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

[Skittlez]

They may or may not be, but the heavyweight division has been **** long before the NBA even started taking over. Outside certain eras normally they get about three good heavyweights together and call it a wrap. There's no reason to start blaming the NBA and NFL for the poor state of the division when it's been like this on and off from the beginning. Even when HWs weighed 185lbs it was still pretty morbid. As this leading heavyweight contender who floored Joe Louis will tell you.

I think the main issue is the #1 and #2 of this era has never fought each other.

This distorts everything, because we actually don't know how many 'defenses' Wlad could have had if he fought Vitali. Maybe Wlad will have not 3 but 4-5 losses on his record.

Maybe Vitali would never have even stood a chance? Who knows.

[Skittlez]

As for the opening up of the Eastern Bloc.


That can be very very comparable to globalization of the NBA.

In fact the time lines are shockingly simmilar.

Look what happened to the NBA?

There are a LOT of international stars.. but there are also a lot of American stars and the American stars still mostly dominate the first tier.

For every Dirk and Manu- there's also a Lebron and Kobe.


I am 100% confident if the Klitschkos+Eastern Europe today had fought in the 90's era.. it will just be like the NBA now.. A LOT OF International stars.. but also a lot of American ones to mix in.


(Not to mention the Eastern Bloc was opened in the late 80's, they actually did have top fighters but was just cleaned out initially)

[croz]

As for the opening up of the Eastern Bloc.


That can be very very comparable to globalization of the NBA.

In fact the time lines are shockingly simmilar.

Look what happened to the NBA?

There are a LOT of international stars.. but there are also a lot of American stars and the American stars still mostly dominate the first tier.

For every Dirk and Manu- there's also a Lebron and Kobe.


I am 100% confident if the Klitschkos+Eastern Europe today had fought in the 90's era.. it will just be like the NBA now.. A LOT OF International stars.. but also a lot of American ones to mix in.


(Not to mention the Eastern Bloc was opened in the late 80's, they actually did have top fighters but was just cleaned out initially)

The difference is those foreign athletes play for American teams. If the US had to tune in to see their very best teams getting their asses kicked by the Ukraine every week it'd be a different story.

Aside from football (soccer) and boxing there aren't many notable US sports were they literally have to play against other countries.

[Skittlez]

The difference is those foreign athletes play for American teams. If the US had to tune in to see their very best teams getting their asses kicked by the Ukraine every week it'd be a different story.

Aside from football (soccer) and boxing there aren't many notable US sports were they literally have to play against other countries.

But how will these European fighters do in the 90's era?

Say combine all of them to the Lennox Lewis/Bruno/Golota team.

So it's Lennox, Wlad,Vitali, Golota, Bruno, Pulev, Price, Haye, Adamek, Fury etc

vs


Holyfield,Bowe,Tyson, Mercer, Morrison, Biggs,Tucker, Cooper, Moorer, Briggs, etc


Obviously the Europeans might very likely still end up on top (because of Lewis) but the playing field will be much much more even.


Now in this era.. there is no Holyfield, there is no Bowe, there isn't even a Tucker..


I'm just saying that the reason US isn't watching heavyweights is not because Europeans killed off all their best heavyweights...

it's because they don't have any good heavyweights to fight the Europeans.

[ShoulderRoll]

We play against other countries in basketball and in the Olympics. We are the most dominant in those activities.

[Skittlez]

We play against other countries in basketball and in the Olympics. We are the most dominant in those activities.

So explain what happen to the American heavyweights.

[ShoulderRoll]

So explain what happen to the American heavyweights.

It's already been explained. The NFL and NBA have stolen a whole generation of big men from boxing.

Not just the ones who make it into those leagues but also all the countless athletes who dedicate their time to it only to fail in the end.

[calamaro]

It's already been explained. The NFL and NBA have stolen a whole generation of big men from boxing.

Not just the ones who make it into those leagues but also all the countless athletes who dedicate their time to it only to fail in the end.

Why the NFL and NBA are an excuse for americans, but rugby, handball or the same NBA cant affect europe? I mean, lebron is for sure a physical stud, but Chaval, Lomu, Marc Gasol or Linas Kleiza could be crazy in a ring too.
Fact is not everybody can boxing, and it's more a mental strenght than a then adquired phisical gift in my mind.

[ShoulderRoll]

Why the NFL and NBA are an excuse for americans, but rugby, handball or the same NBA cant affect europe?

Because the USA dominated heavyweight boxing for 100 years or so. Then suddenly turned to crap for some reason.

Europe never had the same history of boxing dominance.

[croz]

We play against other countries in basketball and in the Olympics. We are the most dominant in those activities.

Americans follow the NBA mostly. Are you trying to count international games which are practically exhibition matches as playing against other countries? When you're playing games against countries that either don't give a **** about basketball or are new to the whole concept it hardly counts as playing international matches.

Most countries in the world tend to have a few other sports where they play against other countries. The fact that you're trying to include the Olympics as one such sport shows just how lacking America's international sports are.