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Maybe I'm wrong but boxing doesn't seem that big in Jamaica compared to the other Caribbean giants, Cuba and Puerto Rico... Just wondering why... because Jamaica clearly has a TON of athletic talent for such a small country... What about Jamaican culture doesn't lend itself to fostering a strong boxing culture compared to Cuba and Puerto Rico?
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When you are high as ****, do you wanna be in a ring getting punched in the face, or do you wanna chill out and play ebox ? -
I'm of Jamaican heritage and you have a valid point. There have been some Jamaican boxers of note :Trevor Berbick, Donavan Ruddock, Glenn Johnson, Mike McCallum and many black Brithish boxers of Jamaican lineage such as Lennox Lewis, Chris Eubank, Frank Bruno, Lloyd Honeyghan etc. Boxing, quite simply is just not an emphasized sport. As we all know track and field particularly the sprints is far and away the number 1 sport in JA. The successes of Bolt, Yohan Blake, Shelly Ann Frasier, Veronica C. Brown have further racheted up the island's interest in the sport. They are literally mining sprinting talent from all over the island. High schook track has similar clout to high school football here in football crazy states like PA, TX, FL CA etc. Also unlike Cuba and Puerto Rico JA is a British former colony so their cultural influences are different. I'd dare say that cricket is perhaps number 2 sport in the country although every Jamaican youth swears they can play soccer (well at least) lol.
As an addendum to the threadstarter's topic why does Cuba and Puerto Rico differ so much from other Larin countries where their two top sports are baseball & boxing whereas in other countries soccer/football is king?????Comment
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Boxing IS big in Jamaica there are many Gyms that have been around for a long time that champions have trained out of. The difference is IMO comes down to money, when your a third world country with poverty the competing values are; box for free or do something to make money. Making money almost always wins.
Furthermore the government doesn't do a good job of funding sports so you don't get an amateur base like you have in Cuba. Most Jamaicans who have boxed professionally usually get their start in countries like the US, UK and Canada.Comment
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Makes sense regarding Cuba as the government funds it...but what about Puerto Rico... seems Peurto Rico loves boxing more than Jamaica as a culture...Maybe a similar comparison can be made between the culture of boxing in the UK vs Mexico (i.e. the value of boxing in an English speaking country vs a Spanish speaking one)... Even in the U.S., boxing still seems more fringe... big boxers are loved but boxing doesn't seemed as ingrained into the soul of the people like in Mexico...
This is an interesting question. For instance, why isn't boxing bigger in say Colombia... a place with considerable athletic talent as well...As an addendum to the threadstarter's topic why does Cuba and Puerto Rico differ so much from other Larin countries where their two top sports are baseball & boxing whereas in other countries soccer/football is king?????
And let's not even mention Brazil... How many Brazilian boxers of note can you think of...and that's a huge country with a lot of wealth and athletic talent...but barely any boxing culture...only Judo/bjj/MMA.... how can those be big but in brazil's entire history, boxing never rises to a culturally prominent position... What "type" of fighting does a culture value and why?Comment
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Bolt would make Floyd fight like an amateur! Bolt so fast floyd will fight like clottey!Comment
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Because everybody is too high all the time to box effectively?Comment
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Because mon, they dont have a bobsled team!Comment
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