What has happend to American heavyweights ?

[Pirao]

Are you guys seriously debating which country boxing is least popular in????? Come on, you're supposed to be supporting the sport, not bringing it down. You guys should want the American heavyweights to do well. Everyone loves a big, black, strong American to look up to.

Nope, I love my Klitschkos, thank you very much I want the american HWs to do well, though, the more top fighters we have, the better for us fans.

[Sweet Jesus]

Are you guys seriously debating which country boxing is least popular in????? Come on, you're supposed to be supporting the sport, not bringing it down. You guys should want the American heavyweights to do well. Everyone loves a big, black, strong American to look up to.

My argument is that despite boxing going from a top 2 sport in 1970 top a fringe top 10 sport in 2010, we are still kicking ass and taking names in most divisions.

[Danny Gunz]

How many cards happen a week in America? A lot more compared to the rest of the world.

You can chat all this **** about boxing being small in America, but we all know it's not. I bet you there are more gyms in New York then there is in the whole of England.

In philadelphia where for a while was considered the biggest boxing city in america there is shockingly low amount of boxing gyms and very little interest in boxing.

I would go as far to say that less then 3% of the American population has interest in boxing.

[D-MiZe]

My argument is that despite boxing going from a top 2 sport in 1970 top a fringe top 10 sport in 2010, we are still kicking ass and taking names in most divisions.

The discussion is about the heavyweight division and the reason why America is doing so well in the other divisions is that most of the European's that could've dominated those divisions, decided to play Football or Rugby instead.

[D-MiZe]

I would go as far to say that less then 3% of the American population has interest in boxing.

Which is still a lot more than European countries.

[Bhopreign]

Its just the moment in time. You could ask where where the dominant Euros heavys from the beginning of boxing until 2000, which is a far longer gap. If America has 300 million people with little interest in boxing and more towards more popular sports and Europe has 600 million people, then Europe should just based on population have more dominant heavys.

[Danny Gunz]

Its insane that people in here are dismissing the theory that the lack of American heavyweights is because of other major sports mainly football and basketball.

Lets think about it logically, are you guys trying to say the decrease in american heavyweights is in no way shape or form a result of the increase in popularity and mainstream media from football and basketball and the dramatic decrease in popularity in boxing.

The fact that if you are big and athletic at a young age basketball and football and baseball is being shoved down your throat in school while boxing is basically not even existent in the community these days has NOTHING to do with the decrease in american heavyweights.

We all saw how great mike tyson was, well guys that is the type of athlete that is playing football and basketball.

And just to clear things up this isnt just for america im sure australia would have many more hw if rugby wasnt so popular there.

[D-MiZe]

Just to think, Rooney could be an ATG Middleweight.

[Boxingwizard]

Its insane that people in here are dismissing the theory that the lack of American heavyweights is because of other major sports mainly football and basketball.

Lets think about it logically, are you guys trying to say the decrease in american heavyweights is in no way shape or form a result of the increase in popularity and mainstream media from football and basketball and the dramatic decrease in popularity in boxing.

The fact that if you are big and athletic at a young age basketball and football and baseball is being shoved down your throat in school while boxing is basically not even existent in the community these days has NOTHING to do with the decrease in american heavyweights.

We all saw how great mike tyson was, well guys that is the type of athlete that is playing football and basketball.

And just to clear things up this isnt just for america im sure australia would have many more hw if rugby wasnt so popular there.

That maybe true, I live in San Diego, and it's very difficult to find a cheap boxing gym in my area.

[βetamax]

You guys can laugh at the basketball and football excuse all you want but when someone ask where the heavyweights are, it's the truth.

Big kids get directed into these sports at an early age all the way through high school. The elite athletes then play collegiate and the elite of the elite continue to the pros. By the time their careers are done in these sports they are 18-22, generally too old to really become elite boxers. Plus boxing just isn't that popular and people aren't redirecting their interest into these sports. Though, you see that Deontay Wilder was able to pick up boxing and after his basketball and football career that ended after HS and become a bronze medalist within just a few years. Imagine if he had been boxing since a kid.

If you don't believe that boxing participation hasn't taken a huge hit, take a look at this little fact:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blackhistory2008/news/story?id=3261511

In the past 20 years, though, there has been a decrease in the number of boxing gyms in New York, going from a high of 150 in the five boroughs in the mid-1980s to about 50 today.

It's probably safe to assume this is representative of the rest of the nation as well.

For the record, I really don't care that much for the heavyweight division so don't take this as crying about there not being an American heavyweight. I'm just giving my thoughts on why there is a lack of good big men out of the US.