Is Rooting For Boxers Based On Nationality Wrong?

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 on 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 an 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 Lacey (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.