How good is the average American heavyweight boxer ?

[WillieWild114]

Are the American heavyweights amongst the lowest in quality compared to the U.K. and other European countries ?

[Marchegiano]

Isn't the average US the journeymen for the most part?

[Fat_asian]

Most American hws are posted up in the paint or on the gridiron.

[Smash]

not great for many years unfortunately & US fans have had to put up with the klits running the division too which they hated for the most part then wilder came along and well hes good at KOing people

[boliodogs]

The average American boxer is about average but then so are the average boxers frm the UK and Europe. American boxers are always among the best and most of the time the best. Just because Fury and AJ are now considered the two best heavyweights in the world doesn't mean that England usually have the best heavyweights. Most of the past 100 years an American heavyweight has been the best and most of the top contenders have been Americans. Go back and see how many heavyweight champions have come from each country in the last 50 years and you will see the USA has had the most heavyweight champions by a huge amount and no other country even comes close. When it comes to heavyweights generally considered all time greats again America leads by a huge amount. Holyfield, Tyson, Dempsey, Tunney, Johnson, Louis, Marciano, Ali, Foreman and Holmes are usually considered all time greats. England has Lewis and that is it, Fury and AJ have not really established themselves as great but if you include them England is still way short of America. Russia has the K brothers and I can't think of any great heavyweights from any other countries.

[Ritz Kola]

For the most part, we grow up playing either football or basketball. More money less damage. THAT combined with the heavyweight division changing sizes over the decades into the giants we have today have diminished our reservoir of heavies.
Heavies use to be 175lbs... well that guy is a RB in the NFL with a $6 million contract.
Heavies today are 230/240lbs...well that guy is OL in the NFL making $2 million straight out of college.
The safety of other sports + the rising popularity of other sports + the generally easier path to millions of other sports have drawn away would be athletes hall across Boxing divisions but especially the heavies.
Let's just be honest. The overwhelming majority of the BIG TWO sports in America are mostly comprised of Black American athletes. Sports in our culture are a way to escape poverty/lower income that is very common for us to deal with... I don't wanna risk waiting till 30 years old to finally make $4 million in a fight and if I lose the fight that was it; when I can make $4 Ms straight out of college at 21 years old wearing padding- and it won't matter if I don't always win. Just a better "offer" Boxing can't match- the offer of stability and a lower ceiling to wealth. Crawford signed another deal with TR for that same reason- the guaranteed stability.
Soccer is a global sport. However, all over the world- I'll use Europe as an example, they have individual organized leagues where these players make millions. Then they come together for a huge global tournament by country. If boxing starts doing something similar the sport will gain ground again.

[touch_of_sleep]

Are the American heavyweights amongst the lowest in quality compared to the U.K. and other European countries ?

The UK is deep at heavyweight. I'd say Americans are about on par with everyone else. There aren't a lot of prospects on the way up though.

https://boxeoguide.com/search/boxer/225

Out of that bunch, only Jared Anderson has a real chance to make some noise at the top. I don't think Sonny Conto will emerge as a real contender. Michael Hunter is a contender, but he's too small to be a real factor. Cassius Chaney has the size but he's getting up in age and still hasn't fought anybody. Jermaine Franklin doesn't have it. Big Baby is probably the only other guy that could win meaningful fights beside Deontay and Andy Ruiz.

[touch_of_sleep]

For the most part, we grow up playing either football or basketball. More money less damage. THAT combined with the heavyweight division changing sizes over the decades into the giants we have today have diminished our reservoir of heavies.
Heavies use to be 175lbs... well that guy is a RB in the NFL with a $6 million contract.
Heavies today are 230/240lbs...well that guy is OL in the NFL making $2 million straight out of college.
The safety of other sports + the rising popularity of other sports + the generally easier path to millions of other sports have drawn away would be athletes hall across Boxing divisions but especially the heavies.
Let's just be honest. The overwhelming majority of the BIG TWO sports in America are mostly comprised of Black American athletes. Sports in our culture are a way to escape poverty/lower income that is very common for us to deal with... I don't wanna risk waiting till 30 years old to finally make $4 million in a fight and if I lose the fight that was it; when I can make $4 Ms straight out of college at 21 years old wearing padding- and it won't matter if I don't always win. Just a better "offer" Boxing can't match- the offer of stability and a lower ceiling to wealth. Crawford signed another deal with TR for that same reason- the guaranteed stability.
Soccer is a global sport. However, all over the world- I'll use Europe as an example, they have individual organized leagues where these players make millions. Then they come together for a huge global tournament by country. If boxing starts doing something similar the sport will gain ground again.

Indeed. Great post.

[techliam]

For the most part, we grow up playing either football or basketball. More money less damage. THAT combined with the heavyweight division changing sizes over the decades into the giants we have today have diminished our reservoir of heavies.
Heavies use to be 175lbs... well that guy is a RB in the NFL with a $6 million contract.
Heavies today are 230/240lbs...well that guy is OL in the NFL making $2 million straight out of college.
The safety of other sports + the rising popularity of other sports + the generally easier path to millions of other sports have drawn away would be athletes hall across Boxing divisions but especially the heavies.
Let's just be honest. The overwhelming majority of the BIG TWO sports in America are mostly comprised of Black American athletes. Sports in our culture are a way to escape poverty/lower income that is very common for us to deal with... I don't wanna risk waiting till 30 years old to finally make $4 million in a fight and if I lose the fight that was it; when I can make $4 Ms straight out of college at 21 years old wearing padding- and it won't matter if I don't always win. Just a better "offer" Boxing can't match- the offer of stability and a lower ceiling to wealth. Crawford signed another deal with TR for that same reason- the guaranteed stability.
Soccer is a global sport. However, all over the world- I'll use Europe as an example, they have individual organized leagues where these players make millions. Then they come together for a huge global tournament by country. If boxing starts doing something similar the sport will gain ground again.

I understand the logic of the argument, that boxing isn’t as attractive to the bigger guys in the US anymore

But what I don’t understand is the assumption that it only happens in the US. This happens almost everywhere. If you’re a bigger sportsman in the UK for example, boxing isn’t going to be the first sport to go to either

If anything, the US had the advantage of having that economic allure for decades that other countries didn’t have. Now the playing field is far more balanced globally

[touch_of_sleep]

But what I don’t understand is the assumption that it only happens in the US. This happens almost everywhere. If you’re a bigger sportsman in the UK for example, boxing isn’t going to be the first sport to go to either

What is? I'm American so please educate me.