The Two Boxers fighting?

Question

for the Heavyweight title, are both foreigners

where are the good American Heavyweights ?

Answer 1

Thumbs up to Blogbaba. Like Teddy Atlas said a couple of weeks ago the next American heavyweight is playing football or basketball. Boxing takes years of dedication and hard work to reach the top. No sport can compare to the sacrifices that have to be made to be a great fighter. One fighter to watch is the Olympic Super Heavyweight fighting this summer, Michael Hunter jr. He is tall has a long reach and good speed. His dad was a pro I used to know but he past away. If this kid can do good in China this summer and go pro, within a couple of years he will surprise a lot of people.

I find it funny that Americans have held the title for years and the world was envious of us. But now the tables have turned and we are the ones looking thru the window. Its actually good for the sport. As Americans we have egos and someone will get that fire in his belly to be the American hero. Its the push we need and a wakeup call that we are not at the top of the mountain anymore.

Answer 2

I think a major reason why we are not developing more prominent U. S.  boxers is because Americans don’t support the “farm teams” that produce the fighters we want to watch.  We want the beef but are not willing to feed the cattle that provide it.  We like pros but not amateurs; we like punchers more than “boxers;” we like knockouts more than decisions; etc.  Our major sports (baseball,basketball and football) have feeder systems that start in junior high school.  Boxing has no such system.  

Heavyweights are not our only problem.  Look at the rankings in all the divisions that used to be dominated by Americans.  Many of today’s contenders live and train in the U. S. but are products of their own countries’ sports establishments.  We just don’t have the infrastructure to produce great fighters here.  But as long as we can import and adopt them the sport will survive.  Great fighters create interest in the sport and that interest can create great fighters.  We also have many options, both as athletes and as fans.  A Russian kid can work in a factory (if he can find a job) or live very well as a member of a sporting club.  A fan may have a choice between going to watch an amateur boxing turnament or spending an intimate evening with a bottle of vodka.  Many American kids, inside or outside of sports, have options, and fans here have more options with their TV remotes than anyone dreamed of even 10 years ago.  

I have friends who love baseball.  They enjoy the subtleties of the game and don’t just watch the hitters and the fielders.  They watch the coaches, the positioning of the players, and everything else that goes on.  Most boxing fans don’t understand our sport and its subtleties:  what it means to “turn” a jab; why fighters are told “Never hook with a hooker”; why legs are as important to punching power as arms;  etc.

Answer 3

ppl are going towards mma now..sadly..boxing is a dying sport

Answer 4

I think that the Heavyweight division is in shambles, people that are not even remotely interested in boxing know of or heard of Mike Tyson or the guy who got  his ear bit off by Mike Tyson(Evander Holyifield)...they were household names, people know Buster Douglas before they know the Heavyweight champs name now. This is where I believe and just my opinion that America is very prejudice when it comes to foreigners, Take a poll outside of boxing and ask who is the heavyweight champ now? Sultan Ibragimov let alone to say it but spell it right. Even Wladimir Klitschko says he wants to be a household name, My opinion again that will never happen. So where are the future heavyweights they are light years away. Funding to keep the gyms running has hit home and many gyms that keep these young men off the streets have close because they can no longer afford to travel to events let a lone pay for lights, gas, you wanna see good American boxers support the gyms.

Answer 5

simple because the better heavyweight fighters right now are not Americans.

btw those who were blaming the economy don't know sh** about the economy and most likey nothing about boxing either

Answer 6

There are a lot of good American heavyweights, they just aren't boxing professionally.  The American economy is in such bad shape, you can't find a job that pays enough to support you, so most people have to work two jobs just to survive.  That doesn't leave a lot of time to train.  Right now there simply just aren't too many good active American Heavyweights.

Answer 7

What the ****?  Blame it on the economy?  So, James Braddock WASN'T the heavyweight champ during the depression?  Marciano was only champ because the economy was great?  Ali WASN'T the champ during the Viet-Nam era?  America was in its worst recession when Tyson started popping heads off.  

Heavyweight champs from the US have a long history of coming from pitiful living conditions and rising above.  Why is the economy the issue now?

Get a grip!  The problem with boxing and American heavyweights is not the economy, its boxing.  Its the alphabet soup of belts, the convoluted rating systems, the power that the promoters have over the sport.  The good American heavyweights will come, just right now there are none.  Fix the problems and don't lay the blame elsewhere.

Answer 8

blogbaba is right the economy is really bad right now in USA mainly because of the war and abstinence only education is worthless! the GOP spends money on things that don't work. i like the state of the heavyweight division right now just cause theres no top Americans in there doesn't mean its bad.       great question I'm glad boxing fans  are tackling this topic

Answer 9

Thumbs up James B!!

Very Good Points!!!