I would hate to be a US boxing fan!

[Guest]

Actually, in a way we us fans have an advantage because of the time difference.
Evening in Europe is in the day in the U.S. so we can watch the euro fights in the afternoon, and not have to stay up until 5 am to catch an American main event.

Anybody with a good asian stream link?
I have this big interest in the lighter divisions in Asia.

[T-97]

I even watch his Vegas undercards.
Audley represents the common man. All kinds of talent but scared to do something with his life.
There is a little of Audley in all of us. That's what makes him so compelling.
And plus, he's a southpaw, I have to like him.
Because of that rule, I even have to like Cory Spinks....

I actually have Audley Harrisons career on DVD. He has a lot of talent, he really does. But a weak chin, and no desire at all. Well, he may have some now (He don't fight like he does) but he certainly did not have any when he ran to tha USA to avoid Danny Williams.

He reminds me of a leader with no voice. He has the talent to do it, but is held back by something inside him.

He's a **** as well, a proper one at that.

[abadger]

I think more than this a major problem is the incipient attitude of many US fight fans: literally, "If it ain't in the USA, I ain't interested." This attitude is actually quite alarming when you consider that many of these fans actually see its as a virtue, one that is indicative of being a 'real' fan of boxing, when really its just ignorance.

It was exactly this attitude that lead to America wildly misjudging the talents of Lacy and Calzaghe, for example. Calzaghe was assumed to be no good simply because he was European and Lacy was expected to decimate him simply because he was American. A poster here who shall remain nameless once put the theory into action: "Lacy was our guy in a division nobody cared about so we assumed he would dominate. Nobody knew who Calzaghe was." And this poster was using this statement to defend his negative assessment of Calzaghe!

This raises another point: US boxing fans will often ignore whole divisons if they are not being ruled by Americans. A current example is the HWs, but even better is the SMW division. This division is routinely described by Americans as a '**** division', but might this possibly be because for most of its history it has contained some of Europe's best boxers? Chris Eubank, Nigel Benn, Michael Watson, Steve Collins, Joe Calzaghe, Mikkel Kessler, this is an illustrious list of elite performers all of whom would have been a threat to the best US boxers of their era, but such fights have rarely been made. Instead US fighters have tended to pass through before moving to LHW without taking on the best true SMWs, and US fight fans simply ignore the achievements of the true SMW champions claiming that LHW is somehow, 'better', when in reality there is little grounds for this suggestion.

As always, I have to point out that the USA has a great many well informed and knowledgeable boxing fans too, but IMO there is no denying that this incipient nationalism is a common thread on the US boxing scene, which I think would benefit from a more outward looking viewpoint.

[DrewWoodside]

i agree, we also know more about boxing than americans.

fact

Most British fans stick almost exclusively to british fighters. I don't hear the majority of Calzaghe fans talking about Vazquez/Marquez or Diaz/Cambell. Another thread that will be littered with America bashing Morons.

[T-97]

Most British fans stick almost exclusively to british fighters. I don't hear the majority of Calzaghe fans talking about Vazquez/Marquez or Diaz/Cambell. Another thread that will be littered with America bashing Morons.

Lies

I have both those fights on DVD. I had to buy them though, no **** in the UK showed them We didn't get Diaz-Katsidis either.

[abadger]

Most British fans stick almost exclusively to british fighters. I don't hear the majority of Calzaghe fans talking about Vazquez/Marquez or Diaz/Cambell. Another thread that will be littered with America bashing Morons.

Yeah, I don't hear that many Americans talking about fights like Alex Arthur v Nicky Cook or Froch v Pascal. Calzaghe v Kessler, a unification bout between the best two SMWs in the world did awful numbers on HBO.

It goes both ways. Its hardly surprising that fans tend to like boxers from their own country best.

[abadger]

Lies

I have both those fights on DVD. I had to buy them though, no **** in the UK showed them We didn't get Diaz-Katsidis either.

Aye, and some of us stay up to watch those bastards on Spanish language streams at 5am in the morning, but yeah, its brit boxers only for us!

[bsrizpac]

Yeah, I don't hear that many Americans talking about fights like Alex Arthur v Nicky Cook or Froch v Pascal. Calzaghe v Kessler, a unification bout between the best two SMWs in the world did awful numbers on HBO.

It goes both ways. Its hardly surprising that fans tend to like boxers from their own country best.

This statement completely contradicts your previous posts long rant.

[T-97]

Aye, and some of us stay up to watch those bastards on Spanish language streams at 5am in the morning, but yeah, its brit boxers only for us!

Did you watch the Spanish stream too?

I hated it, Up until 5AM to watch it in Spanish. I was up 'till 6AM for JMM-Casa as well. I even sat through Klitschko-Iggy at 5AM!

[abadger]

This statement completely contradicts your previous posts long rant.

No it doesn't. There is a difference between having your favourites and routinely dismissing fighters and divisions based on nationality.