Is it wrong to root for a fighter just because he is the same race or ethnicity?

[Tony Trick-Pony]

I would rather watch a young Klitschko over a young Tyson.

In the late 1990s, Wlad was putting guys away faster than young Tyson in the late 1980s.

Not the current faded clinching leaning version of Klitschko though, he's now not so much fun to watch.

Well, you make a great point. Ha. And Wlad was more consistent over his career. I guess I loved Tyson's explosiveness in the beginning.

[Tony Trick-Pony]

I agree 100%. That's really all of this in a nutshell. If people see two guys in the ring they have never heard of, never seen fight, know zero backstory on (let's say even where they are from) and can tell you who they are rooting for before they see them fight I consider that suspect.

It was like the one fight on the under card of Berto-Ortiz I believe. One fighter was black and being touted against a Croatian guy I believe. I'd neither heard of either and frankly didn't know what ethnicity the Croatian guy was and wasn't really for either. When the fight got under way, though, I thought the black was probably a bit better in the first, but as the fight went on, I rooted for the Croatian because he was just fighting a better fight. Hearing how the announcers were hyping the black guy, I really wanted to root for the Croatian and did. And I was really disappointed when they robbed him. That was crap. Had the ethnic roles been reversed, I definitely would have been rooting for the black guy. It's just that simple. Ethnicity is only the surface of a fighter, much like height, weight and stance. All that goes out the window in the ring.

[boliodogs]

I agree with what you said. You can't help who you root for or why. It just comes naturally and there is nothing wrong with it. As for some guys being unfair to races they don't like goes, some are so obvious about it that they don't have to admit it. Everybody already knows they are prejudice in favor of a particular race.

[Pigeons]

I root for black fighters because they are better than white fighters. I'm white but I call it like I see it. No bias from me.

[Sup]

I root for foreign born white fighters because there are no American white fighters in boxing anymore.

[MisterPullman]

I root for black fighters because they are better than white fighters. I'm white but I call it like I see it. No bias from me.

Lol I see what you did there

[richardt]

Here is my story with Ice John Scully, former contender and trainer of world champs.

John and I talked backed in the 90's and we were surprised when one fan said he only roots for fighters of his nationality.

John and I had a conversation with him and he said to us "Don't you guys only favor guys of your nationality, color, etc?". John and I were flat out dumbfounded!! We were shocked that he said this....that he asked this because John and I have always loved great fighters of every kind, every color, every country and we thought that was how every fan was!! This was the 90's when the internet was still young, commercially speaking.

Damn were we naïve! The internet lets people reveal their bias and since those days in the 90's, Scully and I learned the cold, hard, truth. Some people are true fans, some people are fan boys, for others, boxing is a race/color war and that is downright pathetic!

I can proudly say I have never rooted for a fighter based on race, nationality, or color. Neither has Ice John Scully. And I know there are others here who are the same way. But I don't believe that is the majority, not for one minute.

[buge]

There's nothing wrong with rooting for someone you like or who belongs to a group you identify with.

If you root for your brother, is that wrong? What about your cousin? What about your neighbor? Or someone from your state, your college, or your country? Someone who is the same religion? Someone who is the same race?

None of those things are wrong. You don't have to do it, but it is natural and right to do so.

Take some pride in yourself and others like you.

[Mr.Fantastic]

The biggest issue I see on here is that dudes don't give equal credit for the same damn accomplishments because the other boxer is a different race or nationality. Yet those are the first ones that call someone racist as soon as you call them out on it.

[Redd Foxx]

I won't say, "wrong", but I view it as insecurity and mental weakness.
Now, having cultural biases is understandable.