Why Are The US Heavweights So Poor Now?

[tezel8764]

It's the same thing here is Australia, you can play Rugby train for a couple of years to make over a million plus the lifestyle or train in obscurity for years in hope of a payday that may never come.

[champian]

cause they dont wanna work hard...either fat bitches...or very poorly skilled weight lifters...boxing takes training an hard work...seems like the only ones that take that semi seriously are the klits...

[Decker]

Originally Posted by chitownfightfan

Food stamps. Section 8 housing. Dope game.

Why would a kid risk getting his face pushed in during his teen yrs if he aint hungry to escape his circumstances.
America is a welfare state. Even the poorest of the poor have iphones and flat screens.

The team sports argument comes to mind, but that only solidifies the argument. Poor kids today got it too soft. The solid athletic kids with any hope are groom by HS coaches for football and basketball, sent to Catholic and Prep schools where they're essentially paid to play.

If there was money in amatuer boxing, and promoters started combing the sandlots looking for talent, there might be better american fighters.

The only good american fighters are too small for team sports.

Good one. I have posted similar economic reasons.

The poor-lower middle in the US are much better off/less "hungry" than people in similar circumstances in other countries.

There's not many w/the "eye of the tiger" in the US anymore. The "they're in the NBA/NFL" argument is lame.
1) there were big, athletic men in the NBA/NHL in the so called golden era of US HWs in the 70s. Why wasn't that reason brought up then?
Ans - b/c it was US fighters who were dominating the HW div
2) there are many 1000s of very athletic and big HW US men who will never make it in the NBA/NFL or other pro team sports. Where the hell are they?
Ans - not training to be a fighter

[bballchump11]

Originally Posted by Decker

Good one. I have posted similar economic reasons.

The poor-lower middle in the US are much better off/less "hungry" than people in similar circumstances in other countries.

There's not many w/the "eye of the tiger" in the US anymore. The "they're in the NBA/NFL" argument is lame.
1) there were big, athletic men in the NBA/NHL in the so called golden era of US HWs in the 70s. Why wasn't that reason brought up then?
Ans - b/c it was US fighters who were dominating the HW div
2) there are many 1000s of very athletic and big HW US men who will never make it in the NBA/NFL or other pro team sports. Where the hell are they?
Ans - not training to be a fighter

How come this crap didn't apply to the lower weight classes

[Decker]

Originally Posted by Absolutely!

That's always been the case until now. Suddenly seven foot freaks from the NBA and juiced up muscleheads are seen as potential heavyweight greats being cruelly ripped from our sport by the lure of big money contracts, allowing all the commies to have their fun. Jesus Christ.

Has anyone even seen Frazier try to do anything remotely athletic outside of boxing? Or Foreman?

Your posts have been spot on in this thread.

[bailey]

All the excuses come pooring out.
Just look at the match making
America have not had a dominant world champ for some years now and after looking at the current scene, I started looking at possible reasons.

Possibly Americas beat HW prospect at this time is Deontay Wilder who is 27-0 (27KOs). Looks impressive, but who has he fought? All the fighters below in far less fights have fought higher calibre opponents.
D Price who has only had 15 fights, is ranked way above Wilder and fought better competition and is fighting T Thompson next.
It makes me think its all to do with bad match making.

Now look at how much tougher the European HWs are matched on the way up

Tyson Fury in 20 fights has fought undefeated 16-0 Pajkic, undefeated 14-0 Chisora, undefeated 13-0 Nascimento, undefeated 12-0 Power and McDermott twice, Rogan and K Johnson

Derek Chisora in 17 fights has fought undefeated 14-0 Fury, undefeated 16-0 Helenius, D Williams and S Sexton twice, V Klitschko, D Haye and agreed to fight W Klitschko

Robert Helenius been away for a bit, but in his first 17 fights has fought L Brewster, A Levin, S Peter, S Liakhovich, D Chisora and undefeated 12-0 G Tony

Kubrat Pulev in 17 fights has fought 27-0 Ustinov, 32-1 Dimitrenko, Sprott, Vidoz, Guinn, in his 5th fight he was beating Skelton!!!

Could it be because of soft matching on the way up, why American HWs have tended to crumble when facing decent European opposition who seem to be matched alot tougher on the way up?

What do you think?

