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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!
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!
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