Should boxers who don't speak English learn English if they fight in the U.S.?

[champion4ever]

Yes, they should because they can increase their overall earning potential by communicating with the crossover audience. In order for a foreign boxer to become a pay per view box office draw in the U.S. Then they must be willing and able to speak the English language.

That is what perhaps held Roberto Duran back in the 1970s; When he was heralded as the greatest lightweight champion of all-time but his refusal to speak the English language not only marginalized his audience with just boxing fans only but also limited his career earning potential in the process.

The English doesn't have to be perfect. Broken English would suffice. For instance, a lot of foreign born boxers attempt to speak the English language, even when their vocabulary isn't all that good but at least they don't attempt to hide behind an interpreter and because of it many have earned $ millions more like Manny Pacquiao.

As a matter of fact, Pac has inspired many other foreign born non-English speaking boxers, into speaking the English language like Juan Manuel Marquez and Miguel Cotto. As a result, they have both increased their career earning potentials by tapping into that American mainstream casual fan base.

[Zaroku]

Guys like Felix Trinidad, Marcos Maidana, Ricardo Mayorga, Ruslan Provodnikov, Lucas Matthysse, etc. refused to learn English even though they all had extensive careers in the United States.

Let me clarify, these boxers get rich in America. A boxer is not busy when a fight isn't scheduled; meaning there is an abundant amount of downtime to learn English.

Learning English is not difficult. These guys simply refuse to learn. It's arrogance. I have been learning Spanish for less than a month and I have learned a considerable amount in, like, two weeks.

Soy serio. Ingles es mi primero idioma y soy un hombre de Estados Unidos pero soy un principiante de Espanol -- mi segundo idioma. Lo intento. Mi gusto boxeo. Boxeo es una grande parte de mi vida. Boxedors hablando Ingles a pelear en America.

My Spanish is pretty garbage but it just goes to show learning a new language is not an insurmountable undertaking! Dueces.

Lmao, this is how much English Chino Maidana knows.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uIyPyTOrRw

I have made this very point many times. Marquez learned English to appeal to a wider audience. Imagine if Manny could not give his excuse filled broken English excuses. He would have many less fans, jimmy Kimmel would have never had him on. English, Ebonics, are important. We appreciate killers like Kovalev speaking English. Crap, even good *********s speak English!! It helps their popularity.

[Ray*]

When Kosta Tyszu moved and started his fighting career in Australia he got a full time english teacher when he wasn't training to learn english.

[LittleMacAttack]

It's definitely a good idea for them to learn English. I don't think it should be compulsory though. Leave it to them if they want to put in the extra effort to learn, it would only help them.

[Chrismart]

Nah not for me, it's up to them to do what they want, like with anything else.

I can understand their promoters wanting it, for marketing reasons. Me, i don't care if a fighter speaks English or talks through a translator, i just want to see them fight.

[punchr]

They're probably in the US about 14 days a year.

If you went to Russia to fight for a week twice a year, would you bother learning Russian?

It's different if the fighter lives in the US.

As a courtesy, I would -- at the very least -- learn the basics of Russian, i.e. greetings and general expressions. It's 2016. The resources for learning another language are free and in abundance.

When Kosta Tyszu moved and started his fighting career in Australia he got a full time english teacher when he wasn't training to learn english.

A commendable gesture!

[boliodogs]

No. They shouldn't go out of their way to learn English unless they want to do so. They are fighters, not students. All they need to do is fight well and the US fans will like them. Most US fight fans just care if they can fight. They don't give a damn if they speak English. I know I don't care if they speak English. American fighters don't learn the language of a non English speaking country when they travel there to fight. Why should fighters from other countries have to learn English? It wouldn't change the entertainment value of their fights one bit.

[PK3434]

It's a smart thing to do try to do, but of course in shouldn't be a requirement.

I respect guys that really try to learn..it is very difficult to learn a new language if you are an adult.

[NEETzsche]

immigrants should learn the language of their host nation as a matter of course

[mannyman]

There's no obligation to speak English but in order to market yourself better as a fighter then it would be a good idea.