[Decker]

Originally Posted by bballchump11

How come this crap didn't apply to the lower weight classes

It's been answered above.
Why don't you give me your crap reasons

The lower wt classes have a pool of millions of top athletes to draw from.
Besides, if it wasn't for football (soccer to you), drawing away most top athletes from boxing in Europe and other non US areas - the US wouldn't be doing as well in the lower wt classes either

The above makes more sense than the "all the top US HWs are in the NBA/NFL" bs argument. You'd think there was less risk to become a HW fighter from Europe than in the US - like they fight with 30oz gloves or something in other parts of the world

[Vladimir23]

at the bitter butthurt Americans.

America isn't the only country on the planet that has other sports you excuse-making crybabies.

All of the ridiculously overrated American champs of the past should have asterisks next to their names because they were really only local champs, not world champs. They never competed against Eastern Europeans, Cubans, Africans, etc. in the pros.

Eastern Europeans are already taking over boxing. We're dominating the higher weight classes and will eventually take over the lower weight classes too. We're also dominating the amatuers. Most of those great amatuers will become great pros. This is just the beginning of the Eastern European domination.

The heavyweight division is better than it's ever been. There are more countries participating than ever before. The Klitschkos have dominated and cleaned out a global heavyweight division. All of the best heavyweights from America, Britain, Eastern Europe, Cuba, Africa, etc. have been defeated by the Klitschkos. The Klitschkos are the two greatest heavyweights of all time. They're real world champs, unlike those disgustingly overrated overhyped American frauds of the past.

Eastern European fighters are superior.

The Klitschkos would dominate any era.

[The Bane]

Originally Posted by KO KIDD

kinda agree minus them USA would have beltholders

No chance, Haye would destroy any USA heavyweight boxer. He would be the undisputed heavyweight champion if the Klitshkos were not around.

[Cableaddict]

Originally Posted by Vladimir23

at the bitter butthurt Americans.

America isn't the only country on the planet that has other sports you excuse-making crybabies.

Yeah, you're right. It must be something in the water.

Or genetics. Yeah, that's it. Americans are genetically inferior to Europeans. Oh wait .........

[bballchump11]

Originally Posted by Decker

It's been answered above.
Why don't you give me your crap reasons

The lower wt classes have a pool of millions of top athletes to draw from.
Besides, if it wasn't for football (soccer to you), drawing away most top athletes from boxing in Europe and other non US areas - the US wouldn't be doing as well in the lower wt classes either

The above makes more sense than the "all the top US HWs are in the NBA/NFL" bs argument. You'd think there was less risk to become a HW fighter from Europe than in the US - like they fight with 30oz gloves or something in other parts of the world

How many 5'8 147 soccer players are there out there to compete against Mayweather, Bradley, Garcia, Trout, or Broner?

Truth is, if you're a small but very athletic person, boxing is one of the few options you have.

[BadDog]

Originally Posted by The Bane

No chance, Haye would destroy any USA heavyweight boxer. He would be the undisputed heavyweight champion if the Klitshkos were not around.

Bullshit, he didn't prove he could beat the best. Wladimir outclassed him easily and he just ran from Valuev like a little girl.

[Rock0052]

Originally Posted by Scar

Far more money in other sports(mainly NFL) and less risk of death or serious injury.

The less risk of serious injury is a myth that the NFL does a masterful job of perpetuating. The injury rate for college and professional football players is insane, and they get the same amount of brain damage a boxer does.

The helmets and pads contrasted against gloves and a bare face create an illusion of safety that isn't there in reality. But, since parents still perceive the myth as the truth, they still gladly sign their kids up for football while being horrified at the prospect of them becoming a boxer.

[Absolutely!]

I find this wage earnings argument people keep bringing up quite ridiculous. How many top boxers of the past originally got into the sport because they thought it would be an excellent career choice for future financial stability? Fuck all would be my guess. Now how many first got into the sport because they came from broken homes, were bullied at school, wanted to escape a life of crime, grinding poverty etc?

Truth is, if you have the athletic or mental ability to make money in an easier fashion, then boxing's not going to be your first port of call. Not in the US, not anywhere. And call me cynical, but if you're in a position to be worrying about scholarships and pension plans then you probably don't have the mentality to be a top boxer in the first place.

[Absolutely!]

Originally Posted by bballchump11

How many 5'8 147 soccer players are there out there to compete against Mayweather, Bradley, Garcia, Trout, or Broner?

Um, shitloads. Messi, Walcott, Cole, Cleverly, Lennon, Defoe, Mata. I don't even follow the sport and I can name you that many off the top of my head.

Originally Posted by bballchump11

Truth is, if you're a small but very athletic person, boxing is one of the few options you have.

Yeah, in the US maybe.