Blindly following boxers from the same country as you.

[opticald]

I am Irish, born and raised. However, I do not support Irish boxers any differently than I would support any boxer. It purely comes down to skill, style and personality, no matter where he is from. I would never blindly hope an Irish fighter won a fight just because he is Irish and I am Irish. I dislike Bernard Dunne and would like to see him beaten. Steve Collins, I don't really rate and think Calzaghe would have done him (RJJ would have played with him). Andy Lee, John Duddy, both limited and I wouldn't be cheering any of them on. I would cheer someone like PBF on before any Irish fighter as I am a big fan of his skill level and love watching him work.

Am I right to assume I am completely in the minority in this?

[Asterix]

I like to support a Brit as I tend to feel more of an affinity to them, but when discussing fights I try to be as unbiased as possible. I definitely keep my eyes open (RE: the title of this topic ).

Are there any Irish boxers you DO like, opticald?

[opticald]

I am a fan of Jim Rock!

[CheckHook]

I always support British fighers in the ring, even if I'm not a huge fan of there style or career choices. My logic is the more success British fighters have, the more British fighters are produced off the back of that success. The more British fighters produced the higher the standard and the wider the choice.... Also more British success increases popularity thus increasing the amount of televised boxing.

[banjo]

I follow fighters who I like rather than those of the country I come from.

[jimglen]

I too follow fighters whom I like irrespective of their origin...
I have a partiality to "boxers" as opposed to fighters, I'm a bit of a purist. Leonard, Camacho, Carbajal and the like. Box-fighters like Hagler, Tyson and the like, but big bruisers and unstylish fighters No Thanks.

England/British boxing, sorry to say, in my findings are the most bias, WIN at all cost - management, promoters, referees and very much the press and sport/boxing writers!

[CheckHook]

England/British boxing, sorry to say, in my findings are the most bias, WIN at all cost - management, promoters, referees and very much the press and sport/boxing writers!

I've been watching boxing long enough to see plenty of shocking opinions, decisions, promoters, trainers and referees, both in Britain and overseas. Sure Britian has it problems but no worse than anywhere else in the world, certainly not enough to single them out. I don't really see how Britain would get singled out as the most bias nation. I guess we have a large travelling fan base who support some of our fighters, but don't confuse support with bias. Sure I support British fighters, but I'm not blinded by the fact there are better out there.

We've had and have plenty of top class boxing writers also who are more than capable of putting across a balanced opinion, same can be said of all aspects of British boxing. I've seen and read some of the most bizarre opinions and decision from foreign sources but I wouldn't waste my time making sweeping generalisations, rather seems better to focus on individuals than a nation at large.

[Captain Hook]

I am Irish, born and raised. However, I do not support Irish boxers any differently than I would support any boxer. It purely comes down to skill, style and personality, no matter where he is from. I would never blindly hope an Irish fighter won a fight just because he is Irish and I am Irish. I dislike Bernard Dunne and would like to see him beaten. Steve Collins, I don't really rate and think Calzaghe would have done him (RJJ would have played with him). Andy Lee, John Duddy, both limited and I wouldn't be cheering any of them on. I would cheer someone like PBF on before any Irish fighter as I am a big fan of his skill level and love watching him work.

Am I right to assume I am completely in the minority in this?

No not at all mate, I am not a Calzaghe/Rees/Macarinelli arse licker. Fan of Calzaghe for the right reasons but not as blind as some to his actions at times.

I appreciate my fellow countrymen for what they've achieved and pulled for them in a fight I was just happy to see for boxing's sake - Haye v Mac for example - but not in a rabid way. Sad to see the way he lost but Haye was and is the better fighter, plain and simple.

[Captain Hook]

PS If we're talking UK v abroad, then I was happy to see Witter get spanked, and wanted Steve Collins to lose v everyone he fought!

[dbflex]

I am unbiased in writing reports, previews etc but on a personal level I like to see the Brits do well. For example, I find Cloud more entertaining than Woods but would love Clinton to win. Don't think he will though.

[Steve89]

I am Irish, born and raised. However, I do not support Irish boxers any differently than I would support any boxer. It purely comes down to skill, style and personality, no matter where he is from. I would never blindly hope an Irish fighter won a fight just because he is Irish and I am Irish. I dislike Bernard Dunne and would like to see him beaten. Steve Collins, I don't really rate and think Calzaghe would have done him (RJJ would have played with him). Andy Lee, John Duddy, both limited and I wouldn't be cheering any of them on. I would cheer someone like PBF on before any Irish fighter as I am a big fan of his skill level and love watching him work.

