calvin said:
Interesting input. I wouldn't put all performance disparity down to environment. I think that Black atheletes dominate some sports like sprinting because of physical advantages. It seems to me that a higher than average proportion of fast twitch muscle fibres; faster reaction times; differences in the hip to shoulder ratio;,arm length and cranial morphology, must give Blacks an advantage in modern ten round big-gloved boxing.
Let me wade through some of this...
First of all, White reaction times, as measured by things like hitting a button as soon as it lights up, are faster than black reaction times. Asians have the fastest of all however-IOW, reaction time rougly correlates with average intelligence and general mental ability, which is not all that surprising. Numerous scientific studies have shown this. I site one in a thread on the "Happy Hour" forum, look it up if you don't believe me.
The fast twitch muscle thing has never been proven and is basically unprovable, as it would basically involve dissecting black and white athletes and microscopically examining core sections of their muscle. The black advantage in SPRINTING, which is why everyone thinks they "twitch" so fast in the first place, is quite easily explained by differences in body type-longer limbs, thicker thighs, narrower hips, and lighter calves. Nor do I think the white advantage in STRENGTH really has much to do with our muscles being somehow fundamentally different-shorter limb and a larger body size in relation to those limbs, a more bulky musculature esp in the upper body, and things like our "heavy" muscular calves, simply allow for greater strength. Whatever % of fibers you start out with, you add mass and strength to the fibers through your specific training methods.
IOW, if you haven't seen any lighting-fast non-black boxers, you haven't been watching enough boxing.
Hip to shoulder ratio? Punching power is a function of leg and body power transferred through your arm. IOW, wider hips bigger bodies, and stumpier, more muscular limbs if anything give the potential for MORE powerful punches, in the same way it's better for throwing such things as shotputs, javelins, and hammers. Marciano had the perfect build for what he was, one of the most powerful hitters of the HW division, even though he only weighed 185 lbs.
Your commentary about not trying to box in the "black" manner are 180 degrees wrong. How do I put this? It seems to me that blacks who are dabbling in boxing try to imitate Ali or Sugar Ray, while you'd think the Whites were trying to imitate Marciano (not a good a idea unless you are the Rock.) Your comments remind me of that scene in Rocky III where Creed is trying to train Rocky, and Pauly says, "He's a Bruiser, not a boxer" "Yeah, keep telling him that and that's all he'll ever be." If you take a boy and don't train him properly, he'll usually try to be a slugger-it's the most natural way to fight, but will only take you so far, unless you're born to be one. My strengths in the striking game have always been head momvement, hand speed, good defense and counterpunching-the very things that are supposed to be so darn "black". I do think their music, dance, and cultural movement pattern helps them lay the foundations for some of these things, such as footwork and head movement, at an early age.
Boxing btw, had been more or less integrated for 40-50 years when Marciano was champ. The Rock was not the first nor the last caucasian fighter to defeat the best of his black opposition. Nor has the "black-out" of champhionships ever been complete in anything but the HW division.
Now with arm length and possibly skull morphology, you have a point, but arm length is not the end-all be all of boxing, otherwise Kenyans would dominate boxing.
