Why does Calzaghe get bashed for fighting in Europe...

[Shattered Jaw]

Oh right, fair enough. I'm not retracting my statement about dodgy decisions in Germany but that explains that scorecard. The other ones were fine if I remember.... the big guy took a good old fashioned ass whopping.

[dans]

Dude it was not about US vs UK or Euro.

People were on about all kinds of countries.

That attitude and accusation underlines how frankly, ****** you've made yourself look in this thread. You seem to have absolutely no basic understanding or appreciation for basic geographics, countries, borders, cultures, people, sporting habits, local treatments, distances, sports fans, nothing.

You just keep racking on about the same thing. You looked ****** when you even slightly suggested travelling 400 miles within the US is as good as travelling 400 miles to another country.

I've been the more gentile on you and I wasn't even sure where you were from for awhile underlining the fact you weren't being picked on for that, but your pure ******ity, which is also why few stuck up for you.

Ok.

Wow chill man. That comment was not meant to be an accusation of any sort and I truly had no negative purpose for it. I was simply beaten down in this thread, so I submitted. You guys are right, I'm wrong. I didn't mean to discount the difference in culture or any of the above accused things.

In all honesty, that post was nothing but me trying to lighten the mood. I joke around a lot on here if you haven't seen me. If that post was offensive, I apologize.

[Mikhnienko]

The UK commentary on the Taylor Abraham fight said that there had only been one points victory by a non german fighter in the venue's history - says it all.

Sure it was UK commentators? The American Showtime guys said "in the last 70 title defenses here" (don't know if 'here' means venue or Germany) "the visitors record are 11-56-3 and have only won 2 decisions".

Now keep in mind that this is mentioned mid way through the 12th round in a fight that any unbias viewer knows Abrahammer was comfortably ahead in the fight. So why is he trying to make it out like Taylor is going to be robbed?

Also how does this really demonstrate anything? take a look at stats for belt holders defending their titles. I imagine that their defense rate is rather high in comparison to challengers winning.

If you look at fighters from texas who are belt holders defending in texas do you think it'd be a 50/50 ratio?

Am i saying robberies don't happen in Germany? no
but they happen everywhere else too, just wanted to point out the misleading nature of that statistic.

[Kris Silver]

Wow chill man. That comment was not meant to be an accusation of any sort and I truly had no negative purpose for it. I was simply beaten down in this thread, so I submitted. You guys are right, I'm wrong. I didn't mean to discount the difference in culture or any of the above accused things.

In all honesty, that post was nothing but me trying to lighten the mood. I joke around a lot on here if you haven't seen me. If that post was offensive, I apologize.

Well if that's the cast then cool I apologise. I was trying desperately to be patient with you dude and trying to point out why your comments might offend or just attract strong criticism. It did and you just carried on, so it just wound me up. I'd urge you to re-think some of those posts because it was mind boggling how much you were missing the point sometimes.

Anyways, your best post was a reply to me asking something like, would it be easier for Dawson to travel to Germany, than Calzaghe.

My answer was going to be, depends on the air line. To lighten the mood...

[dans]

Since I've taken my licks in here, I'd like to make one point.

Is it a double standard that Calzaghe gets bashed for fighting in Europe? Yes. But I haven't made one post in here that says I discredit Calzaghe for fighting in Europe. I'm instead saying that we shouldn't discredit a fighter for WHERE they fight, but rather WHO they fight. Calzaghe has beaten great champions and by many including Americans he's considered an ATG. The fact that he fought primarily in Europe doesn't discount his career at all.

But the same goes for Americans too. Why does Floyd Mayweather or any other fighter need to go to Europe to prove themselves? Shouldn't it be about WHO you fight?

Does going to another country prove something? Yes, but no one should be discredited for fighting in their home country. If that's where the money is, that's where you fight. As I've said numerous times, I don't know why the Klitchcko brothers even bother with America, they make more money and get far more respect in Europe for fighting the same opponents they would fight here.

[Shadows]

Hey an American. You're late buddy. It was like 10 on 1 before.

Sorry, you should've put up the Batman signal.

[dans]

Well if that's the cast then cool I apologise. I was trying desperately to be patient with you dude and trying to point out why your comments might offend or just attract strong criticism. It did and you just carried on, so it just wound me up. I'd urge you to re-think some of those posts because it was mind boggling how much you were missing the point sometimes.

Anyways, your best post was a reply to me asking something like, would it be easier for Dawson to travel to Germany, than Calzaghe.

My answer was going to be, depends on the air line. To lighten the mood...

Dawson would have a layover in London.

[dans]

Sorry, you should've put up the Batman signal.

Even commissioner Gordon thought I was wrong.

[Mikhnienko]

Fighting Diaconu in Romania is not a smart career move for Dawson, compared to making the money he did for fighting Tarver.

Actually by fighting Diaconu in Romania Dawson would have made a million and it would have been his biggest purse to date.

"Although the fight would have given the 25 year-old Dawson his biggest career payday of a million dollars, it was hardly worth the bother – or the risk, for that matter – because Showtime cable network, which has a contractor with Dawson, reportedly wasn’t interested in seeing Dawson fight Diaconu, preferring much more to see Dawson face the more popular IBF light heavyweight champion Antonio Tarver instead. "
http://www.************.com/2008/07/...arver-instead/

So what you have is American media preferring to protect their fighter by fighting an old, overrated (my opinion), American with a name, for less money. The writer of the article goes on to justify this by using the "he'll get robbed in Romania" scapegoat.

He did the same thing when refusing to give Johnson a rematch and opting to fight Tarver again.

Mainstream American boxing fans being manipulated by American media bias is what allows for Dawson - Tarver or Mayweather - De La Hoya to be viewed as "super fights" rather than having their best compete against true top adversaries (many being Europeans)

[Degsy]

Sure it was UK commentators? The American Showtime guys said "in the last 70 title defenses here" (don't know if 'here' means venue or Germany) "the visitors record are 11-56-3 and have only won 2 decisions".

Now keep in mind that this is mentioned mid way through the 12th round in a fight that any unbias viewer knows Abrahammer was comfortably ahead in the fight. So why is he trying to make it out like Taylor is going to be robbed?

Also how does this really demonstrate anything? take a look at stats for belt holders defending their titles. I imagine that their defense rate is rather high in comparison to challengers winning.

If you look at fighters from texas who are belt holders defending in texas do you think it'd be a 50/50 ratio? .

You are right that statistics can be misleading and I think that we'd all agree that a more consistent judging approach would be helpful, but there is a difference between subjectivity and bias. Not wishing to beat down on Germany, but there is a culture akin to the South American trait of admiring the cheater, if he can get away with it. Many of Germany's greatest sportspeople have their records tainted by cheating, Michael Schummacher was a brilliant performer, but he deliberately drove people off the track to secure titles; Ottke was East German, so the authorities had a vested interest in helping him suceed, so as to raise the morale of the recently integrated Easterns. In football (soccer) Klinsman and Voller would fall over as if they were shot to win penalties, one of their goal keepers broke a french players jaw in an aerial challenge and escaped censure....the list goes on. Yes there have been close decisions in the UK, Malinga, Johnson etc. In my opinion if Dirrell Froch was a non title fight Dirrell would have done enough, but rightly or wrongly most Judges believe that you have to TAKE the belt away from a champion, Dirrell tried to do a Hopkins, but forgot he was the challenger. Now you can be for or against that sort of subjectivity, but either way, it can't be compared to something like the Reid Ottke fight, which would have sparked a diplomatic incident if I was the Sports minister at the time.