The Reason Why There Are No Good American Heavyweights

[BrooklynBomber]

American culture was, and is, pussified.

Not sure wether it's good or bad, but it is definately bad for boxing.

[LondonRingRules]

NFL, NBA simple as that...

If you have the strength/speed/size/athleticism as a kid 99 times out of 100 you will pursue a career in football rather than boxing.

** Folks rationalize to explain the inexplicable.

NFL/NBA take a tiny fractional amount of the relevant male population. Obviously you ain't noticed American decline below heavy as well because you want a simple reason to explain to your buds.

Most football players and BB players ain't got a clue how to fight anyway.

History my dear, check it out. All disadvantaged groups in the US went through a phase where they provided some of the great fights and became some of the great names in boxing. Currently it's the East Euro/Latino era. Coming decades it may be Asian with something like a population approaching 3 billion Chinese and Indians who pay scarce attention to boxing.

Americans are fat and happy. Few grow up scrapping, and more importantly, few grow up in heavy jobs that develop core strength and character. How do you think a physically inferior older journeyman fighter like Baldy was able to flip the reverse switch in the fighter Kellerman called the best fighter ever, Judah?

All this gangsta stuff in the age demographic boxing draws from is about posing, not doing. Plenty of poor American youth, but what happened to them? Anyone can show up preening and flexing in the presser.

[Flawless 2]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/more/specials/fortunate50/2008/index.html

Anyone mention the money. Look at how many NBA players make it this list. NBA is more fun than Boxing and also you get less injuries as well. Kids would rather turn out like Michael Jordan than Ali or Tyson

[Flawless 2]

** Folks rationalize to explain the inexplicable.

NFL/NBA take a tiny fractional amount of the relevant male population. Obviously you ain't noticed American decline below heavy as well because you want a simple reason to explain to your buds.

Most football players and BB players ain't got a clue how to fight anyway.

.

The other amount that don't make NFL or NBA are usually small or not big and that athletic as NBA and NFL

[Bea5T]

9/10 times, you have to be in a top football college to persue a career in football. Many young black males dont have that opportunity. Where as in boxing, you can be straight from the street, and as long as you are a good boxer, who made it to the olympics, etc.. You can make it

but boxing requires training at a gym and fighting when you are about 8


you also need a good trainer that knows what to do

football and basketball are playground sports and school sports

and much more money

[P4P Opinion]

There is no simple answer, just as there very rarely is to problems like this, but I'd like to suggest the root of the problem lies at a few rich feet...

It can't just be that the NFL/NBA are taking all the large athletes, because America is failing to produce the same quality of talent in the smaller weight divisions as well. Obviously it isn't as bad further down the scales, but American boxing is still in decline. No doubt though that the NFL/NBA take a lot of the larger athletes and this is hurting American heavyweight boxing, but the wider issue is the decline in popularity of boxing generally which is bringing down the standard of American fighters at every weight.

The reason for this decline in popularity? I believe this one may be on the promoters. Promoters just aren't making as many exciting, risky mega fights anymore, preferring to milk their fighters first and only put together big fights when their guy has the obvious advantage.

There are far too many other reasons to add which have contributed, but I believe this may be the reason boxing has lost a lot of the 'casual' fans who made the sport as popular as it was. De La Hoya vs Pacquiao is a good fight for boxing, even if to the hardcore fan it seems farcical.

[Vasyl’s dad]

IMO the people who get invoved in are usually knuckleheads of from the street. They got problems and aggression and are usually alone. So boxing becomes an outlet as well as a sport. However, in football or basketball etc. it's a team sport. You have to depend on each other...yadda yadda yadda.

But someone from the street is usually out for themselves. How can they adapt to the idea of depending on one another?

I just think that they're aren't that many big ass "thugs" who would like to pursue boxing seriously. In America at least.

I disagree completely. There are people that come from the streets, but the majority are just regular guys who, for whatever reason, like to fight and are good at it.


And to the OP, that is the lamest excuse ever.

Football and basketball skills don't translate to boxing skills in any way, shape or form.

[insipiens]

LeBron was one of the best high school football players in ohio and he said himself that he didn't continue playing because he didn't like getting tackled, you really think someone like him would've had the attitude to be a great boxer

and a guy like Vince Carter has freakish athletic abilities yet during games he settles for fade aways from beyond the 3 because he's afraid of driving down the lane


don't get me wrong I'm sure there were some potential great boxers that were deterred from entering the sport and instead pursued other sports but there's a lot of of other great athletes that never had the heart to be pro fighters

This is it here. American sports fans believe too much in "athleticism," because basketball and football permit "athletes" to perform isolated tasks that require neither skill, diversity of motion or strategy, nor mental strength.

There is no reason to think anyone who plays in the NBA could cut it as a boxer. Did you not see the great Ron Artest look like a complete gaylord trying unsuccessfully to fight beer-swilling fans? This after cowering from Ben Wallace.

Why are there "no good American HWs?" Maybe because the rest of the world have simply improved their boxing?

[Vasyl’s dad]

It's like watching a bunch of And1 ballers play a bunch of scrony no bodies and the nobodies winning because htey play fundamental basketball and the other is trying to render Vince Carter.

This happens all the time. I used to play basketball at a park near my home everyday. One day, there was a game, Mexicans vs Blacks.

We whooped their asses because no one person on our team tried any fancy ****. Just basic screens and passing, stay in front of your man and help when needed.

Fundamentals win the majority of the time.

Ask the 2004 u.s. Olympic team.

[Vasyl’s dad]

I dont really care if you guys think im just making excuses cause it maybe be an excuse to you but really its just my opinion.

NFL and NBA completely dominate the sports world in USA not to mention NHL and MLB be very popular too boxing gets next to no media coverage unless you look for it, America is all about whats popular and whats the the big fad and i know its sad to say it but boxing for at least right now is not it.

10 years ago boxing had plenty of followers with big names like oscar, trinidad, and roy jones... look at all the other weight classes from 175 down there may not be a champion from USA but almost every weight class has a ranked contender from the USA. but all of a sudden when it gets to the big guys it just drops off.

Whether you guys just think I'm being way too bias or not i dont care cause in my mind im looking at this logically. But im not that smart so decide for yourselfs

You do realize that is one country out of hundreds right?