American fighters are born with a silver spoon in mouth. Home advantage. Fact.

[Fenster]

I spent all morning doing extensive research to be greeted by a Ric Flair video. Brilliant.

[walrus]

You probably have a point but why would a star fighter travel when he doesn't need to. The American market is still the market fighters want to break into. We have over 300 million people in our country and it is very lucrative for a top fighter. What incentive does Floyd have to travel. GGG is impressive, he could easily settle here and make the bucks but I think the king of Monaco loves the guy and does a lot to have him fight in Monaco. So yes, a lot of us fighters don't travel but they don't need to.......factoid.

[powerpuncher]

I agree that they are fortunate. That's just how it works though. For the most part, the biggest fights will be in the US. Fortunately for others, they often don't have to live here. They can train in their country and then come here for their fight and go back home. Also, Americans usually don't care about the nationality of a fighter. They don't root for someone just because they are American.

[walrus]

I agree that they are fortunate. That's just how it works though. For the most part, the biggest fights will be in the US. Fortunately for others, they often don't have to live here. They can train in their country and then come here for their fight and go back home. Also, Americans usually don't care about the nationality of a fighter. They don't root for someone just because they are American.

Yes, very true. It's like that in many sports here. I'm big on baseball and a number of my favorite players are Dominican, Pedro Martinez, a picture for the Red Sox, I would have taken a bullet for the guy. When it comes to sports we love the ability. Soccer players don't come to the US, the money and fame isn't here for them to the degree it is elsewhere.

[Spicoli]

That's just the way it's always been. The exposure, fan base and networks are what helped propel some of those p4p listed long before what they actually did in the ring. As a fighter you want to be where the lights shine brightest be it for a rebuild of sorts like Benn or a breakout like say a Hamed. Guys like Broner get the silver spoon up front but it turns into near self sabotage. You can fill a truck with guys pushed to the front off of a media fixation and hype machine that turned out to be flops. Silver spoons are not alway good.

[Master]

The US heavyweights are failed American footballers who think being a good athlete makes you a good boxer. Seth Mitchell was the next big thing and he has been wiped out.

[El Kabong]

The US heavyweights are failed American footballers who think being a good athlete makes you a good boxer. Seth Mitchell was the next big thing and he has been wiped out.

True.....but about those big time British boxers that never quite pan out?

[walrus]

The US heavyweights are failed American footballers who think being a good athlete makes you a good boxer. Seth Mitchell was the next big thing and he has been wiped out.

Seth Mitchell seemed like a nice guy but I never understood why people thought he was going anywhere. On the other hand, the US has had some great heavyweights, I would write them all but it would take too long.

[beenKOed]

I agree that they are fortunate. That's just how it works though. For the most part, the biggest fights will be in the US. Fortunately for others, they often don't have to live here. They can train in their country and then come here for their fight and go back home. Also, Americans usually don't care about the nationality of a fighter. They don't root for someone just because they are American.

I agree.

[TitoFan]

I agree that they are fortunate. That's just how it works though. For the most part, the biggest fights will be in the US. Fortunately for others, they often don't have to live here. They can train in their country and then come here for their fight and go back home. Also, Americans usually don't care about the nationality of a fighter. They don't root for someone just because they are American.

I agree.

"Usually" being the key word here.
I've seen cases in which this is not true. It's not a big deal, either.
Most if not all countries root for their own.

Let me put it this way. All other things being equal, fans will root for the local fighter...... usually.

[Jimanuel Boogustus]

For the record Ricky Hatton was Floyd biggest pay day at the time but could have been so in any country as long as it was on a American PPV. That's where the money is. HBO or the other one.

[Fenster]

Americans don't root for their own?

I've never seen a fight where the American crowd were cheering for the foreigner (Las Vegas doesn't count). For sure there are Americans that wont support the American fighter just like there are Brits that wont support the Brit.

[Fenster]

America is where the money is? Not sure about that, it needs some more extensive research

[powerpuncher]

I agree that they are fortunate. That's just how it works though. For the most part, the biggest fights will be in the US. Fortunately for others, they often don't have to live here. They can train in their country and then come here for their fight and go back home. Also, Americans usually don't care about the nationality of a fighter. They don't root for someone just because they are American.

I agree.

"Usually" being the key word here.
I've seen cases in which this is not true. It's not a big deal, either.
Most if not all countries root for their own.

Let me put it this way. All other things being equal, fans will root for the local fighter...... usually.

I can't recall any American ever saying that they are rooting for a fighter because he is American. International competition is different. Things like the Olympics or world championships Americans do root for their own country. Boxing isn't considered an international competition in that same regard.

For example, I can't imagine that if Floyd were from a different country that he would be beloved regardless of his problems. Here in the US, tons of people hate him. In fact, most want him to lose. Look back at Ali. Tons of Americans hated him. They watched his fights to see him lose. Can you imagine a fighter of that caliber from mexico, Puerto rice, the UK or somewhere wanting their countryman to lose that bad? Maybe there is a case where this is true but someone give me an example of an elite fighter from anywhere in the world that's not the US, that their countrymen hated them and wanted them to lose.

I think it's because the US is so big that we have a lot to choose from. Imagine Puerto Rico hating Trinidad or mexico hating Chavez. It just wouldn't happen.

[TitoFan]

I agree that they are fortunate. That's just how it works though. For the most part, the biggest fights will be in the US. Fortunately for others, they often don't have to live here. They can train in their country and then come here for their fight and go back home. Also, Americans usually don't care about the nationality of a fighter. They don't root for someone just because they are American.

I agree.

"Usually" being the key word here.
I've seen cases in which this is not true. It's not a big deal, either.
Most if not all countries root for their own.

Let me put it this way. All other things being equal, fans will root for the local fighter...... usually.

I can't recall any American ever saying that they are rooting for a fighter because he is American. International competition is different. Things like the Olympics or world championships Americans do root for their own country. Boxing isn't considered an international competition in that same regard.

For example, I can't imagine that if Floyd were from a different country that he would be beloved regardless of his problems. Here in the US, tons of people hate him. In fact, most want him to lose. Look back at Ali. Tons of Americans hated him. They watched his fights to see him lose. Can you imagine a fighter of that caliber from mexico, Puerto rice, the UK or somewhere wanting their countryman to lose that bad? Maybe there is a case where this is true but someone give me an example of an elite fighter from anywhere in the world that's not the US, that their countrymen hated them and wanted them to lose.

I think it's because the US is so big that we have a lot to choose from. Imagine Puerto Rico hating Trinidad or mexico hating Chavez. It just wouldn't happen.

Well, Trinidad or Chavez (the persons) would never be confused with Floyd. I imagine if we had a scumbag, woman-beating fighter, with no redeeming personal attributes.... we wouldn't cheer for him at all.