reserved for the top NFL or NBA stars now.

He is only 18 so he could go into boxing right now if he wanted to. Nothing is stopping him from doing that except that he wants to be a basketball player and not a boxer. I doubt he would become a heavyweight boxing champion anyway. Boxing is very hard and a completely different sport. The great heavyweight champions in history have weighed between 180 and 240 pounds. Not a single great heavyweight in the history of the sport weighed anywhere near 280 pounds. It seems when boxers get too big they lose so much speed, skill, stamina and even the ability to take a punch that they lose to the best more normal sized heavyweights. If every pro basketball player had gone into boxing instead I doubt the USA would be any more dominate in heavyweight boxing than they are now and the same goes for pro football. It's just an excuse.

I'm just saying it's probably not a coincidence that the top US Heavyweight boxer right now is someone who just happened to be not good enough to make a career out of basketball and just ended becoming the best US HW boxer instead. If Deontay Wilder happened to be a little more skilled in bball he wouldn't even be boxing right now and he'd likely admit it. So imagine the really skilled/athletic guys US boxing has missed out on? Up until the mid to late 80's, the top HW boxers were indeed making more money than those in the NBA or certainly NFL. Talent always follows money. Well, you're kind of saying that if the US devoted all its' athletic resources solely to boxing they would completely dominate it and that may well be true. But that obviously would never happen and might apply to many other nations anyway. It's not like boxing is the #1 sport anywhere else either. In the UK it's what - #5, #6? If that.

I get what you are saying, but the athletes in both of the US's most popular sports are in relation to other sports on average very tall and big. Thus, the talent pool of potential heavyweight boxers in the US is reduced significantly, because if you are athletic, tall and big and you have to choose between football/basketball and boxing, you (and your parents) probably choose the former. Indeed. And the US has more oversized dudes on average cos it got better nutrition earlier than most other places. The only point I'm making is that there's no intrinsic biological superiority between people from the US and people from other places whether they're big or small. ie. it ain't really anything to brag about (not that I really understand anyone taking vicarious pride in anyone other than close friends or loved ones anyway, so maybe I ain't the best one to speak) - unless you're taking pride in the USs unmatched ability to feed it's citizens well (or at least plentifully). That is, after all, a more important achievement than anything that could ever happen between the ropes of a boxing ring. If any other country devoted sufficient resources to promote and advance the sport they would also have increased success... we need look no further than the examples of Ukraine and UK to see what a significant push at amateur level can produce down the line.

Ah. This old gem. Unless you're of the belief that Americans have somehow had their DNA spliced with that of aliens or otherwise tampered, then they're the exact same species as the rest of humanity, with all the same strengths and weaknesses. There's big dudes everywhere, man and the average size of people everywhere is increasing. The US may have the most illustrious boxing history and culture, but the same sized dude from anywhere given the same training and opportunities is gonna perform (on average) just as well. I get what you are saying, but the athletes in both of the US's most popular sports are in relation to other sports on average very tall and big. Thus, the talent pool of potential heavyweight boxers in the US is reduced significantly, because if you are athletic, tall and big and you have to choose between football/basketball and boxing, you (and your parents) probably choose the former.

If genetic freaks like 18 year old Zion Williams were pushed into going into boxing like he maybe would have a few generations ago? 6'7", 280 lbs, 45+ inch vert https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Do_SYPMXUAEN8zd.jpg:large Someone like Deontay Wilder is considered a freak athlete in boxing when that guy would have been lucky to make it on a division 3 college team as a baller. Ah. This old gem. Unless you're of the belief that Americans have somehow had their DNA spliced with that of aliens or otherwise tampered, then they're the exact same species as the rest of humanity, with all the same strengths and weaknesses. There's big dudes everywhere, man and the average size of people everywhere is increasing. The US may have the most illustrious boxing history and culture, but the same sized dude from anywhere given the same training and opportunities is gonna perform (on average) just as well.

Yes. The US would still dominate. If a lanky retard like Deontay can make it to the world level. Imagine if the millions of basketball players who are 6'6 and 220+ started boxing. Brits and Euro's can deny it all they want but its a fact. Lolx.... This is laughable.

Anyone who pushed Zion Williamson to boxing over basketball in any time period should be hanged Well said. That sort of athletic freak would be wasted fighting.

Oh look it's the 'we would be great, but... *insert sport* topic. Americans feeling insecure again?

There have been several genetic freaks like him who tried their hand at boxing and it didn't worked out well for any of them. And guys like that exist all over the world, btw, not just in the USA. There are huge rugby players who could pick that kid up, toss him over their shoulder and run the length of the pitch with him. I think the argument OP is trying to make is that if these guys took up boxing as kids instead of being pushed towards Basketball and Football. Of course the guys are going to be garbage when they leave college and take up boxing at 22. This is Dwight Howard at 19. I remember looking at those shoulders and thinking "jesus, if he got into boxing, he could kill someone with a jab!" http://cdn.gospelherald.com/data/images/full/17006/dwight-howard.jpg Yes He'd be garbage if he quit basketball today and took up boxing, but if he started boxing at the age he started basketball....well yeah...