Am I right to assume I am completely in the minority in this?

Is this the same for all other sports,would you support a foreign team over Ireland in soccer or rugby?If not then why do you make a distinction with boxing.I think it is weird to root against your fellow countryman,if you don't particularly like them that's fair enough but to want them to lose is just strange to me.I can't follow your logic cos you say you want Dunne to lose because you don't like all the Irish fans "blindly following him" but it sounds to me like you have issues with your national identity.It happens a lot with Irish people who feel ashamed or inferior.I think you need counselling Opticald,embrace your Irishness my friend

[slapbangwhallop]

I am a fan of Jim Rock!

so you wont be cheering on Duddy or Lee because they are limited - but you are a fan of Jim Rock! Care you exaplin that one.

I like Rock, he and my father are cousins and I usually fly home for his fights, but if you are seeing something him thats not in either of the other two then I am begining to suspect that you are just a bit of an attention seeker.

[Steve89]

PS If we're talking UK v abroad, then I was happy to see Witter get spanked, and wanted Steve Collins to lose v everyone he fought!

You're Welsh no?Steve Collins is Irish so that is not an example of rooting against your fellow countryman.

[youngrell]

I almost always pull for the British fighter v away fighter with some exceptions. I don't do it blindly though, there are fights where I don't particularly love the Brit (or hate the foreigner) but can't help myself rooting for the home guy. For example Hatton v Pacman, I like both fighters equally but had to give Ricky my support, but had no problem congratulating MP when it was over.

I think with British fans we really get behind our fighters as the US clearly has a problem when we have a world class fighter, they can't seem to handle the fact, i.e check out how much they love Calzaghe, Hatton, Haye, Froch, Hamed and so on.

[alexpaterson]

I tend to cheer on Brits in a fight against an overseas fighter but there are a lot of British fighters I dont like

[Captain Hook]

PS If we're talking UK v abroad, then I was happy to see Witter get spanked, and wanted Steve Collins to lose v everyone he fought!

You're Welsh no?Steve Collins is Irish so that is not an example of rooting against your fellow countryman.

If you read the post before i referred to being Welsh and welsh fighters, then in the one below I referred to UK etc .........

[Steve89]

I am Irish, born and raised. However, I do not support Irish boxers any differently than I would support any boxer. It purely comes down to skill, style and personality, no matter where he is from. I would never blindly hope an Irish fighter won a fight just because he is Irish and I am Irish. I dislike Bernard Dunne and would like to see him beaten. Steve Collins, I don't really rate and think Calzaghe would have done him (RJJ would have played with him). Andy Lee, John Duddy, both limited and I wouldn't be cheering any of them on. I would cheer someone like PBF on before any Irish fighter as I am a big fan of his skill level and love watching him work.

Am I right to assume I am completely in the minority in this?

Is this the same for all other sports,would you support a foreign team over Ireland in soccer or rugby?If not then why do you make a distinction with boxing.I think it is weird to root against your fellow countryman,if you don't particularly like them that's fair enough but to want them to lose is just strange to me.I can't follow your logic cos you say you want Dunne to lose because you don't like all the Irish fans "blindly following him" but it sounds to me like you have issues with your national identity.It happens a lot with Irish people who feel ashamed or inferior.I think you need counselling Opticald,embrace your Irishness my friend

Spot on steve89. I don't get this boxing purist stuff of following a boxer because of skill, style etc. I'm irish and proud of it. I will nearly always go for the Irish fighter. I follow soccer also and go to most irish international games not because they are a good team ( there not by the way) but because there Irish. The same goes for the limerick hurling team.
As regards Dunne i'm probably biased about him but i don't care. I'll be at the Poonsawat fight with the Irish Tricolour wrapped around my shoulders and will roar out the national anthem. And if Duddy fights Lee i will go for Lee because of his Limerick connection.

I understand that completely Feargal,sport is a tribal thing,you have to support your own. I'm English but there is Irish blood on my Dad's side of the family so I will support English fighters first but if there is an Irish boxer fighting say an American or European,I'll support the Irish guy.Opticald sounds like he has an issue with Dunne other than simply not rating him as a boxer (I say sh*t about Dunne too but that's just cos I like Munroe but I can see Dunne is a decent boxer).

