What Ever Happened to the White Fighters?

[elmersalsa]

What ever happened to the white fighters? Especially, American ones. It has been a long time a great white fighter from America has been into the scene.

Back in the days we saw Barney Ross, Carmen Basilio, Gene Fullmer, Jerry Quarry, Willie Pep, Bobo Olson, Tony Canzoneri, Benny Leonard, Danny Lopez, Sean O'Grady and Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini fighting and entertaining us. Now, white fighters from America like do not exist or something.

[elmersalsa]

Not to mention Rocky Marciano, Tony Zale, Rocky Graziano, Joey Archer, Don Fullmer, Billy Backus, Kenny Lane, Del Flanagan, Paddy DeMarco, Tony DeMarco, Billy Graham, Ralph Dupas, Greg Haugen, Vinny Pazienzia and others.

Are white fighters from America endagering species?

I cannot recall the last great white fighter pound per pound.

Would we see white fighters in the future? I mean, great ones?

[JC]

What ever happened to the white fighters? Especially, American ones. It has been a long time a great white fighter from America has been into the scene.

Back in the days we saw Barney Ross, Carmen Basilio, Gene Fullmer, Jerry Quarry, Willie Pep, Bobo Olson, Tony Canzoneri, Benny Leonard, Danny Lopez, Sean O'Grady and Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini fighting and entertaining us. Now, white fighters from America like do not exist or something.

1st/2nd generation immigrants have always been massively over represented amongst boxers. As the Irish, Italians and Jews have become more established and moved up the socioeconomic ladder they have produced far fewer boxers. That accounts for a lot of the names you list.

[Tomasino]

Gennady Golovkin looks pretty pale

[giacomino]

Am assuming you meant to say "white american fighters" in the subject line, since the longtime heavyweight champions, a couple of the cruiserweight belt-holders, and several other beltholders are white.

[pbchron]

In 1963 Larry Merchant wrote a column in the Philadelphia Daily News hailing Joey Giardello winning the middleweight title but bemoaned the thought that Giardello and Willie Pastrano might be the last of the great white fighters and particularly Italian fighters in boxing, mentioning that they both were the last remnants from last great Italian boxing era in the 1950's.
Although most of the jewish and Irish boxers pretty much faded away the future wasn't quite as bleak for the Italian-Am. boxer. Even as the Italians were now accepted into the American mainstream, the fighting spirit of the Italians allowed that there seemed to always be a few well regarded top notchers on the scene up to the present time. Those winning titles included : Vito Antuofermo, Mike Rossman (DePiano), Ray Mancini, Vinny Pazienza, Arturo Gatti, Paul Spadafora, Paulie Malignaggi. Others receiving title shots or national prominence were, Johnny Bizzarro; Frankie DePaula; Tony Licata (half Chinese); Ron Stander who was known as the "Dago Butcher" until the politically correct crowd was heard from.
Others were Pete Ranzany; Lou Bizzarro; Dick DiVeronica; Dino Dennis; Vinnie Curto; Tony Chiaverini; Palph Palladin; Doug DeWitt (Ittaglio); Tony Petronelli; Johnny Lira; Dave Tiberi; Joe Mesi; other contenders were Jerry Pelligrini, Rocky Fratto, John Verderosa, Mike Picciotti, Lou Savarese, Tough Tony Suero, Joey DiGrandis, Peter Manfredo jr. And even more important to boxing was that almost all of them were terrific box office attractions with large followings from their passionate "Latin" fans ( the true and original Latino's).
Maybe not the same calibre of the Italian greats of the 1920 thru 1960 but it shows that they are still far from extinct as major players in the national spot light from time to time.

