Comments Thread For: Quadtrine Hill – The Next Great Heavyweight?

[verybuff]

As a spectator, I think it is hard to understand the concept of being an elite athlete. Besides the necessary physical attributes it takes a certain degree of skill and dedication. A majority of the American athletes with the elite physical attributes are dedicated to other sports because of the popularity and the money. In this day and age, a number of elite athletes dedicate their time and energy (at a very early age) to other pursuits instead of boxing.

In the 60's and the 70's, pro sports didn't offer the type of money they offer now so you see a huge exodus of elite athletes choosing other sports instead of boxing. Athletes such as Mayweather, Mosely, and RJJ are elite athletes but they were directed toward boxing because of their fathers were boxers. They had the advantage of learning the skill and technique at an early age.

Agreed good post. You brought up three good points money, popularity, and exposure.I'll add another point which is risk. As soon as someone takes there first hard blow, they will know if boxing is for them or not. It is very different from taking a charge or a tackle. Also, losing a fight is much more damaging to one's ego and career than losing a game.

I also want to give another example of the exposure part. When I was growing up there was a few boxing gyms in my area. So after school me or the neighborhood kids were able to go and box there. Now I don't know of any boxing gyms remotely close to me, but there are plenty of baseball, football fields and basketball courts. So its easy to overlook boxing when you're not exposed to it.

[Pirao]

By the way, a lot of people seem to be under the impression that Eastern European guys have no other options than boxing. This is nonsense. The percentage of Eastern Europeans dreaming of becoming the next Klitschko is dawrfed by those wanting to become the next Shevchenko. I can't think of a single European country (besides maybe Lithuania or Estonia) where soccer isn't the number 1 sport.

What you say is true, but some haters don't let facts get in the way of their opinions

[Silencers]

Historically football players who have taken up boxing later in their lives don't work out.

[The_Demon]

look man, give credit where credits due.

enzo mac is a mediocre fighter, we all know that. but mormeck was a great win. i picked mormeck to knock him out so when haye knocked him out i was very impressed. u dont have to be very impressed but u cant dismiss him completely, haye went to the champions backyard, rose of the canvas to knock him out. very impressive.

if a white fighter rose of the canvas you would praise him for his heart. like u did calzaghe and probably wlad against peter.

and u still havent proved me wrong. i said haye got exposure bcuz of entertainment value and nationality, getting dropped by mormeck helped his entertainment value. and being english he gets major support since they want another HW champion, just like any english HW does white, black, brown or yellow.

haye gets so much exposure cuz the division is so weak, 15 years ago nobody would pay much notice to him if he turned HW with the same credentials. but the division is weak and looking for anyone to bring it to life. my only point is its has nothing to do with race.

kevin johnson doesnt get alot of hype, malik scott gets none whatsoever. cuz they are not action fighters. haye is, so is arreola and adamek so they all get exposure even though they are all of diffrent races.

u being racist i know the color of a fighters skin is the first thing u think about. but the rest of us arent like that, u need to get that thru your head.

we may not agree on some things Assassin but you are spot on here

why carnivore feels the need to bring race into it is strange,he obviously has a not so hidden agenda,and i think its sad people like him still exsist

boxing is full of enough bulls*it anyway without its so called 'fans' appreciating a fighter based on their skin colour,and not what they do in the ring

[The Hammer]

The whole NBA/NFL argument is crap and here is why -- the general level of american heavyweights did not change, outside of the few stars that american heavyweight scene had. How many great american heavies were there in the 90s outside of holyfield? Or how about 80s outside of Tyson? or 70s and Ali/Frazier/Foreman, which was an exception to a general trend. All these american guys that the aforementioned stars were beating up would be just where they were then today. It's all in perception.

Good post...

[cashdon]

He definitely looks the part and is saying the right things right now it is a just a question of skills. We all know a great body means nothing in boxing and in most cases being too muscular is actually detrimental in the ring. I like that he studies tape and knows the importance heavyweight fighters did have and the division's place or potential relevance to boxing. He knows that he has to become conditioned but also learn to pace himself. He is a bit old to be stsrting a boxing career so they feel the need to move him quickly into contender status. Hopefully he can pass the tests given to him along the way. I think it could only help the heavyweight division to have a viable American heavyweight in shape, with good skills and KO power because the heavyweight division is absolutely ****e right now.

[ShoulderRoll]

So you agree that if soccer weren't around, boxing would be dominated by Brazilians, Italians, Germans and French, right?

No, I don't agree. Those historically aren't big boxing nations unlike the US.

[Khmelnytsky]

10's
???

00's
no top fighters

Solid fighters
Byrd
Brewster
Rahman


90's
Top fighters
Holyfield
Bowe
Tyson

Solid fighters
McCall
Michael Moorer
Tommy Morrison
Ray Mercer
Larry Holmes
Foreman
Tony Tucker
80's
Top Fighters
Tyson
Holmes

Solid Fighters
Michael Dokes
Buster Douglas
Alex Stewart
Pinklon Thomas
Trevor Berbick
Mike Weaver
Tim Witherspoon
Carl Williams
James Smith
Tony Tucker

70's
Top Fighters
Ali
Foreman
Frazier
Norton

Solid Fighters
James Smith
Earnie Shavers
Ron Lyle
Jerry Quarry
Jimmy Ellis

60's
Top Fighters
Ali
Liston

Solid Fighter
Floyd Patterson
Jerry Quarry
Jimmy Ellis
Cleveland Williams
Ernie Terrell

50's
Marciano
Patterson
Ezzard Charles

Solid Fighters
Tommy Jackson
Jersey Joe Walcott

You're seriously trying to claim that the fighters in bold are a level above guys from this era? (All prime of course)

Povetkin Moorer
Chagaev Byrd
Ibragimov Ruddock
Haye Morrison
Lyakhovich Brewster
Golota Tucker. Hell, primes i'd like him vs Bowe.
Maskaev Rahman
Virchis McCall
Peter Mercer

And that the Klitschko's aren't in the same class as Bowe, Lewis, Holyfield? If you would favour those guys against either brother in fantasy h2h ok, but to claim that they're on another level is ridiculous imo.

[Pirao]

So what's this guy up to after he got KOed? The hype died quickly, didn't it?

[flat1985]

By the way, a lot of people seem to be under the impression that Eastern European guys have no other options than boxing. This is nonsense. The percentage of Eastern Europeans dreaming of becoming the next Klitschko is dawrfed by those wanting to become the next Shevchenko. I can't think of a single European country (besides maybe Lithuania or Estonia) where soccer isn't the number 1 sport.

Agree with this. Most children in europe want to be football players.