Is the USA out of the heavyweight business?

I disagree, there have always been a higher number of dojos then boxing gyms, but boxing is still the combat sport of choice for people thinking of making a living with fighting. That MMA champions make peanuts compared to boxing champions is also a good reason why many Americans will prefer boxing to MMA, and quite frankly, I think MMA will lose some luster with the public in the future.

As for American heavyweights, we have a few up-and-comers, though the best are still from Eastern Europe.

 

Yep, its out of business. Americans of all backgrounds, as a whole, have given up on making a life for themselves between the boxing ropes. Its not like people in high school can make the boxing team. Most colleges have no boxing team, so you can forget about building your skills in boxing to get a college scholarship.

No gyms in the suburbs, no gyms in the country. Less and less gyms in the city. So called Martial Arts schools are in every strip mall, but if little kids want to put on boxing gloves they are discouraged.

Boxing isn't watched by the majority of the population. Fewer fans and fewer
opportunities equal fewer fighters.

Look at Cuba, hell, look at Youngstown or Phily. You have these small populations come up with a huge percentage of fighters. You have to have the trainers, the environment, the opportunity, a kid can have all the desire in the world, no gym to train at, no encouragement, and they will have to move on to something else.

Got to give the former USSR credit. They have a powerful and well organized amatuer system that translates into creating good fighters who are then able to now turn pro. If the Povetkins/Klitschkos/Ibragimovs of the world had grown up in Texas they probably would not be fighters.

Its a good thing to, because if they weren't around, we would probably be watching Larry Donald vs. John Ruiz for some belt.

 

You make some points.

And the announcers would be telling us that these are two of the baddest men in the world :roll:
and worse, most US fans would believe it :blood

 

The Russians might not seen like superstars to us here in the U.S. but the are all major superstars in europe. Especially Wlad

 

Right. The reason heavyweight boxing in America is currently so bare is cause all the potential participants are seeking big money in other sports.

 

Are they?

I bet that in my country only very few casual sportfans knows who the Klits are.

 

Boxing should just drop the division all together. It add nothing to boxing.

 

Boxing has a lot of competitive disadvantages relative to other sports in the U.S.

All of the best fights are on either PPV or HBO and Showtime. The masses aren't able to watch the best athletes of the sport. This is a sharp contrast with the NFL, which you can watch without even cable television. The NFL also invests a lot of money in promoting the sport of football, as well as the league's image. Football (American) also gives a lot of people their contact sport "fix", so to speak.

It's unforunate that boxing doesn't have a single, centralized, governing body that not only benefits from promoting the sport and it's athletes, but also spurs the highest levels of competition.

The rise of more organized sports has played a part in causing the popularity of boxing to decline in this country.

Inevitably, as boxing becomes less mainstream there will be less people going into the sport at a young age.

Another competitive disadvantage is that participation by youth in football, basketball, and baseball is sponsored by schools and usually embraced by parents. One has to really seek out a boxing gym these days and you're a lucky kid if your parents let you participate in the sport. My mother wouldn't let me box when I was kid.

Boxing's popularity in this country has really declined over the past 30 years. You can't expect America's best athletes to be going into a sport that has fallen from the mainstream, does not offer the scholarship opportunies that other sports offer, and is not as lucrative as sports where you don't have to get punched in the face. You really have to reach the pinnacle of boxing to make millions of dollars. That's not really the case in other sports.

America hasn't fallen off in lighter divisions as much because smaller athletes don't have the opportunities in other sports that bigger men do.

 

I am afraid he is - right now. The good thing is that he probably is better than present Holyfield...

 

The doors have been shut on the HW operation for a while now. There are no good American heavies anymore because of Hip Hop. When you've got 50 Cent, LL Cool J, Slim Thug, and the like on tour instead of in the ring there goes your potential for an even remotely satisfying HW division. I say we rid our communities of this infectious disease called hip-hop so our 200+ lb'ers can focus on what we think they ought to, bashing each other's brains in.

 

Which is why he loses all his big fights. The Eastern European in him is enough to make him beat up Bowe/out-box Byrd/play yo-yo with Ruiz etc., but the American spirit he has created within himself finds a way to lose.

 

It's true that the kids are gravitating towards football and basketball. There's alot more money to be made there. They get guaranteed millions before playing a down or a minute so why work your way up the boxing ladder for money fights that aren't even guaranteed.

 

NBA, MBL, NFL - funny, I think that NHL-guys would be more suited for boxing.