American heavyweights...

They are but people like Tor Hamer and others are taking it slow too. The guys you mentioned are more experienced though I don't think any have the potential that Wilder has.

 

Yeah. Something like that. :roll: How are you so sure?

 

My theory about the decline of the American heavyweight is as follows...

The American heavyweight, a lot like the American people in general, have become quite lazy. Just look at the obesity rates in the United States. They're appalling to say the least.
At one time, the American heavyweight was hungry. They, like a lot of poverty stricken people looked at boxing as a way out. Back then, heavyweights were 220 lbs. Now, look at the bodies of American heavyweights. They look like their hunger has been taken care of, time and time again.

I personally think that the first, great, undisciplined, American heavyweight was Riddick Bowe. He admitted that he couldn't say no to food. "If there was a piece of cake over there calling my name, I went and got it." Bowe once said. At the same time, Lennox Lewis went from a 225 lb. heavyweight, to 245-250 lb. heavyweight. The difference being, Lewis looked good at that weight. No flab. He also performed well at his heavier weight. Of course, Lewis isn't American, but I think a lot of American heavyweights used him as an excuse to be "bigger". Well boys, bigger doesn't always mean better and it surely doesn't mean fatter.

It isn't just the Americans who are chubby, but I think they might have started it. Look at David Tua and Danny Williams. They are two guys with talent who just gained too much weight. It is really sad that most heavyweights these days don't have the discipline to stop eating. It's crazy that a lot of these guys do train they just won't stop filling their expanding bellies. It's as if one day all of the heavyweights called each other and said "hey, let's just come in around 260 from now on" and it just stuck.

It seems to me that the most disciplined heavyweights of today are the Eastern Europeans. Have you ever seen a Klitschko come in even a little flabby? No, you haven't. How about Ruslan Chagaev or Alexander Povetkin? Again, the answer is no. They have what it takes to come to their fights in shape, both physically and mentally. It is really quite impressive.

I would like to say that I am, in no way, bashing Americans. I am one. I just call it like I see it and the way I see it, American heavyweights are now the world champions of Little Debbie. It's sad, but it's so true.

 

Hey, OBCboxer, I'm not responding to your question, just curiuos what part of Florida you are in? OBC? Orlando? Just wondering. I am a Panama City guy, but currently live on the outskirts.

 

Um no.


Anyways, after watching 200lb Romanov KO Wilder, his lack of coordination, and late start i take any improvements he may make with a grain of salt. He might be able to get around the top 10-15 but i don't see him ever beating guys inside there. Gatekeeper at best, a Mccline type fighter.

 

Actually, kids are working harder at ever at school. Really, you should come into the 21st century,:hi: pops.

 

You missed the point entirely. You want to know what it is. Really, it's pretty simple. It's not that fighters eat too much or they are simply too lazy...It's that there's too much downtime in between fights!!! TV revenues means that the top fighters only have to fight 3-4 times a years. That means they can often take off up to 2 months between traning camps. Do you think fighters in teh 50-80's had that luxury. No. They had to fight and train 8-9 months of the year compared with just 6. That's the difference. Old time fighters simply didn't have the time to get out of shape and when they did, which they did...Watch Raging Bull, they had to work it off right quick.

 

I agree with you that the downtime between fights has a big affect, but laziness and overeating are definitely on the table here. Some fighters of today actually train in between fights. While Vitali Klitschko was out all that time, he stayed in shape, as much as his body would allow. He isn't the only one either. James Toney and Chris Arreola on the other hand, eat before, during and after their fights.

 

He was drained as hell to get to 200 though, and his defense sucked as well (and still is very leaky). One would expect his beard to improve now that he doesn't need to dehydrate, and one would expect he'll get his flush less now that he's actually training properly. We'll see though. It's not like I'm seeing all these other foreign heavyweights who are that much more promising. Everyone has their flaws.

 

Deontay Wilder is the real future of the American Heavyweights. But going back to why the division is a shithole now, its a combination, first Light Heavyweights and Cruiserweights type guys are now just not training as hard and instead move up to Heavyweight. Chris Arreola should probably be under 200 lbs, Same goes for Eddie Chambers.

Secondly, less young men are becoming boxers. There are less boxing gyms today than there were 20-30 years ago, so there isn't a place for a lot of young men to go to box. this is also tied to now that many of these young guys that might make excellent boxers are now playing football and basketball at the collegiate levels instead of boxing in the amateurs. Imagine LeBron James as an Olympic Boxer the man is 6-7 and pure muscle he would give people hell, but instead he has a ball in his hands instead of gloves and we get to see him drop 45 at Madison Square instead of drop guys at Madison Square Gardens.

So in Short< THIS IS FOR YOU THAT DON"T WANT TO READ> The Reason heavyweights aren't as glamorous as before is because most of the good athletes are now playing basketball or football, and those boxers that remain are just fatasses that don't want to shed down to Cruiser or Light Heavy.

 

Because the Amateurs have everything to do with a fighter's success in the pros. :roll:

 

Ormond-By-The-Sea or as everyone calls it OBC.

 

Ill admit the main culprit is the US but let's not pretend the Eastern Euros are Gods here. The whole division is filled with flabby fighters who have no dedication and they come from all parts of the world.