"Real" Boxing Fans?
What exactly are they?
Boxing fans surprise me. In a sport mainly based on primitive violence that many would class as thuggish and neanderthal, it's strange to see stuck-up, snobby attitudes held by people who appear to have some kind of superiority complex. If you have been following the sport for only 3 weeks, apparently you are not a "real" boxing fan, you might possibly be spoken to as though you are worthless scum. If you have been a fan of the sport for 30 years, yet you support a fighter who someone else doesn't, apparently you are not a "real" boxing fan. If you have only 10 posts on a forum and joined yesterday, apparently you don't know anything about the sport and your opinion is irrelevant. You may support the world's #1 boxer, acknowledge his accomplishments, the fact that he is one of the greatest fighters who ever lived, and feel blessed that you are witnessing something special that only comes around once in every lifetime.... no, you're not a "real" boxing fan.
Anyone who tells someone else they are not a "real" boxing fan without really knowing anything about them, in my opinion, truly isn't a real boxing fan.
Let's say you like watching Floyd Mayweather. If you do, you might feel as though those who don't particularly like him are not "real" boxing fans. Even if you appreciate the skill level but don't actually enjoy watching his style, to some this is simply unacceptable.
Does it really matter how long someone has been a fan, or what/who attracted them to the sport in the first place? Should we not welcome anyone, no matter who they are, and if they show ignorance, try to educate them?
My view on it is like this:
Boxing is not a special club where only one type of fighter and one type of fan is welcome. Boxing is made up of many different types of fighter. It needs it's face-first brawlers, it's slick counter-punchers, boxer/punchers, unorthodox fighters, journeymen, "bums" (note: I will never use this word to describe a man who puts his life on the line to feed his family and keep a roof over his head), and everything else in between. Boxing is a much bigger picture than many people here seem to think. Just like anything else in life, be it cars, clothes, the people we sleep with, the music we listen to... everyone has different taste and different reasons as to why they support their fighters. To me, anyone who thinks boxing should be one way and everything else is wrong, is a *******. I'm sure everyone can agree that the world would be incredibly boring if we all thought the same. Forums for discussion would be pointless because we would all be saying the same thing, and all fights would look the same, with both fighters using the same style on each other and basically getting nowhere, there would be no excitement. You wouldn't see a wicked leaping left-hook from the legendary Roy Jones Jr. that makes you say "damn! where did that come from?", because it's not "real" boxing, it's too unorthodox.
Just to make it clear, this post is not an attempt to **** on any one particular fighter or his fans, although I myself have been told several times that I'm not a "real" boxing fan, and since it came from Mayweather fans, I am using them as an example. The fact that I first watched boxing as a little kid in the late 70's (Ali) and have followed it through until now, it's just not good enough for some people. Regardless of the fact that some of these people are teenagers who have been following the sport for one tenth of the time I have, they get on their high horses and tell me I know nothing.
Well, I never claimed to be a know-it-all. I wouldn't even want to be, because if I knew it all my level of interest would decrease. I would rather keep learning. Nobody really likes a know-it-all anyway.
This isn't about me, though, so I'll wrap it up. I just needed to get this off my chest. It'd be nice if we could be a little more accepting of others and welcome them as a supporter of the sport we love. Share the knowledge. Next time you accuse someone of not being a "real" boxing fan, just stop and think for a second. 99% of the people on this forum don't really know anything about each other. For all we know, Floyd Mayweather himself could have written a post or two, shared his opinion, and been told he knows nothing. The most technically slick fighter in the world was just told he knows nothing about the sport? Yes, it's very possible.
Guys, let's cut the bull****. We really need some changes around here because the forum is constantly being flooded with garbage by people who think they know better than you.
You and me are not really better than the next man just for the fact that we like a particular style or support a particular fighter. That's all there is to it.
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