Does The Heavyweight Division Have A Single American In It's Top 10?

[JimRaynor]

This is unheard of, heavyweight boxing has fallen off big time in the US. I don't think we have single top 10 guy. Maybe you can make a case for Michael Hunter, but a flimsy one at best.

1. Usyk
2. Fury
3. AJ
4. Parker
5. Dubois
6. Zhang
7. Bakole
8. Kabayel
9. Hergovic
10. Chisora

[The Big Dunn]

IMO maybe given one could argue Miller over Chisora. Otherwise no.

[Dr. Z]

No. It is bare at cruiser weight too.

[MulaKO]

IMO maybe given one could argue Miller over Chisora. Otherwise no.

Not after his big win

[Willow The Wisp]

In the US, there are more good, well paying jobs than there are people to fill them, and all the would-be Pro Fighters are working full-time doing safer and more reliable jobs, buying homes, land, new cars, boats, motorcycles, taking trips and saving for their future. Anyone who isn't doing that in America chooses not to.

But it IS an amazing thing to witness!

Nobody wants to get punched in the face anymore in the US to make their living.

Top 10 American Heavyweight Boxers:
(Each given a rank of 1 to 100)

1974
1. Muhammad Ali. 96
2. George Foreman. 94
3. Joe Frazier. 91
4. Ken Norton. 90
5. Jimmy Young. 89
6. Ron Lyle. 88
7. Earnie Shavers. 86
8. Duane Bobick. 80
9. Jerry Quarry. 79
10.Chuck Wepner. 76


2024
1. Jarrell Miller. 82
2. Andy Ruiz. 82
3. Deontay Wilder. 81. (Aged out)
4. Michael Hunter. 77
5. Richard Torrez. 74
6. Jared Anderson. 71
7. Jonathan Guidry. 68
8. Jermain Franklin. 65
9. Stephan Shaw. 63
10.Cassius Chaney. 61

[TMLT87]

In the US, there are more good, well paying jobs than there are people to fill them, and all the would-be Pro Fighters are working full-time doing safer and more reliable jobs, buying homes, land, new cars, boats, motorcycles, taking trips and saving for their future. Anyone who isn't doing that in America chooses not to.

But it IS an amazing thing to witness!

Nobody wants to get punched in the face anymore in the US to make their living.

Top 10 American Heavyweight Boxers:
(Each given a rank of 1 to 100)

1974
1. Muhammad Ali. 96
2. George Foreman. 94
3. Joe Frazier. 91
4. Ken Norton. 90
5. Jimmy Young. 89
6. Ron Lyle. 88
7. Earnie Shavers. 86
8. Duane Bobick. 80
9. Jerry Quarry. 79
10.Chuck Wepner. 76


2024
1. Jarrell Miller. 82
2. Andy Ruiz. 82
3. Deontay Wilder. 81. (Aged out)
4. Michael Hunter. 77
5. Richard Torrez. 74
6. Jared Anderson. 71
7. Jonathan Guidry. 68
8. Jermain Franklin. 65
9. Stephan Shaw. 63
10.Cassius Chaney. 61

Americans always have to come up with these kinds of excuses and rationalisations when they start falling behind in something lol. Its a peculiar psychological phenomenon. In reality its probably more just that the sport became more globalized meaning more channels opened up for international talent to come through and get noticed on the big stage. The fall of the iron curtain opening the floodgates for some of the biggest hotbeds for combat sports talent most likely played a big part too.

We've seen the exact same thing happen at an accelerated pace with the UFC as well. It was only as recent as the 00s that it was viewed as American as apple pie. Almost every title fight and/or main event involved an American, often both fighters were, mainly because like 80% of the roster was American. You even used to hear people claiming Americas grasp on boxing was slipping due to American interest shifting towards MMA. Then the UFC started expanding internationally around the early 2010s, now Americans have less success in MMA than they do in boxing and BKFC has come along to be the next "American" thing.

[Smash]

most young guys tend not to be married

[PBR Streetgang]

Simple answer is no and I don't anticipate that changing anytime soon.