[HomicideHenry]

I think because of the changing of the times, along with certain social and economic factors, white fighters slowly became extinct in America. How can one be a fighter when one is better off economically than say latinos and blacks? How can one be a fighter when one has been somewhat cushioned from the pressures and obstacles of life more so than latinos and blacks? I'm not saying that is the case for all, but in a general sense. As a matter of fact, life in America has become one of a welfare and entitlement state to the point that people of all races seem to be never tested mentally, emotionally, let alone physically in life anymore. We have very few superstars in America, regardless of division, and most athletes seem more comfortable in joining team sports which offer huge contracts for essentially part time positions than to be true super athletes and be a full time fighter.

In America, at least, whenever we happen to see a hard punching white guy (especially a heavyweight) the boxing community always jumps the gun and pushes the guy too soon and then he crumbles. In a sense, he may of started off as something special because he had to work hard for it, then it was taken away from him by giving him passes on the way up. It happened to Bobick, Cooney, Morrison, and in recent years Joe Mesi, Travis Kaufman and several others. Great Britain, is not so far off either, with David Price as a example of a man who showed great promise but was pushed too fast and given opprotunities too soon.

I also happen to think that in the lighter weight divisions there is a sense of reverse racism, where white boxers are singled out and pushed back further down the trough than blacks and latinos, because the thought process is "Well, the white guy will eventually get his just due, but we owe it to the blacks and latinos more than the whites." Maybe I am wrong, and I hope that I am, but with such media outrages as the Trayvon Martin incident and all, it makes me think that we as a country have not grown since the O.J. Simpson trial. It effects not just boxing, but all sports. Tell me when have you ever seen a dominate white baseball, basketball or football player in the last thirty years or so?

[Ambling Alp II]

Baseball-Don Mattingly, Roger Clemens, Greg Maddux, Ryne Sandberg, Wade Boggs to name a few.

Basketball-Larry Bird, Kevin McHale,John Stockton, Steve Nash, Chris Mullin.

Football-Joe Montana, Dan Marino, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Steve Largent to name a few.

[BoxBuzz]

Well all "american white fighters" would really be european fighters woudn't they?. Since we weren't a land of native whites...lol. Hmm Jimmy Thunder, Joe Hipp...now there's some all american HW's if ever there ever were some!. Otherwise, it's Euro or African figters who they or their families have adopted the "mountains to the praries to the oceans white with foam".

God bless america...our home sweet home. Everyone has a place here....call it what you will....the ol' meltin' pot...or the "rainbow coalition". It's a beautiful human experiment!

[elmersalsa]

I think because of the changing of the times, along with certain social and economic factors, white fighters slowly became extinct in America. How can one be a fighter when one is better off economically than say latinos and blacks? How can one be a fighter when one has been somewhat cushioned from the pressures and obstacles of life more so than latinos and blacks? I'm not saying that is the case for all, but in a general sense. As a matter of fact, life in America has become one of a welfare and entitlement state to the point that people of all races seem to be never tested mentally, emotionally, let alone physically in life anymore. We have very few superstars in America, regardless of division, and most athletes seem more comfortable in joining team sports which offer huge contracts for essentially part time positions than to be true super athletes and be a full time fighter.

In America, at least, whenever we happen to see a hard punching white guy (especially a heavyweight) the boxing community always jumps the gun and pushes the guy too soon and then he crumbles. In a sense, he may of started off as something special because he had to work hard for it, then it was taken away from him by giving him passes on the way up. It happened to Bobick, Cooney, Morrison, and in recent years Joe Mesi, Travis Kaufman and several others. Great Britain, is not so far off either, with David Price as a example of a man who showed great promise but was pushed too fast and given opprotunities too soon.

I also happen to think that in the lighter weight divisions there is a sense of reverse racism, where white boxers are singled out and pushed back further down the trough than blacks and latinos, because the thought process is "Well, the white guy will eventually get his just due, but we owe it to the blacks and latinos more than the whites." Maybe I am wrong, and I hope that I am, but with such media outrages as the Trayvon Martin incident and all, it makes me think that we as a country have not grown since the O.J. Simpson trial. It effects not just boxing, but all sports. Tell me when have you ever seen a dominate white baseball, basketball or football player in the last thirty years or so?