[ALI]

If we all thought like you the home end at Hampden park would'nt sell a ticket

If any athlete from Scotland is competeing at an international level, be it Andy Murray in tennis, Scott Harrison in boxing, an athlete at the olympics, they all get my support to some degree.

So with that, i definately have a bias towards Scottish boxers, though i'm no fool and tell things as i see them.

[ourkid1984]

I tend to support fighters who fight in a style I like. It just happens that many British fighters have an appeal to me but I also like many from all over the world.

I always liked Steve Collins and I supported him even when he was fighting English fighters. I think the personallity and attitude has a lot to do with who people like.

At the moment there isn't too many boxers from where I'm from (Southampton) but there's quite a few from the Portsmouth area who I like, which is weird considering it's different when it comes to football.

[bigjack]

I am Irish, born and raised. However, I do not support Irish boxers any differently than I would support any boxer. It purely comes down to skill, style and personality, no matter where he is from. I would never blindly hope an Irish fighter won a fight just because he is Irish and I am Irish. I dislike Bernard Dunne and would like to see him beaten. Steve Collins, I don't really rate and think Calzaghe would have done him (RJJ would have played with him). Andy Lee, John Duddy, both limited and I wouldn't be cheering any of them on. I would cheer someone like PBF on before any Irish fighter as I am a big fan of his skill level and love watching him work.

Am I right to assume I am completely in the minority in this?

No mate your not at all,i always support the fighter who i want to win,sometimes that's based on their personality,whatever their nationality.

[opticald]

I understand that completely Feargal,sport is a tribal thing,you have to support your own. I'm English but there is Irish blood on my Dad's side of the family so I will support English fighters first but if there is an Irish boxer fighting say an American or European,I'll support the Irish guy.Opticald sounds like he has an issue with Dunne other than simply not rating him as a boxer (I say sh*t about Dunne too but that's just cos I like Munroe but I can see Dunne is a decent boxer).

Well I'm glad im not in the minority as most people agree with me on the thread but some questions were raised in this post that i will answer. Firstly, I guess I just don't think Dunne is really top level and don't like the fact that he is being touted as such (people picking him over JMLopez etc), so in a way I just want to be proven right to see him lose I guess. I don't particularly like his personality. As for liking Jim Rock over Lee and Duddy, it comes down to his personality and heart for me. I just like the guy. Lee I find very overrated and dislike his style and Duddy I just never liked, although his fight with Walid Smitchit was awesome.

As for other sports, I don't really follow football and if Ireland are playing Brazil, I would root for Brazil. I would always root for ireland to beat england in the football/rugby, mostly due to the history (1916 rising etc). I still would root for England if they were playing russia or some team like that, because England have players I like. I'd root for Brazil the most because I love watching them. Maybe that's confusing?

However, all in all, I understand the national pride angles... that's how wars were waged throughout history after all! But I naturally separate that in boxing because I like the SPORT and the styles/personalities of fighters are so different that I can't just support one fighter because he was born in the same country I was, there are so many more factors involved. I'm glad people agree, as I genuinely thought I was the only one.

[stujones]

I think the individual personality and skill level have alot to do with it. My mates who read this forum think I am very "anti Welsh" given my comments on Joe Calzaghe... but I rooted for Gavin Rees, and Steve Robinson (especially) as much as any Welshman. I don't think its their nationality, mainly becuase they were underdogs and over achievers.

Boxing is a strange sport like that mainly cause of the Politics. Like Enzo Maccarinelli - coming through I really willed him on and when he fought Haye I was on the fence on who I WANTED to win. Enzo seemed humble and a over achiever. However, him getting a shot at the interim title after a 2 round blow out of Matthew Ellis - meant I was supporting Ola when they met. Things like that are not a good thing for PR.

I guess I do like the underdog.

[banjo]

Is it really that important though, your nationality?

I'm English born to English parents but looking through my ancestors years ago none of my heritage is English, I have mainly Scandinavian heritage with a bit of Irish and Spanish heritage as well so who do I support then?

I'd rather just stick to the way I am and support those who I like rather than those from my country or those with similar ancestry.

[m1kee50]

its the same old team since 1916

[jimglen]

conversation between Tony Delgrego, my brother Tony Glen and Joe Rea, their employer.

Joe Rea; " So Delgrego being a Celtic fanatic (won't eat oranges, well, because there orange), a Scots/Italian and 2cnd generation Scottish. " " If Scotlands playing Italy in a World Cup final, Who do you support Italy or Scotland? "

Delgrego - " Ireland! "