"Americans are playing other sports" is nonsense

What exactly is the point? China and India have about 40% of the world's population but produce no top boxers because they have no interest or tradition in the sport. The United States used to produce an almost endless supply of top boxers when boxing was very popular with the general population. As poster after poster has pointed out, that has changed. Boxing is now a fringe sport in the US. Now and then I would expect a fairly good American boxer to pop up, especially in the lower weights, but nothing like what there used to be.
The rise of Eastern European heavyweights is aided by the fact that competition from American heavyweights is not nearly what it would once have been.

 

How do you know Euro boxers wouldnt hyave always dominated had it not have ben for the curtain?

 

Did they dominate the Olympics?

I think one could make a good case that the Cubans have been more successful in the Olympics. Cuban competed as pros prior to Castro. How much has professional boxing been hurt by the withdrawal of the Cubans?

 

Basketball's great Micheal Jordan found out how mediocre he was in baseball.
Being a really great heavyweight champ doesn't neccessite abilities to excel with the same success in comparable sports, and vice versa..Jordan may not have the power, nor the handspeed to KO opponents. Also he may have been "chinny".His vertical leap was useless in a boxing ring.
Micheal Grant looked very athletic and he may have made a great power forward..we know what happened when he got tagged in the ring.
NFL, foot speed, also has little value in the ring.
Wilt thought about taking on Ali, he may have proved to be a slow pondering Valuev type, and easily outpointed..
Rocky Marciano, with limited skill, could never have played basketball or football.. but he was suited well for boxing.
Point: The NFL and NBA theories are over-rated. With the advent of the media, there may be a slight tilt in favor of the theories, but they are pretty much the same as in the previous generations. There may be a heavyweight champ hidden in the NBA/NFL(Ray Lewis, perhaps) roster, but that same champ may be working as a plumber, construction worker, or a meatpacker--as it has been in the past.. Most of the time, the athelete will end up in the sport that he excels in.IMO.

 

Olympics? Amatuer boxing? Audley Harrison dominated that! Where is he now?

 

That's right. If they couldn't even dominate the Olympics why should anyone assume they could have dominated the professionals? If they couldn't beat Pete Rademacher, why should I assume they could beat Sonny Liston?

 

People (kids) go where the easiest & biggest money is at for their talents. And this is discovered early while they are in school participating in the sports programs the school provides. So, its a lot easier for a kid to be playing, say Football all through elementary, middle school, high school; and if successful, having a lot of support from coaches, teachers, and eventually recruiters, including their parents to make it to the big leagues where its all rewarding $$$$. Nowadays, its different from the 80's in the sense that everyone's paycheck is published. We know what Alex Rodriguez is making, what Shaq is making, even players who aren't that big are making nice $$$. Before it wasn't like that, at least to that extent. And everyone wants to get there. Parents are also aware of this too, so they provide a more support to make sure their kids make it to the next level.

 

Joe Calzaghe?

 

Your Eastern Euro MW Champion is on the Russian swimming team.More money more support in swimming.

 

or playing Premier League football in England.

 

The REAL should be HW Champion of the World is currently dominating the World Strongest Man event's.

If he's the World strongest man surely that would translate to Boxing glory.

 

or on the tennis court......



your turn..

 

Nah, Valuev myust be strong as hell. But he is not a very good boxer plus, like 20 stone of muscle probly will not equate to good handspeed, plus he is short, like 5'11", aint he?

 

BUT HE'S THE WORLDS STRONGEST MAN!!!!

 

I would but it would be never ending.