I guess you right. The times has changed. But blacks and latinos, they are still fighting because economic pressures and upbringing. Now days, I don't see that in white Americans.

[yew_tewb]

What ever happened to the white fighters? Especially, American ones. It has been a long time a great white fighter from America has been into the scene.

Back in the days we saw Barney Ross, Carmen Basilio, Gene Fullmer, Jerry Quarry, Willie Pep, Bobo Olson, Tony Canzoneri, Benny Leonard, Danny Lopez, Sean O'Grady and Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini fighting and entertaining us. Now, white fighters from America like do not exist or something.

i hear morrison is staging a comeback

__________________
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kft7xzGM2Qk

[elmersalsa]

We need more fighters in the sport, though. Especially, American white fighters.

[Chuck1052]

Read about what was taking place in the United States after 1945 to understand why there were far fewer white fighters and boxing clubs in the country by 1965. The change in American professional boxing was dramatic during that period of twenty years. Tremendous occupational opportunities for young Americans, a booming economy, societal change and the advent of television were important factors for the huge transformation. I remember reading that the number of American professional boxing clubs decreased from 250 or 300 to 50 within ten years by 1960. With far less professional boxing activity in the United States since 1960, it was much more difficult for American boxers to get bouts. It was a vicious cycle, to say the least.

- Chuck Johnston

[BoxBuzz]

Chuck...you are so right. Walk down the halls of any major university or college who pays homage to their "teams of yesteryear" by way of photo collages and you soon learn this "evolution".

Boxing was as big or bigger than football, baseball, during a certain time period....then it just disappears! Rifle clubs the same. Hunting clubs the same.

[yancey]

Chuck...you are so right. Walk down the halls of any major university or college who pays homage to their "teams of yesteryear" by way of photo collages and you soon learn this "evolution".

Boxing was as big or bigger than football, baseball, during a certain time period....then it just disappears! Rifle clubs the same. Hunting clubs the same.

Hey, don't forget good, old fashion pool halls.

btw, if an economic collapse happens, I reckon you'll see an upsurge in boxing participants.

[dempseyfire]

Chuck...you are so right. Walk down the halls of any major university or college who pays homage to their "teams of yesteryear" by way of photo collages and you soon learn this "evolution".

Boxing was as big or bigger than football, baseball, during a certain time period....then it just disappears! Rifle clubs the same. Hunting clubs the same.

Hey, don't forget good, old fashion pool halls.

btw, if an economic collapse happens, I reckon you'll see an upsurge in boxing participants.

But that didn't happen and won't happen, b/c a young athlete will likely make more money being a 2nd or 3rd stringer in professional football or basketball than they ever would being a boxer. Yes the elite guys make millions but people forget about the other 98% of the sport. It's not like it was in the 40s and 50s when there were so many fight cards per week in every major U.S. city that you could make steady money fighting every month as a journeyman/gatekeeper. Now, with the decline in local cards, decline in local gyms through which to train and spar, the BS of the boxing business, absolutely no security or safety net beyond the whims of some corrupt promoter, plus the decline in any sort of social standing that comes from prizefighting ("you're a boxer . . .don't you worry about brain damage?") . . wide majority of poor kids will try their hands at another sport, or even better (from a financial standpoint) sell drugs.

[yancey]

Chuck...you are so right. Walk down the halls of any major university or college who pays homage to their "teams of yesteryear" by way of photo collages and you soon learn this "evolution".

Boxing was as big or bigger than football, baseball, during a certain time period....then it just disappears! Rifle clubs the same. Hunting clubs the same.

Hey, don't forget good, old fashion pool halls.

btw, if an economic collapse happens, I reckon you'll see an upsurge in boxing participants.

