Young American Heavyweight Boxing Prospects

Where have all the young American heavyweights gone? If you believe the media, the American heavyweight is a dying breed. When you consider the fact that 47-year-old Evander Holyfield was the last American fighter to have a legitimate shot at the heavyweight title, you start to understand why people are sceptical about the term “young American heavyweight” – most people don’t think that such a thing exists.

There are several reasons why there are relatively few top American heavyweight boxing prospects. One of the main reasons is the fact that boxing was previously the main way out for many large, athletically gifted inner city (frequently black) children. Almost every top American heavyweight after World War II was black and came from similar backgrounds. If you were over 200 pounds and had athletic skills, becoming a boxer was a no-brainer.

However, the expansion of the American professional sports world has changed the game. Sports like the NFL and NBA offer athletic big men a chance to make millions of dollars while not having to worry about getting punched repeatedly. Why would a kid want to box every day when they can enjoy playing basketball instead? (Imagine if Shaquille O’Neal grew up in an era where pro basketball was a minor sport and decided to box instead.)

The rise of mixed martial arts has also played a major role in stunting the growth of the American heavyweight boxer. Talented big men who are interested in contact sports are flocking to MMA instead of going into boxing. MMA offers fighters with a chance at mainstream credibility and exposure while also have a much better track record for safety and the long-term well-being of its fighters.

However, there are still several big and young Americans who have shunned team sports and mixed martial arts and made boxing their life’s work. Here’s a look at a few of the more impressive young American heavyweight prospects who could make a run at a world title in the near future and spark interest in the division domestically.

Seth Mitchell (17-0-1, 11 KOs): Mitchell is the perfect example of the changing attitude of American athletes toward boxing in recent years. Like many other talented big men, he initial chose football over boxing, eventually becoming an All-American linebacker at Michigan State. However, knee injuries stopped his dreams of playing in the NFL and he turned his attention to boxing in 2006. Although still a very green fighter, Mitchell has athletic ability that is off the charts for the heavyweight division and has grown significantly in his past few fights.

Johnathon Banks (24-1-1, 17 KOs): The 27-year-old Detroit native was seemingly on the road to bigger paydays – and perhaps a world title shot – after he claimed the NABF heavyweight title with a sixth-round stoppage of Travis Walker in March. However, Banks’ fast path to stardom hit a significant speed bump on May 29 when he was taken to a draw by journeyman Jason Gavern in what the referee later called “the dirtiest fight” he ever officiated.

Deontay Wilder (10-0, 10 KOs): Wilder is attempting to take a path to heavyweight success used by past champions as Holyfield, Muhammad Ali, George Foreman and Joe Frazier – competing in the Olympics. Wilder represented the United States in the heavyweight class at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, where his bronze medal was the lone medal won by the team (the worst performance in United States Olympic boxing history). The Tuscaloosa, Alabama native earned the nickname “The Bronze Bomber” for his performance and turned pro in November 2008. He’s knocked out all 10 of his opponents, including stopping Alvaro Morales in the third round in Las Vegas this April.