How Can Boxing get more WHITE viewers and Fans?

[frankpaganini]

joe calzaghe's white, what the **** u smoking frank? He isn't a white American, which might turn americans off of him since he isn't americans champion. He's the ppls champion, thats how I view him. I don't know why some ppl believe italian isn't white... thats ridiculious

The Italian people (Italian: Italiani) are a Southern European ethnic group located primarily in Italy, Switzerland, France and, by virtue of a wide-ranging diaspora, throughout Western Europe, the Americas and Australia. Their native language is Italian, and historically Italian dialects and languages. Their religion is predominantly Roman Catholic.

The appellation Italian possibly derives from the Greeks who used the term to describe the Ancient Italic peoples, who pre-date the coming of Indo-European languages.

There are almost 56 million autochthonous Italians in Italy, about 750,000 in Switzerland, and about 28,000 in San Marino. There is also a large but undefined, autochthonous population in France (Nice, Corsica). Smaller groups can also be found in Slovenia and Croatia, primarily Istria. There is a notable population of Italian descent in Brazil (Italian Brazilians), Argentina (Italian Argentine), the United States (Italian Americans), Venezuela, Uruguay, Canada (Italian Canadians), Australia (Italian Australians), and throughout Europe—mainly in Belgium, United Kingdom (Italian-Scots/Britalian), France and Germany (Italo-Germans).

The frequency of dark-coloured hair and eyes amongst Italians increases gradually from North to South, with the Southern Italians having the highest incidences of dark features similar to Spaniards

calling an italian a white person would be like calling a puerto rican a mexican or calling a dark person from the Dominican Republic (ie. David "papi" ortiz of the red sox) a black person.

italians are mixted with some swiss (northern parts) and with those from spain (southern parts) but to flat out call them white is wrong...

david ortiz isnt black right? either is joel casamayor right? even though the resemble the skin color of some african americans right?

[The Hammer]

he hasnt done a great job of marketing him...the only shows pavlik has been on are public access cable or low low level internet boxing shows.

Arum needs to hire a hollywood agent and PR guy for pavlik get him on leno, obrien, letterman etc..

You're right, Arum hasn't done a good job of promoting Pavlik.

A lot of people in the sports media don't seem to like white fighters - they rarely ever say anything positive about Calzaghe, Wladimir, or Pavlik, although all three are the best at their divisions. I'm referring to people like Bert Sugar, Dan Wetzel, Teddy Atlas, Russ Anber and Dan Iole. They seem comfortable with the best fighters being black, and will always discredit or put a negative slant on anything regarding a white fighter.

[P4P Opinion]

This race thing must be a US thing, because in Britain the majority of fight fans are white. That said, it might be because we have some great white fighters.

Personally, I couldn't give a **** what race great British fighters are, I just want more of them. I love Calzaghe, Haye and Khan all the same. Well actually, I love David Haye a little bit more, but that aint have nothing to do with race!

[GodOfWar]

calling an italian a white person would be like calling a puerto rican a mexican or calling a dark person from the Dominican Republic (ie. David "papi" ortiz of the red sox) a black person.

italians are mixted with some swiss (northern parts) and with those from spain (southern parts) but to flat out call them white is wrong...

david ortiz isnt black right? either is joel casamayor right? even though the resemble the skin color of some african americans right?

I'm part italian and i'm white as paper. When ppl walk past me they think thats a full blooded white person, they're first response is that oh hes not white he is part italian/sarcasm. My grandmom is full italian and she is white.

[The Hammer]

they just need good advertising and a white OR black AMERICAN fighter that destroys people a la Tyson.

We have an American fighter like that - Kelly Pavlik - 29 KOs in 32 fights. Yet he's unknown to the average American, while Mike Tyson was a household name in early 1987, before he became unified champion. Cassius Clay was already a very famous name in 1964, even though he had only one of the two heavyweight titles.

The media pays more attention to black athletes, and is harder on white fighters. It a "political correctness" kind of thing. If Pavlik was black, he'd be famous by now.

Can you imagine how popular Wladimir Klitschko would be if he was black? Ever notice how Ted Atlas, Dan Iole, Dan Wetzel and most of the other sportwriters nuthug Sam Peter? Dan Iole wrote "we need a heavyweight champion like Sam Peter". Not because he's American, because he's not an American! They simply prefer that the top fighters are black.

