The USA-UK/British "Rivalry"

[JulioCesaChavez]

Its because the UK loves a good rivalary especially the Aussies, Germans & French

Do you mean especially with the...? Aussies rag them in cricket, which is their own sport. germans always beat them on penalties at the euros and the world cup, and the French invaded them in 1066 and won 3 times as many major football tournaments. All their rivalries are a joke and they can't even talk about boxing. Such a rivalry does not exist, the USA are just alot better as Hopkins showed when he schooled him at age of 43.

[Dirk Diggler UK]

The Tyson "myth"? What?

And who was better than Frank at that time?

The myth that Tyson was the saviour of boxing, all time great etc etc.

I was talking about the time period, which would incoporate Lennox. Dunno if you've heard of Gary Mason but he was probably better than Frank. They were supposed to fight each other but it never came off and Lennox eventually knocked Mason out.

[Dirk Diggler UK]

Do you mean especially with the...? Aussies rag them in cricket, which is their own sport. germans always beat them on penalties at the euros and the world cup, and the French invaded them in 1066 and won 3 times as many major football tournaments. All their rivalries are a joke and they can't even talk about boxing. Such a rivalry does not exist, the USA are just alot better as Hopkins showed when he schooled him at age of 43.

Didnt realise the UK had a cricket and football team?

Nice one.

[sparked_85]

Who else can we build up any kind of rivalry in boxing terms?

There is nobody else. It doesn't matter that it's an unfair rivalry, that's not the point at all.

[BetterCallSaul]

American arrogance vs English ignorance...the internet never had a chance.

[sparked_85]

American arrogance vs English ignorance...the internet never had a chance.

I think we're pretty similar, with Brit's offering greater charm and offbeat humour and the Americans offering unrelenting dismissiveness of anything they don't like and Twinky's.

[bsrizpac]

The myth that Tyson was the saviour of boxing, all time great etc etc.

I was talking about the time period, which would incoporate Lennox. Dunno if you've heard of Gary Mason but he was probably better than Frank. They were supposed to fight each other but it never came off and Lennox eventually knocked Mason out.

Lennox did not capture the British title until 1990. Around 1992 Lennox would have been in the Top Ten.

Tyson fought Bruno in 89. Bruno was a "better" fighter than Lennox at that time since Lennox had just started his career. So at the time it's not even close, Bruno was a better fighter than the guy just starting his career and a far more legitimate challenge, at that time.

I've heard of Mason but never that he was better or worse than Frank.

[The C.E.O.]

Here's two, inside, unbiased posts concerning my topic....

Behold The Quality...

Having lived in England for 7 years I understand how insular and one eyed the English can be.

The best headline I ever saw in The Sun was for the 2nd Bruno-Tyson fight.

"Give the Yank a Spank Frank" Ha ha ****ing classic!! And we all know what happened in that fight.

I think the reason they get so worked up is because they NEVER win anything. It is the THOUGHT of winning something that excites the Brits the most. They have to be the most losing nation in the history of sports. They invent everything and then get their arses handed to them by the colonial countries they introduced the sports to. I think this has proved to be a major mind **** for the English.

If you thought they took the boxing seriously try standing in a pub in London when they lose in the quarters of a football World Cup.

Coming from a neutral standpoint I think American fans can be a little one eyed as well.

I suppose it's natural, the USA is the spiritual home of boxing. In NZ we have our national rugby team (The All Blacks) and we are fiercely protective of the belief that we have the best rugby team on the planet, at all times, ever, (even though we can't win a ****ing World Cup for love nor money.)

Interestingly I do see major fights and big boxing events more and more taking place outside the States.

IF Hatton fights either De la Hoya or PBF again you can bet your bottom dollar it will take place in Britain.

Germany has cultivated a huge audience and I see Don King is taking another card back to China and I bet within 10 years a large majority of fights are taking place in Dubai, those guys are taking every major sport there. Basically the sport will follow the dollars and American fight fans are going to have to get used to more and more of the big fights moving offshore.

Whether a fighter has to 'come to the States' to prove himself may prove to be a thing of the past.

Oh and for the record I have in the past been a fan of Joe Calzaghe but when he sits in a 5 star suite America, about to fight in one of the most venerated boxing venues in history, being bankrolled by an American station and all he can do is insult his hosts, he needs his arse kicked.

Without getting too deep here, as an English guy it's ingrained into us to be xenophobic.

Remember, it was only 100 years ago or so when, in the Victorian era, we had quite possibly the most glorious world empire the world had seen. Asia, Africa, Europe, America...you name it, we owned some of it.

We kicked ass in battle, we were the most modern nation in the world, we pioneered in, well...everything.


100 years later, we've been reduced, through politics, the annexation of our colonies and war, to pretty much nothing. Europe has swallowed us up, and our politicians have allowed foreign immigrants to devour our national identity...all in the space of a century or less.

That's why Britain is so ****ed up mentally. How much does it suck that the country who invented modern boxing is now a league behind the Philippines for chrissakes!

That's why you get screaming, moronic Hatton and Calzaghe fans.

I apologise for them on behalf of my countrymen. They can't help it. They're British.

Some of you should aspire to be like these two guys when you grow up....

[Kid McCoy]

Do you mean especially with the...? Aussies rag them in cricket, which is their own sport. germans always beat them on penalties at the euros and the world cup, and the French invaded them in 1066 and won 3 times as many major football tournaments. All their rivalries are a joke and they can't even talk about boxing. Such a rivalry does not exist, the USA are just alot better as Hopkins showed when he schooled him at age of 43.

The Normans were Norsemen who conquered Normandy, not Frenchmen.

England never needed a born and bred Argentinian to score the winning goal for them in a final. France did.

[Dirk Diggler UK]

Lennox did not capture the British title until 1990. Around 1992 Lennox would have been in the Top Ten.

Tyson fought Bruno in 89. Bruno was a "better" fighter than Lennox at that time since Lennox had just started his career. So at the time it's not even close, Bruno was a better fighter than the guy just starting his career and a far more legitimate challenge, at that time.

I've heard of Mason but never that he was better or worse than Frank.

I meant time period rather than that exact time. Although Ive heard Bernard Hopkins was the best middleweight when Roy fought him on these forums....cough cough.

Mason was undefeated with a crazy KO % although against relative nobodies. He started as a slight favourite against Lennox if I remember correctly.