It's a ridiculous thing to even suggest it. So what the guy is tall and big? he would just be the same size at the other HW champs today, so it'd still be down to whether he can box or not. There's plenty of 6'7 journeymen. Why just consider heavyweights? it's about as valid an argument as saying Roger Federer would be a great middleweight or Lionel Messi would be a great super featherweight, just because they're good at other sports and they might be the right size for that division. It could sound strange at first, but tennis has more common features with boxing, than basketball and chances of succeeding are higher for tennis players. For once - tennis is one-on-one combat, not a team sports (except doubles, which are very different all together). It is very important to prevail not only physically but also psychologically over your opponent in tennis. Tennis commentators even often use boxing terminology.

Not this again... look back at some of the best heavies, who would you have classed as a freak athlete out of any of them? Not a single one and look what a fat totally unathletic gypsy just did to the current freak athlete, he boxed his chops off after a 2 yr beer and coke binge.

The last thing this beautiful sport needs is more Deontay Wilders. 1 protected big mouthed poor skilled American Heavyweight is more than enough. He makes so much noise, well i say that, now Joshua is walking round with big contracts Wilders gone all quiet. But you sort of have a point, ive seen plenty of Basketball fights and it really does resemble a field of windmills.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Do_SYPMXUAEN8zd.jpg:large That man is strong enough to deflate a basketball with one hand. If he'd been raised in a boxing family from a young age, he could very well be ragdolling AJ and Wilder right about now.

I'm pretty sure basketball and football existed even when US dominated the heavyweights. It's more that Britain and Europe started producing good heavies and there are all the Eastern Europeans now that weren't allowed to fight professionally before under Communism. I'm sure Americans will keep using the "basketball!" argument from now until the end of time though. I'm just saying it's probably not a coincidence that the top US Heavyweight boxer right now is someone who just happened to be not good enough to make a career out of basketball and just ended becoming the best US HW boxer instead. If Deontay Wilder happened to be a little more skilled in bball he wouldn't even be boxing right now and he'd likely admit it. So imagine the really skilled/athletic guys US boxing has missed out on? Up until the mid to late 80's, the top HW boxers were indeed making more money than those in the NBA or certainly NFL. Talent always follows money.

are Basketball players? Soccer players are trained to dive and pretend to be hurt, to gain an advantage. Nothing to do with toughness. Americans like to use the excuse that their athletes are in other sports. Well so are every other countries who have more popular sports. I'm just busting your chops a bit, there are a few players I've wondered about. A guy like vinnie jones, if all his efforts went to the ring instead. Or Zlatan ibrahimovic, he seems pretty rangy and intense. I have very little soccer knowledge, I'm sure there's better examples. Like you said, every sport would take away from boxing and vice versa. It's been said the worlds greatest violinist has never picked up a violin, or the greatest marathon runner is sitting on his couch. We'll never know what some people could have achieved because they never gave it a shot. But like the op also pointed out, when you see a freak athlete it makes you wonder.

Imagine if all those soccer players were boxing. America wouldn't even be represented in the divisions below HW. Yeah, because soccer players are known for their ability to take a good hit and fight through it :boxing:

It's a ridiculous thing to even suggest it. So what the guy is tall and big? he would just be the same size at the other HW champs today, so it'd still be down to whether he can box or not. There's plenty of 6'7 journeymen. Why just consider heavyweights? it's about as valid an argument as saying Roger Federer would be a great middleweight or Lionel Messi would be a great super featherweight, just because they're good at other sports and they might be the right size for that division.

Yes. The US would still dominate. If a lanky retard like Deontay can make it to the world level. Imagine if the millions of basketball players who are 6'6 and 220+ started boxing. Brits and Euro's can deny it all they want but its a fact.

I'm pretty sure basketball and football existed even when US dominated the heavyweights. It's more that Britain and Europe started producing good heavies and there are all the Eastern Europeans now that weren't allowed to fight professionally before under Communism. I'm sure Americans will keep using the "basketball!" argument from now until the end of time though.Yes they will continue to use the basketball argument and the football argument as well. I am a USA boxing fan and I believe both arguments are BS. I don't think either pro basketball or pro football has ever cost the USA a single heavyweight champion or top contender. To be the best at any sport you have to be naturally good at it and then want badly to be the best and try your ass of to be the best. Those guys that ended up as great pro ball players had potential for their sport and that was what they wanted to be. If they had potential to be a great boxer and wanted to be one they would have pursued boxing instead. The heavyweight champion make a lot of money. Wilder, Fury and AJ are all very rich men.