While that may matter to some, as an American, it hasn't diminished my enjoyment in the division whatsoever. It may matter to some but I am more interested in the fighter, not his race, nationality, promoter, etc.

[MulaKO]

In the US, there are more good, well paying jobs than there are people to fill them, and all the would-be Pro Fighters are working full-time doing safer and more reliable jobs, buying homes, land, new cars, boats, motorcycles, taking trips and saving for their future. Anyone who isn't doing that in America chooses not to.

But it IS an amazing thing to witness!

Nobody wants to get punched in the face anymore in the US to make their living.

Top 10 American Heavyweight Boxers:
(Each given a rank of 1 to 100)

1974
1. Muhammad Ali. 96
2. George Foreman. 94
3. Joe Frazier. 91
4. Ken Norton. 90
5. Jimmy Young. 89
6. Ron Lyle. 88
7. Earnie Shavers. 86
8. Duane Bobick. 80
9. Jerry Quarry. 79
10.Chuck Wepner. 76


2024
1. Jarrell Miller. 82
2. Andy Ruiz. 82
3. Deontay Wilder. 81. (Aged out)
4. Michael Hunter. 77
5. Richard Torrez. 74
6. Jared Anderson. 71
7. Jonathan Guidry. 68
8. Jermain Franklin. 65
9. Stephan Shaw. 63
10.Cassius Chaney. 61

Great post and very accurate

[Willow The Wisp]

Americans always have to come up with these kinds of excuses and rationalisations when they start falling behind in something lol. Its a peculiar psychological phenomenon. In reality its probably more just that the sport became more globalized meaning more channels opened up for international talent to come through and get noticed on the big stage. The fall of the iron curtain opening the floodgates for some of the biggest hotbeds for combat sports talent most likely played a big part too.

We've seen the exact same thing happen at an accelerated pace with the UFC as well. It was only as recent as the 00s that it was viewed as American as apple pie. Almost every title fight and/or main event involved an American, often both fighters were, mainly because like 80% of the roster was American. You even used to hear people claiming Americas grasp on boxing was slipping due to American interest shifting towards MMA. Then the UFC started expanding internationally around the early 2010s, now Americans have less success in MMA than they do in boxing and BKFC has come along to be the next "American" thing.

Excuses? Really?
"....excuses and rationalisations when they start falling behind in something lol. Its a peculiar psychological phenomenon. In reality its probably more just that the sport became more globalized meaning more channels opened up for international talent to come through and get noticed on the big stage".

If this were the case, or even a significant contribution to the disappearance of Americans from the heavyweight rankings, then there would, with that, have to be an assertion that qualitatively, Wladimir Klitschko, Vitali Klitschko, Oleksandr Usyk, Andrew Golota, Alexander Povetkin, Ruslan Chagaev, Kubrat Pulev, Sultan Ibragimov, Nikolai Valuev, Oleg Maskaev, Alexander Ustinov, Alexander Zolkin, Arslanbek Makhmudov, Filip Hrgovic, Albert Sosnowski, Zhan Kossobutskiy and Tomasz Adamek; were actually a better crop of Heavyweights than Muhammad Ali, Gerorge Foreman, Larry Holmes, Mike Tyson, Joe Frazier, Ron Lyle, Earnie Shavers, Evander Holyfield, Deontay Wilder, Rid**** Bowe, Jerry Quarry, Jimmy Ellis, Sonny Liston, Floyd Patterson, Cleveland Williams, Zora Folley, Eddie Machen and Andy Ruiz.
Is that REALLY a place you want to go?

Honestly, I like my "Jobs for everyone" theory a whole lot better.

Boxing, of course has been globalized since 1733, the Bob Whitaker - Tito Alberto di Carni fight. Your ref to Warsaw pact nations barring citizens from participating in professional sport between; most notably 1922 to 1991, falling away with the Soviet Union, has certainly had a massive impact on the boxing demographic; but served (And this is the part to remember) to Replace fighters hailing from more prosperous nations, as opposed to pushing those nations out.
Very different things!