But that didn't happen and won't happen, b/c a young athlete will likely make more money being a 2nd or 3rd stringer in professional football or basketball than they ever would being a boxer. Yes the elite guys make millions but people forget about the other 98% of the sport. It's not like it was in the 40s and 50s when there were so many fight cards per week in every major U.S. city that you could make steady money fighting every month as a journeyman/gatekeeper. Now, with the decline in local cards, decline in local gyms through which to train and spar, the BS of the boxing business, absolutely no security or safety net beyond the whims of some corrupt promoter, plus the decline in any sort of social standing that comes from prizefighting ("you're a boxer . . .don't you worry about brain damage?") . . wide majority of poor kids will try their hands at another sport, or even better (from a financial standpoint) sell drugs.

Yes, in retrospect you are most likely right.

[Chuck1052]

I don't think that professional boxing would make a big comeback to like it was during the first half of the Twentieth Century in the United States even if there was an economic depression in the future. There is far more competition for the sports dollar and so many sports events are shown on television. During a depression, people would have far less money to spend, especially to watch sports events in person or on cable or Pay-Per-View television. They would be more concerned about putting food on the table and having a roof over their heads.

Yes, it is likely that there would be plenty of young people who would be eager to become professional boxers during a depression. But how many of them would be able to make a living in the sport at a time when people have far less money to spend?

During the 1930s, so many professional boxing clubs or venues had a very tough time of it
despite the fact there was plenty of professional boxing shows. But in order to attract fans, ticket prices had to be slashed drastically. At the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles, the general admission ticket price was a dollar at regular weekly boxing shows during the 1920s, but it was as low as twenty-five cents during the 1930s. Under such circumstances, a capacity crowd at the Olympic would have resulted in a gate of about $18,000. during the 1920s, but as low as about $5,400. during the 1930s.

- Chuck Johnston

[elmersalsa]

I don't think that professional boxing would make a big comeback to like it was during the first half of the Twentieth Century in the United States even if there was an economic depression in the future. There is far more competition for the sports dollar and so many sports events are shown on television. During a depression, people would have far less money to spend, especially to watch sports events in person or on cable or Pay-Per-View television. They would be more concerned about putting food on the table and having a roof over their heads.

Yes, it is likely that there would be plenty of young people who would be eager to become professional boxers during a depression. But how many of them would be able to make a living in the sport at a time when people have far less money to spend?

During the 1930s, so many professional boxing clubs or venues had a very tough time of it
despite the fact there was plenty of professional boxing shows. But in order to attract fans, ticket prices had to be slashed drastically. At the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles,
the general admission ticket price was a dollar at regular weekly boxing shows during the 1920s, but it was as low as twenty-five cents during the 1930s. Under such circumstances, a capacity crowd at the Olympic would have resulted in a gate of about $18,000. during the 1920s, but as low as about $5,400. during the 1930s.

- Chuck Johnston

Good view Chuck

[scallum]

We need more fighters in the sport, though. Especially, American white fighters.

What difference does it make what color a fighter is?

[sum1foo]

it seems socioeconomic status is a large factor, but i think another factor may just be hitting your children. Taking a little violence as a child makes it easier to get over the fear of entering a ring (imo). I know plenty of people who grew up poor but would never even spar just from fear of getting hit or getting embarrassed. suppose one grows up in a lower class neighborhood where alot of kids get wooped. you will have a bunch of little tough kids testing each other on the school yard... fighting, intimidation.... This "jungle like" atmosphere breeds fighters from a young age. Its just a cultural thing man.

I believe thats part of the reason why certain areas or cities have ALOT more boxers than others, regaurdless of race. I just dont see many young white americans coming up like this today. I wasnt around in the 30's and 40's but i hear it was different back then.

oh and latinos and blacks are on the same path as whites. Im from LA so i have a tiny bit of perspective lol. anyways i hate to lump ppl into categories like i just did but the post subject kind of pushes one that way.

oh and i dont think hardly anyone goes into boxing for money. they just like to fight or thier parents push them into it.

[elmersalsa]

More variety and more white people interested in boxing. That is what it means, scallum.

Heck, there used to be lots of white fighters in the sport back in the days... Lots of them are fighting at the MMA now. Why not now for boxing?