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

[Luilun]

The USA hasn't had a HW champion is several years. And, most of the better HW up-and-comers (Price, Pulev, Glazkov, Fury, etc.) are from the UK or mainland Europe.

It has been said the reason for this is because they are all in the NBA and NFL.

This year, the US won no medals in the Olympic boxing any division from Light Fly (49kg) to Super Heavyweight (+200 kg).

Is this the reason: all the light flyweights, flyweights, bantamweights, lightweights, light welterweights, and welterweights are in the NBA or NFL?

Or is it because the rest of the world is catching up to the US in boxing?

The NBA and NFL have been around for over a century so your arguement dosn't hold water the reason is the Black man can't handle the Eastern European this type of White Dude is no softy like in the states. Ali would have been knock out by a Russian had they been allowed to fight pro back in the day so would Joe Louis. I don't see them competeing with big Russian men

[ArtThouFurious?]

The USA hasn't had a HW champion is several years. And, most of the better HW up-and-comers (Price, Pulev, Glazkov, Fury, etc.) are from the UK or mainland Europe.

It has been said the reason for this is because they are all in the NBA and NFL.

This year, the US won no medals in the Olympic boxing any division from Light Fly (49kg) to Super Heavyweight (+200 kg).

Is this the reason: all the light flyweights, flyweights, bantamweights, lightweights, light welterweights, and welterweights are in the NBA or NFL?

Or is it because the rest of the world is catching up to the US in boxing?

Pro and amateur/olympic boxing cannot be conflated, sir. 2 seperate sports with 2 seperate sets of rules.

Ever since the post 80's rule changes in olympic/amateur boxing, the U.S. has pretty much ****** balls in the Olympics. For the past 10-15 years we've had terrible showings, STILL to this day the U.S. largely runs the pro game.

No other country has more divisional #1 rated fighters/Lineal/RING champs than the U.S. No other country has more p4p rated fighters than the U.S.

Oh, and i would favor Eddie Chambers over every single one of the "strong up-and-coming" Heavys you pinpointed.

[ArtThouFurious?]

the soviet union was left out of our "golden era" of heavyweights so who knows

Not really.

The Soviet Union's best Heavyweights from the "golden era" were largely used as cannon fodder for our future greats (Frazier, Foreman, Lyle etc.) back when they were underdeveloped, pre-prime, adolescents in the Olympics/Amateurs.

And this was back when the Olympics had pro-style rules and NO headgear.

[ELHURACAN58]

Yeah americans act like their best athletes started going into the NBA and NFL in the 90's.

The fact is the rest of the world has caught up. Fighters are better prepared today.

[ArtThouFurious?]

The NBA and NFL have been around for over a century so your arguement dosn't hold water the reason is the Black man can't handle the Eastern European this type of White Dude is no softy like in the states. Ali would have been knock out by a Russian had they been allowed to fight pro back in the day so would Joe Louis. I don't see them competeing with big Russian men

The top players NBA/NFL prior to the 90's were paid a fraction of what the Heavyweight champ was making in the same time period.

Go look up what top NBA/NFL'ers made in the 70's like Julius Earving, Kareem-Abdul-Jabaar, Terry Bradshaw, Roger Staubach, OJ Simpson made compared to Ali.

They were paid peanuts. Not even close to 7-figure salaries, while Ali and other top contenders were making Millions a year.

Now today, it's flipped on it's head. The Heavyweight champ today makes a fraction of what NBA/NFL'ers make in this day and age.

In short, the game(s) were around, but not in the same capacity that they are in today.

The U.S.'s elite Heavyweight sized athletes no longer have any incentive to participate in boxing where there's so much better financial oppurtunities in the other 2 sports. Nor are they culturally steered towards boxing anymore, seeing as the sport no longer has the prestige and popularity in American society.

BTW, here are a few Ali conquests against Eastern Europe's best fighters from their time period. Enjoy.

[Sceptic]

Suprised so many disagree. They are literally thousands of +200 pound guys in college football and basketball. Not all of them will make the NBA and NFL but nearly all of them are not going near a boxing gym too.

[ChampBox@PR]

Imagine how bad ass the light flyweights division will be if we didn't lose all the great talent to them being horse jockeys.

[sdcluser]

The correct answer is that all the great "boxers" are trying to make it as rappers and spent years deciphering hint from Tupac's songs and lyrics. Blame it on Tupac. Word.

[DAN916]

theyre all too busy rolling around on mats

[El Gato Negro]

Got to love the US arrogance, you cant expect to dominate a division forever.