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

[sensai]

It's not the fact that he fought in Europe that tarnishes his legacy. It's the competition that he didn't face.

[Pullcounter]

It's not the fact that he fought in Europe that tarnishes his legacy. It's the competition that he didn't face.

and the fact that he didn't want to fight outside his hometown

[Oasis_Lad]

and the fact that he didn't want to fight outside his hometown

He's fought outside his Hometown 29 times.

[Spray_resistant]

The fact is that most of the posters here are American and Americans are typically arrogant and think this is the center of the world in every aspect. So top Euro fighters should always have to come here and top American fighters should never have to leave the center of the world that apparently everyone else cares about.

[Mikhnienko]

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.

lol okay, valid points but if we start delving into the social consciousness of entire nations we could be here a long time. There is plenty on anti-hero worship in the U.S. too. Certianly in media, films, music but also in sports. Mosley is still held in high regard by most. Hopkins and Holyfield's accomplishments aren't tainted by their jab like frequency & mastery of headbutts. Steroids in baseball etc etc etc

lol let's just agree that we all have a little crook in us

[daggum]

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)

lol scapegoat. did you see the chris henry diacanu fight? diacanu was getting pounded into dust the last 3 rounds he literally couldn't stand up and fell down about 15 times and some of them should have been knockdowns cause he would get hit try to hold then fall down. the ref should have and would have stopped the fight if it was anywhere else and yet he still got the decision.

[Mikhnienko]

lol scapegoat. did you see the chris henry diacanu fight? diacanu was getting pounded into dust the last 3 rounds he literally couldn't stand up and fell down about 15 times and some of them should have been knockdowns cause he would get hit try to hold then fall down. the ref should have and would have stopped the fight if it was anywhere else and yet he still got the decision.

The scoring was: 115-113 Oren Shellenberger (Texas); 115-113 Victor Panin (Russia); 116-112 Mark Green (United Kingdom)

I have the fight on tape from a french tv broadcast, and i watched the DK stream live. I'd be interested in knowing how you watched the last 3 rounds since the feed cut out in the 10th round?

And Dawson in the u.s. isn't given bull**** decisions right? *view johnson fight*

[Grand Champ]

When B-Hop, Mayweather, Dawson and many other American fighters WILL NEVER leave the US?

Boxing draws bigger crowds in Europe than the US, and they could make bigger paydays...

Calzaghe actually left his home country of Wales many times, fighting in England, Scotland, Denmark, Germany and the US (twice).

But Dawson gave up his WBC title because he was afraid to fight a prime Diaconu in Romania, and instead chose to fight old Tarver in the US. The people who bash Calzaghe never mention that...

Is there a double standard for Americans and non-Americans?

Very good point Tunney. Some dumb american mentality really.

[daggum]

The scoring was: 115-113 Oren Shellenberger (Texas); 115-113 Victor Panin (Russia); 116-112 Mark Green (United Kingdom)

I have the fight on tape from a french tv broadcast, and i watched the DK stream live. I'd be interested in knowing how you watched the last 3 rounds since the feed cut out in the 10th round?

And Dawson in the u.s. isn't given bull**** decisions right? *view johnson fight*

are you trying to "get me" sorry buddy you lose. the fight was on youtube(in romanian) and i saw the last 3 rounds. i notice how you dont dispute the claims diacanu was a dead fighter the last 3 rounds. are you sure you have seen it? are you sure you weren't watching lets say nothing?

johnson-dawson could have gone either way it was no robbery. diacanu-henry was criminal cause the ref and judges were clearly on diacanu's side and would never let him lose under any circumstances. big difference that you obviously can't see.

[Chunk..]

and the fact that he didn't want to fight outside his hometown

Calzaghe has fought outside his Hometown 29 times.