Hispanic/Latino decent boxers.....A question ????

[Taffyy]

When you look back through boxing history right up to the present day it is littered with SUPERB hispanic/Latino fighters...............Peurto Rico , Mexico......etc.....etc..........consistently produce & italian/americans also have a great history............Why then dont the countries of decent consistently produce great fighters........Spain....Italy.....etc.........????..............I know these countries do have or have had decent fighters but on a whole they are not thought of as boxing nations...........Ireland & the british Isles are what I'd consider to be boxing nations why are'nt these others forementioned countries...??? When the decendents of these lands are a force in boxing.......????????

[Taffyy]

LOL.............Us Celtic nations have a similar makeup but seriously why is it.....???
Does it stem from the fact that immigrants have hard lives & are therefore as a result a "harder" people.....???............I have a boxing Book "Celtic Fists".......It looks at fighters from the Celtic countries of Ireland,Scotland & Wales............All have produced great fighters from hard poverty stricken enviroments.............Does this have a bearing...????

[AllyT]

LOL.............Us Celtic nations have a similar makeup but seriously why is it.....???
Does it stem from the fact that immigrants have hard lives & are therefore as a result a "harder" people.....???............I have a boxing Book "Celtic Fists".......It looks at fighters from the Celtic countries of Ireland,Scotland & Wales............All have produced great fighters from hard poverty stricken enviroments.............Does this have a bearing...????

I think it is the lack of pro boxing infrastructure in the countries you mention. Both Italy and Spaain produce good amateurs but as with many other countries with a solid amateur set-up they do not have this for pro boxers.

Since the Scots, Irish, Welsh, Spanish and Portugese are in ethnic terms almost exactly the same people and have similar levels of poverty this is unllikley to be an explination. Both Mexico and the USA are geared mainly for pro, the UK and Ireland is mixed ,Spain and Italy are mainly amateur.

[Illmatic]

Well, if I had to guess, I would agree that maybe it was socioeconomic and then became a part of the culture. Irish and Italians in the US usually are the dominant ethnic groups in boxing, and composed the lower classes of americans in the early 20th century and were discriminated against b/c of their catholic backgrounds. My theory would be that as they progressed economically, it had already been a part of the culture and remains today.

[Taffyy]

Thanks for the replies fellas..........I imagine it must be frustrating being a boxer/boxing fan in say spain for example.........I must add that I am a big fan of the majority of Latino/hispanic fighters & the general styl they bring.....dont mean to be sterotypical..........