If you always root for your countrymen, how can you claim you're a fan of the sport?

[pistol whip]

You think the last emperor is going to retire for real now, since ufc bought strikeforce?

He still has 2 or 3 more fights on his contract. UFC already said they would honor all contracts for all fighters with strikeforce and everything will be run buissness as usual until all of stikeforces contracts run out.

[lefthook2daliva]

U know,the 1's that are American that find some twisted way to defend Floyd fighting Spadafora or asking for 100 mill to fight Pacman.Or the Philipino's that defend Manny fighting a strict diet of top rank face 1st brawlers & old men to the very end while criticizing anyone else's claim to greatness.The ts is referring to them type of fraudly fans.

To me the highlighted words sum up the problem. Imo, it's just fine to think that your countrymen are the great but to deny the greatness of their opposition because they are not your countrymen is self-defeating and childish.

[THe TRiNiTY]

I don't take "pride" in my countrymen or their success. Pride is for accomplishments. I had nothing to do with it.

I like some American fighters, I like some Mexican fighters. I even like some German fighters. But, the fact of the matter is that my favorite fighter in the modern era would either be Marco Antonio Barrera... or Bernard Hopkins. Sergio Martinez is a fighter I enjoy watching currently. I also like Andre Ward and Timothy Bradley.

Amir Khan and Manny Pacquiao are fun to watch. Floyd Mayweather is entertaining.

You should root for the fighters you enjoy. Simply rooting for your countrymen or people who grew up looking like you is a bit weak-minded. I can see if the fighters grew up on the same street as you or if it's an underdog story. That's a bit different. But otherwise, I just don't see the point in it.

If you're Puerto Rican, for example, and all of your countrymen are doing great -- fine. Be happy about it, I suppose. But, it really says nothing about you. At all. Same goes for any other fan in any other situation.

Being born what you are is essentially an accident.

[BorderPatrol]

i only have one favorite fighter(He's in my avatar and sig) and he's Russian a country which I have no ties to whatsoever.

Sounds more like a crush on a soft bellied Russian man. Have you tried to write to him?

[» HE3R0 «]

I don't think there should be a problem if someone watches boxing a lot, but always roots for the person from their country. It's almost natural for someone to have a certain kinship towards fighters coming from their given country. If you and the fighter originate from a particularly poor nation, you can imagine that you probably have a lot in common in beliefs and the struggles this fighter had to go through to get where he is. With that in mind and for the same reasons, it's easy to start rooting for someone even if they're not from the same country you hail from.


I think the TS's question is better suited to be:

How can you claim to be a fan of the sport, if you're only interested when your countrymen are fighting?


Because then you can lay focus to "fans" that willingly ignore the rest of the boxing world, but make outrageous claims about their country's best fighters.

[» HE3R0 «]

I root for fighters regardless of origin.

I am Mex but wanted Cotto to beat Margarito cause i just do not like Tony or his style. I also was pro Manny against Morales based on Erik's ignorant comments about Mex -American who wave the Mexican flags at his fights.He was saying that he doesnt understand how a person such as me can wave the Mexican flag when never living in Mexico. I lived in Mexico and went to school there, and he should b happy that folks here are happy and dont deny there roots. If he didnt want the support or just cant understand us waving the Mex flag, then he should just stick to fighting in a bullfightn ring in TJ instead of Vegas with a bunch of ticket buying Mex Americans.

Bottom line- Im a boxing fan . Blind allegiance is dangerous.

Didn't know that about Erik.

Growing up, amongst the "3 Legends" I always preferred him over the other two.

I'm not Mexican so that may explain why I didn't know about him making those remarks.

[Agent Mulder]

You really, really need to get off your high horse. If anything, your lack of understanding for the connection fans have to their representatives in the sport reveals more about your lack of character/intellect than those you so openly criticize.

We get it, you propose you are the perfect fan of the sport, oblivious to color, race, or nationality. It's a nice concept, but 99% of people won't even give it any thought, it goes against human nature to erase all lines of distinction.

I am a fan of the sport, I support Cotto (PR), JMM (Mexico), Sergio (Argentina), and now Carl Froch (UK)... If we're vocal about our PR fighters, so be it...

you're right. it's totally natural to feel a vague connection with someone who's from the same country/island/piece of land that you're from. it's not that i don't understand that, it's just i think it's a dated way of thinking. i don't think that kind of mentality will be strong 200 years from now. at least not in the US. living in the philipines for example, kinda makes it difficult to not be a pacquiao fan. i'm more understanding of that fan than of the US citizen with filipino roots blindly following manny. he's in their face all of the time. here, in the states, there's a lot more diversity and access to different atheletes, music, art & films etc.

no need to be a blind fan boy in the 21st century. appreciate greatness wherever it comes from. unless you have some ties or are related to a certain fighter, there's no need to be a cheerleader for someone who's from the same country your ancestors are from. there's nothing to gain except for a false feeling of gratification and pride.

[Hobo]

Didn't know that about Erik.

Growing up, amongst the "3 Legends" I always preferred him over the other two.

I'm not Mexican so that may explain why I didn't know about him making those remarks.

he lost me as a fan after he said that. It was either boxing digest or KO mag back in 2003 , i believe.

Any Mex fighter that goes out of there way to dismiss a Mex American fighter based on being born in the U.S and not being a "real Mexican " gets no support from me.

[Agent Mulder]

I don't take "pride" in my countrymen or their success. Pride is for accomplishments. I had nothing to do with it.

I like some American fighters, I like some Mexican fighters. I even like some German fighters. But, the fact of the matter is that my favorite fighter in the modern era would either be Marco Antonio Barrera... or Bernard Hopkins. Sergio Martinez is a fighter I enjoy watching currently. I also like Andre Ward and Timothy Bradley.

Amir Khan and Manny Pacquiao are fun to watch. Floyd Mayweather is entertaining.

You should root for the fighters you enjoy. Simply rooting for your countrymen or people who grew up looking like you is a bit weak-minded. I can see if the fighters grew up on the same street as you or if it's an underdog story. That's a bit different. But otherwise, I just don't see the point in it.

If you're Puerto Rican, for example, and all of your countrymen are doing great -- fine. Be happy about it, I suppose. But, it really says nothing about you. At all. Same goes for any other fan in any other situation.

Being born what you are is essentially an accident.

thread should be closed after this. + rep dude.

[PAKYO]

"real" boxing fans shouldnt even be fans of fighters. They should never root for a fighter, because its enough for them to jsut watch the sport lol

This...is more real.

Casual fans like me are the real boxing fans.

Fck floyd, he's a fraud. and gay.