whiteathlete33
Hall of Famer
we have the heavyweight division on lock. 4 white champions. Vitali is back. The only problems is no white americans who have a chance at being champ.
nevada said:Some boxing fans make out the best boxers to be great athletes, but right now that's just not the case at heavyweight or cruiserweight.
JD1986 said:Because of the caste system in North American sports, white athletes are to a great extent kept out of boxing. Whites face an irrational belief (it seems like you believe it too) that whites are innately inferior athletes. I believe whites would dominate sports in North America if we had the same opportunities that whites have in Eastern Europe.
WHITE NOISE said:Are my posts not getting through? I said that same thing about Soviet block fighters not being allowed on the scene during the "Ali" era.
Joe Frazier needed to wear floaties when he swam in the superstars competition. I still think he wears them when he goes to the beach....Bart said:nevada said:Some boxing fans make out the best boxers to be great athletes, but right now that's just not the case at heavyweight or cruiserweight.
I would think the new breed of white boxers and heavy weights in particular would match up quite well athletically with those of preceding eras. Many of them are quick, strong, and very agile. More importantly, they can fight! A boxer does not need to to be able to sprint 100 meters under 11 seconds or be able to jump 3 feet in the air. Many of this planet's best athletes would never be able to compete favorably against good fighters. Why?? Because boxing is just not equivalent to baseball, basketball, sprinting, swimming, football, gymnastics, tennis, high jumping etc. Joe Frazier competed in the Super Stars competitions and was absolutely horrible. He wasn't the only boxer who performed poorly in comparison to other athletes. Yet, I am sure that he and all the other boxers would have crushed all the athletic Super Star champions in the ring.
Some guys can fight and others can't. Nobody ever accused Two Ton Tony Galento of being a great athlete, but he could fight. He lived in saloons, was fat and always looked way out of shape, yet he floored Joe Louis in a title fight because he could throw leather. Also, if you can't take a punch, it matters little how athletic you are.
Klitschko happens to be an excellent athlete who can fight very, very well. As is the case with many white fighters, such as Calzaghe , Kessler, Hatton and many others.
I think Jr Klitschko could hang athletically with all of the great champs of the past. He has excellent hand speed, power and footwork. Some of the other champions aren't great athletes per say but have great boxing knowledge and have intangibles that compensate for the lack of obvious athleticism. Maskaev won his title because his new trainer taught him how to fight more American. When he beat Rahman he landed the left hook at will because Rahman didn't know he had one.nevada said:I have a different take on things. I don't think there are that many great 200 pound athletes in boxing, white or black. Some boxing fans make out the best boxers to be great athletes, but right now that's just not the case at heavyweight or cruiserweight.The best boxers at heavyweight and cruiserweight are good athletes, but they're not awesome, and boxing is losing talent to other sports. It's definitely true. Forget black athletes, the best white athletes do not go into boxing. I don't see how anybody with an decent background in sports science can look at the belt holders and contenders at heavyweight and cruiserweight and think that they are great athletes. I see guys like Briggs and Toney and shake my head.There are more good 200 pound athletes in wrestling and team sports. Pretty soon there will be more good 200 pound athletes in MMA.