Doug Fisher on the Demographic, GGG haters, Racism and Bias in boxing

It's a long but excellent read, and answers basically every question and reveals why some posters on this website do what they do: About the demographic, Haymon/PBC, Floyd/Ward Fanboys and defenders "An African-American boxing fan (that I respect) asked me what I meant by “the demographic” (by the way, it’s not a term that I coined – I was content to continue calling that segment of fandom “a__holes”) via Twitter earlier this week. My answer (which had to be brief thanks to Twitter’s word limit) was “Racially biased African-American fans that are uninformed jerks.” The definition ruffled some feathers, which is understandable. Some African Americans don’t believe black people can be racist. I disagree. Some feel it’s OK be racially biased or flat-out racist if you’re black because of the oppression that Africans/African-Americans have suffered in the U.S. since slaves were brought over. Again, I disagree. Racism is wrong, period. And some were merely frustrated because some non-black fans who happen to be a__holes labeled them as part of “the demographic.” And I get that. But the bottom line is that if you’re a black fan whose boxing opinions are not racially biased or racially motivated, you are NOT in the “the demographic.” If anyone says you are (in a weak attempt to intimidate you or win an argument on social media or message boards) when you clearly aren’t, well, they’re part of a different “demographic.” If you’re a black fan who knows his s__t and isn’t rude or needlessly antagonistic, you’re not part of “the demographic.” “The demographic” is not made up entirely of Floyd Mayweather Jr. or Andre Ward fans. Those boxers have plenty of fans from other ethnic groups that are every bit as annoying their black supporters (they even have rational fans). “The demographic” is easy to spot. They only offer their opinions when supporting (or defending) a black boxer or when ripping a non-black boxer. They’re going to support/defend Al Haymon and the PBC to the bitter end, and they’re going to crap on HBO, Top Rank, Golden Boy Promotions, Main Events and any other boxing organization currently not controlled by Haymon. They literally see the boxing world (and probably the rest of the world) as black and white. Black is good, white sucks. A member of “the demographic” will Tweet that Golvokin has never fought a decent opponent and in his very next Tweet proudly defend Deontay Wilder’s opposition. You get the picture. I can go into more detail but I’m waiting to get an email from an African-American fan on the subject. (And for the record, I welcomed the fans I debated with on Twitter to email the mailbag with their questions and concerns about the term, and I’m proud to say that the Twitter discourse was respectful.) About GGG haters/bias and racism in boxing It’s not unheard of. Just like white America had a massive collective hard-on for Jack Johnson back when the heavyweight championship was the biggest prize in sports (and the sole domain of white-skinned pugilists), once boxing’s most coveted title became the domain of African Americans, prideful black fans learned to be antagonistic to white heavyweight contenders during Muhammad Ali’s reigns (and beyond). One of my earliest boxing memories is of a lady in church going off on Jerry Quarry (her tirade shocked and confused me because of its intensity and because I had no idea she followed boxing – she really wasn’t a fan, she was black and proud and Ali had become a cultural hero by the 1970s). Black boxing fans I knew in the 1980s and ‘90s did not have nice things to say about Gerry Cooney or Tommy Morrison (who I liked and supported, which many of my black friends found annoying). They more I cheered for Morrison, the more they booed his white ass. And, man, when he would get knocked out (which happened, often in brutal fashion) there was a celebration. LOL. The hate/racial bias for GGG (which is real) seems out of control because of social media. It’s like all of the s__t talk about a fighter that used to be confined to barber shops and locker rooms has been put into a very far-reaching public forum. The backlash against GGG is, in my opinion, a product of his fast rise to prominence (in both the media and the sport), his HBO affiliation/support, and his look/demeanor. Golovkin, who was unknown to most of the fans who rip him today prior to his HBO debut in September 2012, climbed the middleweight rankings (and eventually the pound-for-pound lists) during a time when the sport’s two most talented African-American boxers Ward and Mayweather were struggling (Ward with his inactivity; Mayweather with general public acceptance). Mayweather and Ward carry the mantle of black pride for a significant number of African-American fans because they are undefeated, dominant champions, and were, at one time, Nos. 1 and 2 in the mythical pound-for-pound rankings. Being a middleweight, Golovkin is a potential opponent for Mayweather, who was the junior middleweight champ, and Ward, the former super middleweight champ. That gets fans talking about potential fights, which sparks arguments when Golovkin fans opine that their man can beat the two best black boxers in the sport. (Plus Mayweather and Ward’s diehard fans are already miffed that GGG is rated ahead of Ward on most P4P lists.) Of course, arguments on social media can easily and quickly turn ugly, and racial epithets are never far behind. Adding fuel to the GGG hate is the media love for the Kazakhstan-born fighter. He’s the darling of the boxing press (as Oscar De La Hoya and Canelo Alvarez have discovered). I was looking at BoxingScene.com’s homepage on Tuesday night (about 10:45 p.m. PT) and found NINE headlines with Golovkin’s name in it. Any news about Golovkin, it seems, is fit to post. LOL. This media love and HBO’s usual marketing push for a contract fighter has created an added backlash from GGG haters because they feel like he’s being crammed down their throats. And finally, although mixed with Asian (and hailing from a country in Central Asia), Golovkin’s skin is white and he’s got a clean-cut look – short hair (sometimes with a part in it), no tattoos. He’s also polite and respectful outside of the ring. He just smiles, offers his sound bites and stays out of the usual mud-slinging between rival fighters, promoters and managers. This drives cretins crazy. (Trust me, I’m an expert on a__hole boxing fans.) They want the fighters they hate to engage with them, sink down to their level. GGG won’t do it, and it pisses a lot of them off. They actually like it when a white-skinned fighter they piss on spews some s__t back, which is one of the reasons Krusher Kovalev isn’t as hated on as much as GGG.