My answer to the title of this post is not a simple one. In many ways, rooting for a fighter based on where s/he comes from, especially if that place is your birthplace, hometown or country, is a common practice that has taken place for centuries across many sports. From the Olympics to the World Cup, rooting for athletes because they share a common ancestry or nationality with you is not only accepted, it is often endorsed by the countries that participate.
Do I think that rooting for a boxer based on such criteria is acceptable? Well, yes and no. It is my belief that once you begin rooting for a fighter based on traits that have nothing to do with their individual skill or talent, you may be headed down a path that was not originally intended. At best, this road can be filled with nationalism; at its worst, it can reek of jingoism.
Here are the reasons why I think caution must be applied when rooting for fighters based on nationality:
1) "It’s us versus them."
Due to the individual, one-on-one nature of the sport, boxing fans often form a personal bond with their favorite fighters that is rivaled by few sports. Anyone who has ever watched a Manny Pacquiao fight, where proud Filipino fans are rooting for their national hero to vanquish his latest Mexican challenger, or a Ricky Hatton fight, at which many rabid British fans have traveled thousands of miles to see their pride and joy lay a beatdown on an American fighter, it is clear that while boxing matches often represent avenues for fans to express national pride, they can also lend themselves to fans expressing an "us versus them" mentality in how they view the match in particular, and the sport in general.
2) "We’re good at this; they’re good at that."
How many times have you watched a boxing broadcast and heard an announcer say something like, "Mexicans can take a great punch," or "British fighters fight very conventional, sometimes too conventional." Like all stereotypes, some of these assessments have hints of the truth, but cannot be applied to each and every case. For every iron-chinned Mexican boxer (e.g. Julio Cesar Chavez, Sr.), there are glass-chinned ones (e.g. Fernando Vargas). For every conventional British boxer (e.g. Lennox Lewis), there have been fluid, unorthodox ones (e.g. Naseem Hamed). If you bet on Jeff Lacy (American) to beat Joe Calzaghe (British) a couple of years ago, I don’t need to tell you why stereotyping fighters is not only a bad philosophy, it can also lighten your wallet.
3) "They fight, so we must fight."
In rare cases, the conflicts that take place in the ring between the fighters themselves lead to violent confrontations between the fans watching the fight (like the ugly ringside brawl at the Riddick Bowe (American) and Andrew Golota (Poland) heavyweight fight back in 1996). In short, the individual battle in the ring can occasionally lead to a group battle outside of it. Sadly, many soccer fans are well aware of this unfortunate phenomenon.
Rooting for fighters who represent "us" is natural and, for many, a source of pride. However, if taken too far, this pride can lead to division, stereotyping and, in rare cases, violence. I leave you with a few words of advice on this matter: simply enjoy boxing for its entertainment value; respect its gladiators for their courage and skill, and root for the best boxer to win regardless of where s/he comes from. It’s a nifty little concept that has enhanced my viewing pleasure over the years.
Not to mention the fact that nowadays a lot of top fighters don’t train in the country of their origin and may have a trainer that is of a different nationality. For example, is Pacquiao’s success because he’s Filipino or because he has benefitted by his American trainer Roach? Boxing is a global sport now more than ever and it doesn’t really make sense to tie the success of a fighter to the reputation of his homeland. Look at the Klitchkos, they’re really more German than Ukrainian. Boxing needs less hype and more match making based on compatible styles.
No disagreement here Sir Jenks.
It really goes to show you that the whole business of ascribing attributes based on socially-created lines of demarcation is a difficult and often confusing thing.
Great post!
I was thinking about how tough it must be for the fighter. If the people from their home land don’t feel they show enough pride they are considered sell outs.
Thanks for the props G-Double. Yes, I have found that an open mind has led me to have a more enjoyable experience watching. Damn what raciologists think about who you root for in a boxing match! lol