The NFL/Boxing Theory have some real weight behind it.

[LA_2_Vegas]

Ya I changed my mind. This theory don't make sense at all.

Lennox Lewis would have domianted EMMITH Smith and Tom Brady.

Can you imagine Tom Brady taking a lennox upper cut?

Or Randy Moss taking a Lennox right hand?

Ya.. Nah

There are definitely some fighters we would come across in these leagues. I know it's a fun topic to think about because of the level of athlete the NFL, NBA and other sports are working with. If he argument was expanded to include ALL the people playing in football from Pop Warner to College then we're talking...that numbers in the millions.

Whatever theory we come up with as to what happened to the HW division has to also include other societal variables because they would play part in how many people participate in boxing. Factoring in access to a gym is probably a more important variable than anything else.

Saying HW boxing is missing out on all this talent because 2,000 men are playing in the NFL is ridiculous. There are like 70 million men in the US who are still in their primes as we speak. Boxing takes a special breed of person and it's always been a refuge for those who didn't have other outlets or paths like those who play football.

My example of the prison industrial complex was just to put into perspective the amount of people who, in a different time, instead of getting caught up as a causality in the war on drugs, might have wandered into a gym somewhere. It's not the main factor but how many times have we heard "it would have been prison or death if it wasn't for boxing." There may be an equal amount of people who just found a more secure path in life than boxing, it's the hardest sport of them all.

[Skittlez]

Actaully come to think of it.

Soccer takes away from the rest of the world. Especially South America and Europe.

Soccer is more popular than the NFL or the NBA from a world wide perspective and after doing some research it's quite shocking:


David Price:
Failed Footballer(soccer) player.. Too big. Got into boxing instead.

Sergio Martinez
Failed Soccer Player

Ricky Hatton
Failed Soccer Player

Amir Khan
Failed Soccer Player

Mikkel Kessler:
Failed Soccer Player




Just imagine how many potential Sergio Martinezes are now playing in the Premier League and La Liga?

At least dozens.

[Vadrigar.]

Actaully come to think of it.

Soccer takes away from the rest of the world. Especially South America and Europe.

Soccer is more popular than the NFL or the NBA from a world wide perspective and after doing some research it's quite shocking:


David Price:
Failed Footballer(soccer) player.. Too big. Got into boxing instead.

Sergio Martinez
Failed Soccer Player

Ricky Hatton
Failed Soccer Player

Amir Khan
Failed Soccer Player

Mikkel Kessler:
Failed Soccer Player




Just imagine how many potential Sergio Martinezes are now playing in the Premier League and La Liga?

At least dozens.

[SN!PER]

All the money is in football and basketball. Half of the Forbes' wealthiest athletes lists (for the entire world--all sports) is comprised of NBA or NFL players.

It's just that a lot more athletes would rather be earning higher salaries without getting punched in the face.

NFL and NBA are the most popular, no doubt. But I'm not saying they'd make great boxers. Some of them probably would.

[SN!PER]

But there is no single dominating factor for the decline of HWs.

It's just the ebb and flow of the sport.

In the 1980s, boxing was huge in the USA, in the 2000s, it became big in Europe. Next generation.. who knows?

[Skittlez]

There are at least 20 B Level fighters playing in the Premier League alone.

Out of those... at least 2-3 could have the potential to become ATG'S.

That's just the premier league.

Look at the La Liga- it's even more prelevant in terms of MiddleWeights. The La Liga is packed with Sergio Martinezes.

[Tom Cruise]

Pele Reid removed Vitali from concisicuness with one kick dude.

im not sure what your point is. Isnt this just further proof that you will have different levels of success in different sports?

edit: pele reids boxing career... http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?cat...&human_id=6570

so guy who knocked Vitali clean out in kickboxing had nowhere near the level of success in boxing as Vitali. What a surprise.

[thuggery]

Nope, not at all. American HWs just suck major ass.

Lebron would suck at boxing, so would Blake Griffin (glass chin)

[King_]

This "theory" has been debunked multiple times.

All American heavyweights are playing Football? Okay, all European and South American "lightweights" are playing soccer (which is not only a more lucrative sport then the NFL but Europe and Spith America SILL produces top fighters in the lower weigh classes)

..."but wait! Europe or South America never dominated lower weight classes!"

Okay, America dominated the HW division when a big percentage of European fighters weren't even allowed to compete.... Ironically once they were allowed to start competing in pro boxing, the HW American scene "died down" and again, ironically...all of the money that was available for American HWs to earn suddenly shifted towards the NFL/NBA and those became the big money sports....


See what I did there?


/thread

[Skittlez]

This "theory" has been debunked multiple times.

All American heavyweights are playing Football? Okay, all European and South American "lightweights" are playing soccer (which is not only a more lucrative sport then the NFL but Europe and Spith America SILL produces top fighters in the lower weigh classes)

..."but wait! Europe or South America never dominated lower weight classes!"

Okay, America dominated the HW division when a big percentage of European fighters weren't even allowed to compete.... Ironically once they were allowed to start competing in pro boxing, the HW American scene "died down" and again, ironically...all of the money that was available for American HWs to earn suddenly shifted towards the NFL/NBA and those became the big money sports....


See what I did there?


/thread

I'm going to counter this theory.
The theory that Europeans dominated Americans and that is the result of decline will only work

IF THERE WAS A TYSON OR HOLYFIELD OR BOWE OR FOREMAN to begin with.

Say.. someone looked like Tyson and went 35-0 with 35 Tyson like performances. Dominated all the local boys the way Tyson did THAN WENT ON TO GET DOMINATED BY Wladimir.

Than your theory is sound. .Guys like Mitchell, Jennings, don't even have the skill sets of Tyson or Holyfield. You can tell from a glance.


The theory that Europeans dominated Americans only work if there were ELITE American fighters or fighters who were PERCEIVED to be elite to begin with.