well, Ghana, South Africa, and Nigeria are relatively developed areas for the African continent. I can't really speak to the ideas of physical differences, but I do believe that economics probably do play at least some factor in how they develop.
Yeah I'm really looking forward to it, the Bantamweights are where the class fighters reside. I think this will make the Monster really blow up when he slices through the tournament like a hot knife through butter.
Many people from central and southern Africa have West African ancestry because of the Bantu expansion.
Degrees of separation but, yeah.
has there ever been a notable ethiopian boxer? the modal personality of ethiopians doesn't lend itself to a vicious sport at all. the biggest issue is lack of good training I would think. South Africa has decent training I suppose but most of the talent had been coaxed out by british or other peoples. Black people have alot of things physically that help them with the sport but I still think china is the place to watch for boxers in the future but they'd have the same problem, no real boxing teachers, lots of martial arts but no good boxing training. Manny was a fluke and even he was too basic a fighter, without some of his freakish gifts and the drugs, he wouldn't have had the necessary skills to succeed in the sport.
azumah, dick tiger, some of the old timers, usually they are so completely out of their element from a business perspective that they get fucked. Battling Siki had a rough time, us tribal peoples, worldwide have a hard time telling people to fuck off when they are trying to give you a fucking. Also, we don't know how to be selfish, azumah and dick tiger were known to give away their shit. Azumah seems to be doing ok, dick tiger had to work as a security guard before he died of cancer.
I don't know of any Ethiopians who made it in pro boxing. I'm surprised as they can be quite long-limbed cardio machines and they have a warrior tradition being one of the only countries in Africa that was never fully conquered by invaders. And next door to Ethiopia is Somalia. Now I'm surprised they haven't produced any good boxers, well none that I'm aware of, as they have a warrior tradition with the Dervishes. And they seem to be quite long-limbed and have good cardio potential too. But I'm surprised they haven't produced any notable long-distance runners as well. You could count Mo Farah I suppose.
I used to think this but not always the case. There have been fighters who come from good lifestyles and still end up good fighters. I don't think you have to come from poverty but I guess it helps.
Yeah you only really get the odd example: Barrera was one I believe, a lawyer.
Well. South Africa was fairly developed.
this was my thought too. Afghanistan, Timor-Leste, Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos, Bangladesh, Nepal, Guatemala, Bolivia, and various others are all nations with significant poverty (that aren't African) and between them all I can't think of any significant, high level boxers. There has to be a boxing culture, and some boxing infrastructure/resources.
I feel like you're thinking of the horrific famine in South Sudan. South Africa, while definitely victim to many problems (including arguably the worlds worst wealth inequality), isn't exactly in a state of famine. And the whole "blacks can't farm" line as a response to land nationalization seems a little hackneyed doesn't it?
