"The US is not doing as well in boxing because they're all in the NBA & NFL" - agree?

[{Pito}]

Actually they do make those type of guys and most of them play defense in the NFL or some top college program. You can tell me men like Ray Lewis, Patrick Willis, Brian Dawkins, Ed Reed and others don't take the mindset of I'm got knock your ***** loose if you come my way. That is what they love to do and just choose to do it in football instead of boxing.

Also this isn't only about the heavyweight division. If a lot of these dudes boxed from childhood up till now their body make ups would be completely different. Guys like D. Rose and small fast receivers would be fighting between 154-168 or 175. There a lot of guys in both the NBA and NFL who don't weigh 200+ lbs. A lot of them bulk up some to take the pounding that the sport puts on their bodies.

Football and boxing are two different sports no matter how tough and grueling football can be. Its not the same as someone throwing fists at you and I'm sure ray lewis and other guys with that "crush you" mentality would not translate to being good at fighting. So I can't agree with your post. One thing is tackling another is throwing the hands.

[jayjames616]

That's because boxing was hugely popular in America much more so than in Europe football had been by far the most popular sport in Europe for a long time.

It's more to do with other country's participating in boxing more hence narrowing the gap.

Like I said any nation can use the same excuse sorry it doesn't wash with me. All country's have lost potential boxers to other sports and will carry on doing so.

Soccer players and cyclists are not fighters I'm sorry. I'm sure some could be but few would be, let's use common sense here. Other countries can make the same excuse but its not the same. In a fight I guarantee you will take a American football player over a football aka soccer player any day with Sergio being the exception.

[ArtThouFurious?]

That's because boxing was hugely popular in America much more so than in Europe football had been by far the most popular sport in Europe for a long time.

It's more to do with other country's participating in boxing more hence narrowing the gap.

Like I said any nation can use the same explanation sorry it doesn't wash with me. All country's have lost potential boxers to other sports and will carry on doing so.

No. They can't. No other nation on earth has anywhere near the equivalent background or pedigree in the sport as the U.S., so such an argument from their vantage point would hold no weight.

My overall point went way over your head.

[bojangles1987]

During the golden era of American heavyweight boxing how many of those champions had frames like NBA players?

And yes other athletes from other sports can compare to the speed bad athleticism of basketball players.

How many of them had frames like the Klitschkos? That's not the point. The point is the athletes that play professional or even college basketball. The sport attracts ridiculous athletes, and if the NBA didn't exist a lot of them would at least be giving boxing a go as kids.

And there is no other sport on the planet that is filled with near seven foot monsters ripped to the bone, with speed, athleticism, footwork, reflexes, and unbelievable hand-eye coordination.

You can make this argument for other divisions as far as how many potential athletes soccer/football for everyone else has taken away. Go ahead, its a legitimate argument. Just like the NBA and NFL taking away what would be the best American heavyweights is.

[jayjames616]

Football and boxing are two different sports no matter how tough and grueling football can be. Its not the same as someone throwing fists at you and I'm sure ray lewis and other guys with that "crush you" mentality would not translate to being good at fighting. So I can't agree with your post. One thing is tackling another is throwing the hands.

You're not picking a soccer player to beat Ray Lewis in a fight plain and simple.

[{Pito}]

I'm not picking anybody what I'm saying is that other sports aren't taking our fighters. Its just that less people have the natural desire or inclination towards fighting regardless of money. That's what I'm saying. So other sports aren't taking fighters. Other sports are taking naturally coordinated athletes. That doesn't necessarily make them fighters. Understand?

[-Lowkey-]

Soccer players and cyclists are not fighters I'm sorry. I'm sure some could be but few would be, let's use common sense here. Other countries can make the same excuse but its not the same. In a fight I guarantee you will take a American football player over a football aka soccer player any day with Sergio being the exception.

Really lame excuses. Basketball is virtually a no contact sport and those guys are fighters? because people are claiming that's where the American HWs are.

Sure most football players will no make good boxers same as most basketball players Rugby players and American football players would not make good boxers.

Saying an American football player would beat a football player in a fight is irrelevant because American football players are generally much bigger and boxing has weight classes rugby players are of a more similar size.

[Furn]

Britain would dominate boxing but all the good athletes are track cyclists.

[tredh]

Football and boxing are two different sports no matter how tough and grueling football can be. Its not the same as someone throwing fists at you and I'm sure ray lewis and other guys with that "crush you" mentality would not translate to being good at fighting. So I can't agree with your post. One thing is tackling another is throwing the hands.

We can agree to disagree but a 260+lbs running at you full speed and then crashing into you to drive you into the ground says a whole and does a lot more damage than a fist. It has also been said in studies that certain hits on each play is the equivalent to being in a small car crash. So just can't agree with you either in the sense that they don't have the mentality for boxing. I never said anything about them being good boxers cause unless they do it we will never know. I just said that I feel they have the mentality to deal with boxing from a hit and get hit standpoint.

[-Lowkey-]

How many of them had frames like the Klitschkos? That's not the point. The point is the athletes that play professional or even college basketball. The sport attracts ridiculous athletes, and if the NBA didn't exist a lot of them would at least be giving boxing a go as kids.

And there is no other sport on the planet that is filled with near seven foot monsters ripped to the bone, with speed, athleticism, footwork, reflexes, and unbelievable hand-eye coordination.

You can make this argument for other divisions as far as how many potential athletes soccer/football for everyone else has taken away. Go ahead, its a legitimate argument. Just like the NBA and NFL taking away what would be the best American heavyweights is.

My point was why where these 7ft monsters not winning heavyweight titles when Americans where dominating the HW division did they all suddenly crawl out the woodwork when basketball became popular?