[The Hammer]

I'm part italian and i'm white as paper. When ppl walk past me they think thats a full blooded white person, they're first response is that oh hes not white he is part italian/sarcasm. My grandmom is full italian and she is white.

Italians are white people.

The word "white" generally refers to Europeans, and Italians are Europeans.

[raysan]

We have an American fighter like that - Kelly Pavlik - 29 KOs in 32 fights. Yet he's unknown to the average American, while Mike Tyson was a household name in early 1987, before he became unified champion. Cassius Clay was already a very famous name in 1964, even though he had only one of the two heavyweight titles.

The media pays more attention to black athletes, and is harder on white fighters. It a "political correctness" kind of thing. If Pavlik was black, he'd be famous by now.

Can you imagine how popular Wladimir Klitschko would be if he was black? Ever notice how Ted Atlas, Dan Iole, Dan Wetzel and most of the other sportwriters nuthug Sam Peter? Dan Iole wrote "we need a heavyweight champion like Sam Peter". Not because he's American, because he's not an American! They simply prefer that the top fighters are black.

Id have to say you're totally wrong. Klitschko has nothing to do with being white, its more of not being an American and not having the killer instinct like say a Sam Peter does. Mike Tyson was what a heavy weight champion should be, he went out there every fight ready to kill someone, the heavyweight champion should be the baddest man on the planet, not someone like Wlad who doesnt feel like throwing right hands because he might get countered.

The only reason Kelly Pavlik isnt a huge star right now is because he just became champion, hasnt even had a defense, and there arent any other middleweights who really gain interest. And the media pays more attention to black athletes? how so?, in baseball its latins, basketball its blacks, but in football you have guys like Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, so that statement is absurd, if youre dominant at what you do, youre going to get media coverage.

[shadeyfizzle]

great white fighters.

i believe when it comes down to just being a fan most of the time it comes down to race or a guy who you admire in one way or another (ie. heart; skill; etc.)

mexicans rally behind great mexican fighters (ie. Marco Antionio Barrera, Oscar De La Hoya, Juan Manuel Marquez, etc.)

pinoys rally behind great pinoy fighters (ie. Manny Pacquiao)

african americans rally behind great african american fighers (ie. Floyd Mayweather Jr, Holyfield, Hopkins, etc.)

and so on.

whites right now have kelly pavlik (i wouldnt call joe calzaghe white really) and beyond that there isnt much of a shinning star in white fighters.

so if pavlik continues to win and raises his stock in the eye of casual fans then white people will join in too...probably to rally behind their guy (of their race)

not everyone rallys behind guys of their race...some rally behind guys they admire due to their heart or skill (i admire guys like chico, floyd, de la hoya, etc.) for their skill (mayweather/de la hoya) and their heart (chico)...

but im not black or mexican...

im italian (if you didnt know by the avatar)...

so what about me...who do i have to really rally behind as an italian american?

there arent currently many italian fighters in boxing...or good ones at least...

but i still love the sport.

i think marketablility plays apart (beyond race) also.

you can have gayass malignaggi. Lol

[tyson]

Boxing isn't as popular as it once was because it's no longer culturally signifigant. The turning wheel of American consumerism gobbles up whatever commercials and network television tells them to. They look to FOX, NBC, ESPN and the internet to tell them what is going to be talked about at the water cooler in the office on Monday. Just to stay in the loop many people watch shows like Lost, the Apprentice, etc.

Sports isn't all that far removed from it. In most cases it's still a business- and boxing sure is. Currently the business isn't being marketed to mainstream America in a way that makes it spoken about at the water cooler. As soon as a fighter breaks into the pop culture bubble it'll be back.

Just think of it was a very old brand of liquor that isn't as popular as it once was. With a new marketing campaign the interest in the brand can reinvigorated and there'd be a renaissance of sorts.

Boxing isn't dead or dying. It's just going through the cyclical trend of many things- it's popularity has fallen a bit, but nothing drastic. White America will run to watch any fight- like De la Hoya-Mayweather- they are made to think they need to. Simple as that.

The truth has been spoken.

[aussieboxer2320]

great white fighters.


whites right now have kelly pavlik (i wouldnt call joe calzaghe white really) .

wtf italians are white what are you on? and hes only half italian and italians are ****ing white!!!!! the guys welsh for a start but even more annoying is the fact you think italians are black or some crap!?