Top 20 heavyweights all time

[IronDanHamza]

Y'all keep saying that they make more money here when they're old and can't compete at the top level, when that makes my point.

This is where the money is.

Messi could I'm sure play at a top level in Mexico or Guatemala, but he's here because this is the market that will pay him the most.

America's the biggest market, so much so, that we can afford to pay top prices for guys who are way past their prime in a sport that 90% of Americans don't even like or care about.

There's America famous & there's everything else, which is a step down.

Our pop culture, music, movies, etc. . . rule the world.

No, that's actually the opposite of what you think it means. They don't make more money, they make less money.

Messi earned more money at Barcelona than he does in Miami. He only plays in Miami now because he can't compete at the top level, so like most former top players they go to America where the level is poor but they still get paid a decent amount. So you're just totally wrong on that one.

Sorry mate but no, the world is bigger than America and football is globally a much bigger sport than Boxing is and was in the 1980's when Tyson was #1. And even then, it's a retarded point from the jump, being famous has no relevance to whether someone used PED's or not.

[MikeyMike100]

Good list

[billeau2]

Messi is in the US because he is finished at world level at 37[tomorrow ]he is now on his pension plan. The same as Best,and Beckham,Pele did.
Tyson only fought in the Uk when he was past it and in need of $$$$

Ali's fight in Germany was a financial disaster.Ali bought $ 100, 000 worth of tickets and gave them to US servicemen.

Boxing wasn't and isn't huge in Africa the only reason Ali fought inZaire was because MoButu underwrote the purses to try and give a positive image to his reign of murder.




Gretsky ,Jordan,Johnson? Their names mean almost nothing in Europe.

1970's NYC I had found a stray dog that is forever a part of our family and was admonished "you want Poochie, you walk Poochie!" Not too bad when Central Park is your back yard... often I would venture into playing fields where a very nice Black man with a strange accent would be practicing. He seemed to like seeing a kid and his Brown dog, and he would say hello ask me about school. Then one day in my after school program we went to Ward's Island to see the New York Cosmo's soccar team practice where to my surprise I was greeted with a hearty hello from that same man... Apparently I had met the head coach, still a player also I believe, of the New York Cosmos who was Pele! And boy was I soaking it in having been recognized lol.

Pele was not only a great player, but apparently was very down to earth as well. Billy Martin of the New York Yankees was the same way.

[billeau2]

You mean in 1949 football was bigger than boxing? You might need some dates. By "objectively," and "always," I think I know what you mean, but please explain it anyway, if you do not mind.

European football... One simply has to look at all the countries in the world that play football. I know there might be different financial markets and that there are sports with a relatively small international appeal that generate incredible financial activity, sports like Sumo which generates mokoo bucks from betting and American Football, but, European football is in every continent and is huge.

[Willie Pep 229]

European football... One simply has to look at all the countries in the world that play football. I know there might be different financial markets and that there are sports with a relatively small international appeal that generate incredible financial activity, sports like Sumo which generates mokoo bucks from betting and American Football, but, European football is in every continent and is huge.

IMHO Association Rules Football (Soccer) was bound to sweep across the world.

1. It is the least demanding sport/game equipment wise. Just a round ball.

2. It can be played on any denoted size field, on multiple surfaces, with no demand for any form of measurement during play.

3. Any age or gender can play the game. Even 5/6 year old girls can play the game; both competitive and have fun. While top shelf athletes can play the game at a championship level.

4. Britain colonialized 1/3 of the civilized world and made the game ubiquitous in all its possessions. (See #1)

Soccer (Association Rules Football) didn't come into existence until the 1830s and was very British. Something the former American colonies were not interested in mimicking so its popularity lagged behind in the USA where they continued to play "ball down" (football) until 1880. At which point the USA invented the "scrimmage" and created its own game, yet another off-shoot of ball down, called American Football.

P.S. Also, American football IS NOT a mere mimic of Rugby, as commonly believed. Their similarities lie in the fact that they come from the same origin, "ball down." American Football has its own linear development

[Kid Cauliflower]

Unsure about 1949, probably shouldn’t have said always. I meant my lifetime; 1960 onward.

Bigger sport, more fans, more viewers, etc. Certainly in 1988 when Mike Tyson was active.

I’m not a fan of football, by the way.

Right on. Football took over American consciousness in the 1960s.

[QueensburyRules]

Right on. Football took over American consciousness in the 1960s.

- -But not soccer football. Only soft lad football

[The D3vil]

No, that's actually the opposite of what you think it means. They don't make more money, they make less money.

Messi earned more money at Barcelona than he does in Miami. He only plays in Miami now because he can't compete at the top level, so like most former top players they go to America where the level is poor but they still get paid a decent amount. So you're just totally wrong on that one.

Sorry mate but no, the world is bigger than America and football is globally a much bigger sport than Boxing is and was in the 1980's when Tyson was #1. And even then, it's a retarded point from the jump, being famous has no relevance to whether someone used PED's or not.

Really, is that why all of y'all movie stars break their backs to make it to Hollywood?

And all of your bands/singers break their backs to break in America?

Yeah, the world's bigger than America, sure.

But America's still a step above the rest of y'all, and y'alls best & brightest rushing here to try to make it proves it.

How many of our best & brightest are rushing to make it overseas?

Only in things we don't care about, like soccer

Hell, Floyd Mayweather became the best paid athlete in history from his sport without leaving Las Vegas for the last decade of his career.

[IronDanHamza]

Really, is that why all of y'all movie stars break their backs to make it to Hollywood?

And all of your bands/singers break their backs to break in America?

Yeah, the world's bigger than America, sure.

But America's still a step above the rest of y'all, and y'alls best & brightest rushing here to try to make it proves it.

How many of our best & brightest are rushing to make it overseas?

Only in things we don't care about, like soccer

Hell, Floyd Mayweather became the best paid athlete in history from his sport without leaving Las Vegas for the last decade of his career.

Ok but you just brushed over the fact that Messi got paid substantially more in Europe as opposed to America, meaning your entire point imploded on itself.

You say you don't care about Football, but it's the biggest sport in the world. So, there's that. And I don't like football myself but it is the biggest sport in the world. Most American sports are niche to America.

Ok, so your point on Mayweather, what are you going to tell me, that he didn't use PEDs either? Or there isn't a high chance he did? So that's again another terrible point you've tried to make there in regards to your position of "being famous means they can't have used PED's" in regards to Mike Tyson which is just a very strange and just flat out incorrect line of thinking (to put it loosely).

[Biledriver]

Ok but you just brushed over the fact that Messi got paid substantially more in Europe as opposed to America, meaning your entire point imploded on itself.

You say you don't care about Football, but it's the biggest sport in the world. So, there's that. And I don't like football myself but it is the biggest sport in the world. Most American sports are niche to America.

Ok, so your point on Mayweather, what are you going to tell me, that he didn't use PEDs either? Or there isn't a high chance he did? So that's again another terrible point you've tried to make there in regards to your position of "being famous means they can't have used PED's" in regards to Mike Tyson which is just a very strange and just flat out incorrect line of thinking (to put it loosely).

Americans only like sports nobody else plays, that way they can call themselves "world champion" without having to beat anyone from the rest of the world. That said, Association Football IS growing in the US. Americans will just have to get used to the fact that they'll just be one of many as far as producing talent in the sport. Nobody dominates in producing football talent: The top Euro leagues are filled with talent from all over the world. I'm American, btw.