US Boxing Bias - Worst In The World?

[Dynamite Kid]

Nothing terribly wrong with anything you say, and I for example, do not rate Haye, since he has not really beaten anybody. The bottom line is that Hopkins was the LHW champ and Joe beat him, Joe's resume is fine, it would be better if he'd fought Jones and Toney, but in reality they'd moved up by the time Joe had made that kind of name for himself. I still don't see how Calzaghe can be overrated when there is no-one to pick above him at SMW and LHW.

he has not really beaten anybody he has dethrowned 2 World Champions & had already fought a former World Champion in Carl Thopmson by his 22nd fight

he has'nt fought anybody 22 fights undisputed Champ ,it becuse of fans like u Ricky ,Tunney that Joe gets disrespected

[deanrw]

Nothing terribly wrong with anything you say, and I for example, do not rate Haye, since he has not really beaten anybody. The bottom line is that Hopkins was the LHW champ and Joe beat him, Joe's resume is fine, it would be better if he'd fought Jones and Toney, but in reality they'd moved up by the time Joe had made that kind of name for himself. I still don't see how Calzaghe can be overrated when there is no-one to pick above him at SMW and LHW.

Oh Joe has a ton of potential, I agree. But it just disgusts me when some of his fans come in here and try to rate him a top 5 all time great. Give me a break.

I actually like Joe, but some of his more manic fans make it harder for me to like him. It is all about proving your worth to me and Hopkins best days were far behind him. I predicted Joe would beat him and I was right. He did not look great, but it was a step in the right direction. Even if he lost to Hopkins I would have not have written him off. You brush off your bruises, get back in there and fight. It is not rocket science.

I think Haye is a very good Heavyweight Prospect and I hope and pray he lights up the division. If life returns to the heavyweights, we all win.

[JakeNDaBox]

I'd say that American sports fans - perhaps Americans, in general - as a whole have the worst case of tunnel vision. But as far as bias, at the very worst it's the same wherever you go. If anything, I'd argue that it's worse everywhere else.

Fans are always going be more biased toward what they're more familiar with - unless they're familiar to the point of being sick of hearing about it, in which case they're bias swings in the opposite direction.

[Dynamite Kid]

I see what you're saying, but Haye hasn't beaten the kind of opposition Calzaghe has had to to get his belts has he? Ergo it seems strange to like one but dislike the other because of his (better) resume. It seems more a motivated choice than an objective assessment, which, of course, he is perfectly as entitled to make as I am to disagree with it.

the only thing that is strange is your lack of aknowledgment that it is unfair to compare a seasoned Pro resume to a virual novice fighter

u cant criticise Joe if u are a fan of another fighter who has fought lesser oposition than Joe even though he has only been a pro for half as long

if Haye had been a Pro as long as Calzaghe and he had an inferior record and that guy was critical of Joe then that might be odd

[-Swizzy-]

I've been discussing Joe Calzaghe in another thread, and the usual accusations of UK bias were raised by US posters, I think US posters sometimes neglect to realise quite how biased they themselves are, here are my thoughts on the subject:

Americans are worse than the rest of the world when it comes to overestimating their own fighters, although I accept that this can often include boxers who box out of America too, and include Mexicans, Puerto Ricans etc.

It's not so much national pride that you have, more a belief that the entire world of boxing is basically the US and an at times amazing disregard for other fighters. Virtually every single elite fighter you have, once they pass a certain point in their careers is acclaimed as a legend, no matter how often they actually lose. Look at Hopkins, Jones, Winky, Trinidad, Toney, even Tarver! At times US fans act like these guys never lost a fight in their life,
continually saying, your guy will never beat my amazing legendary legend (even though he's lost his last two fights!)

You certainly don't extend this incredible willingness to forgive defeats to non-US and particularly European fighters. Every loss by a European proves beyond all reasonable doubt that he is a bum!

So its not UK style national pride that you have exactly, more a huge and overweaning national sense of entitlement and presumed superiority, combined with an almost wilful disregard for the achievements of boxers from any other nation.

Not trying to stir anything up, just saying!

I'm Canadian and I could tell you from a neutral standpoint that the UK posters are WAY more biased than the american ones. and fighters that stay and fight in the UK aren't nearly as good as the fighters who fight in the states cuz of the competition level. think of the US as the premier league and UK as division 1. just cuz you have a division 1 hot shot goal scorer, it doesn't mean he is gonna do the same in the premier league cuz the competition is just faster and smarter.

and hopkins is like a 45 year old soccer player who use to be in the premier league but he was no better than a division 1 player when calzaghe beat him. whether or not Calzaghe belongs in the premier league is still a big question cuz he hasn't faced a top fighter in their primes to date.

[Dynamite Kid]

I'm Canadian and I could tell you from a neutral standpoint that the UK posters are WAY more biased than the american ones. and fighters that stay and fight in the UK aren't nearly as good as the fighters who fight in the states cuz of the competition level. think of the US as the premier league and UK as division 1. just cuz you have a division 1 hot shot goal scorer, it doesn't mean he is gonna do the same in the premier league cuz the competition is just faster and smarter.

and hopkins is like a 45 year old soccer player who use to be in the premier league but he was no better than a division 1 player when calzaghe beat him. whether or not Calzaghe belongs in the premier league is still a big question cuz he hasn't faced a top fighter in their primes to date.

British fans make me ashamed to say im British when thier biasedness rules thier commonsense

however just because u have fought better compeition does not mean u are nailed on certainty to beat a fighter with a weaker resume sometimes it does'nt always come down to the past victorys on your record ,Calzaghe would have a great chance against any SMW ,LHW ,MW in history why cause he is tough, quick ,durable ,strong at his weight & he has the heart of a lion

[abadger]

Oh Joe has a ton of potential, I agree. But it just disgusts me when some of his fans come in here and try to rate him a top 5 all time great. Give me a break.

I actually like Joe, but some of his more manic fans make it harder for me to like him. It is all about proving your worth to me and Hopkins best days were far behind him. I predicted Joe would beat him and I was right. He did not look great, but it was a step in the right direction. Even if he lost to Hopkins I would have not have written him off. You brush off your bruises, get back in there and fight. It is not rocket science.

I think Haye is a very good Heavyweight Prospect and I hope and pray he lights up the division. If life returns to the heavyweights, we all win.

Crikey. Top 5 ATG! That is a little biased isn't it. Agree it would be good if Haye does well, but although I think he'll be reasonably competitive I don't think he's got enough to be the top guy.

I like your attitude to boxing too. A loss shouldn't be seen as the end of the world.

[abadger]

I'm Canadian and I could tell you from a neutral standpoint that the UK posters are WAY more biased than the american ones. and fighters that stay and fight in the UK aren't nearly as good as the fighters who fight in the states cuz of the competition level. think of the US as the premier league and UK as division 1. just cuz you have a division 1 hot shot goal scorer, it doesn't mean he is gonna do the same in the premier league cuz the competition is just faster and smarter.

and hopkins is like a 45 year old soccer player who use to be in the premier league but he was no better than a division 1 player when calzaghe beat him. whether or not Calzaghe belongs in the premier league is still a big question cuz he hasn't faced a top fighter in their primes to date.

Sorry, when Kesler fought Joe it was the top two SMWs in the world that fought. I still think in your and alot of people's eyes, 'top' is equal to 'American'.

The question of whether Joe is a premier league boxer is laughable. Of course he is.

[Bobby Shaw]

You don't hate british fighters, you like Haye and Witter, but hate Calzaghe and Hatton.

You hate Calzaghe because of his resume, but like Haye, who has an inferior resume to Joe's. (Hatton has a superior resume to Witter's as well, by the way.)

Am I missing something here?

Haye hasnt been fighting for long and doesnt have as many fights.In his short career he has cleaned up the division and now is moving up.Who does he want to fight at heavyweight?The best.

As for Hatton ,even a blind man on a galloping horse can see how he was fighting for the WBU ,fighting non en******.Compare like with like,rate him against guys who started with him and see how he fares.Compare Ricky to Floyd and Cotto ,by the time Cotto had 28 fights who was he fighting?By the time Floyd had 28 fights who was he fighting,compare that to Hatton.Even Ray Charles could have seen that

I can understand Witter not fighting as many big fights,noone wants him,Hatton cant say that,neither can Falseghe do the same.

[Bobby Shaw]

Padded?? your not serious?? yes hopkins was a one off win mate....not! kessler was past his peak...oh wait no he wasn't. i think your just being ignorant there. I will admit he has only fought 3 times away from home and had a lot of fighters who weren't really a challenge for his but the major fights he has pulled off and beat whoever has stepped up to the plate, he's moved up a weight and conquered. Padded? i think not...maybe just soft in some parts...that i will agree with. As for being biased i don't know how to put my own opinions. I know that a lot of american judges base a fight on aggression and not how solid defense is or good footwork with solid phasing shots. But us brits may be tempted to give the home man a decision, who knows? I'd say we're both biased at times.

So you think fighting 3 people in 11 years makes someone a legend.

If someone has had 45 fights and out of that 45 fights there are only 3 competitors,cant you see the other 42 were called to build this guys record?