Why is Boxing more popular in Germany than Britain?

[TT]

Ottke last fight was watched by around 28 million people
Over here, I think the guy with the biggest ratings here, Audley mustered up around 3 million...

Boxing is shown on the main channels over there (ZDF, ARD... the equilavent ot our BBC amd ITV)
Here its mainly shown on Pay TV (Sky)

Boxing over there is shown at the Prime Time slots
Over here, its placed in the middle of the fuckin night

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I do believe that if Hatton fought on the BBC, his fight being broadcasted at around 8pm, he would easily draw 10 million+

BTW, Germany has a larger population than the UK aswell, but all in all, Boxing is NOT a minority sport out there

[Eric the Viking]

However, there's another connected point to be made which does interest me, and that's are the Germans watching boxing or are they watching Germans? I think it's the latter. They've been fed heros like Maske and Ottke and told to cheer for them, and they damn well do it.

What I'm worried about is that I as a UK citizen am on the road to doing that with guys like Calzaghe or Eastman

Bingo - but since this is the British Scene forum, the Germans get derided for the same thing the Brits do with their fighters.

In Germany they don´t only watch fights with Ottke or Maske. Michalczewski and the Klitschkos have more spectators in the arenas e.g. though they are not german or german heritage. Of course there won´t be a mass histeria if a Calzaghe-Reid-fight would take place in Germany. But what would take place if Mario Veit vs Danilo Häussler would fight in Wembley Arena? In every country the national or national based boxers have the most attention.

DM and the Klits aren't German-born, but have lived and trained there for years. In other words, they're adoptive sons. And while most of us wish it weren't true, that, together with the fact that they're white, makes it easy for the average German sports fan to root for them.

[Matchfixer]

They've been fed heros like Maske and Ottke and told to cheer for them, and they damn well do it.

What I'm worried about is that I as a UK citizen am on the road to doing that with guys like Calzaghe or Eastman

Bingo - but since this is the British Scene forum, the Germans get derided for the same thing the Brits do with their fighters.

I think most posters here would agree that Eastman's and Calzaghe's boxing skills far outway those of Ottke so it's no crime to cheer for them.

British boxing fans would not consistently cheer and support such a boring fighter like Ottke nor would one British fighter get so many dubious victories like Ottke. If they did they certainly wouldn't gain increased popularity because of it.

[Eric the Viking]

I think most posters here would agree that Eastman's and Calzaghe's boxing skills far outway those of Ottke so it's no crime to cheer for them.

Of course they would. But based on any kind of objective examination of their careers as a whole, no such conclusion is warranted - in fact if anything one would conclude the opposite. That was my point. Because this is a Brit-dominated forum, over and over again we see folks greatly overestimating Calzaghe's career accomplishments, confusing his crappy pants-holder-upper WBO belt with some sort of real world title, and assuming that because he beat a bunch of local boys, has-beens and never-wases (while fighting virtually none of the actual top-ranked guys in the division), he's some kind of world beater who doesn't even need to actually fight the top guys, because he would annihilate them all. Same thing goes for Hatton. That's no different than what goes on on the German side, except that, to their credit, guys like Michalczewski and Ottke actually did fight many of the top guys during their prime, even though both have their share of dodgy decisions, and were heavily protected throughout their careers - again, like most of your British guys (Lewis being the exception) have been.

British boxing fans would not consistently cheer and support such a boring fighter like Ottke nor would one British fighter get so many dubious victories like Ottke. If they did they certainly wouldn't gain increased popularity because of it.

I agree, the percentage of dodgy decisions appears higher in Germany than just about anywhere else. But in Ottke's case, most people seem to remember only the recent Reid fight, forgetting that until the tail end of his career, Ottke wasn't really the beneficiary of all that many questionable decisions (Michalczewski had quite a few more, for instance.) It's more that Ottke's defense-first style led to a predominance of decision wins rather than clear-cut KOs, and most fans (especially bar-brawl-loving Brits) find it hard to root for a guy with a style like that. Hell, look at how many people actually thought Ricardo Mayorga won his fight vs. Cory Spinks, when, judged properly as a boxing contest, it wasn't even close.

[Matchfixer]

I think most posters here would agree that Eastman's and Calzaghe's boxing skills far outway those of Ottke so it's no crime to cheer for them.

Of course they would. But based on any kind of objective examination of their careers as a whole, no such conclusion is warranted - in fact if anything one would conclude the opposite. That was my point. Because this is a Brit-dominated forum, over and over again we see folks greatly overestimating Calzaghe's career accomplishments, confusing his crappy pants-holder-upper WBO belt with some sort of real world title, and assuming that because he beat a bunch of local boys, has-beens and never-wases (while fighting virtually none of the actual top-ranked guys in the division), he's some kind of world beater who doesn't even need to actually fight the top guys, because he would annihilate them all. Same thing goes for Hatton. That's no different than what goes on on the German side, except that, to their credit, guys like Michalczewski and Ottke actually did fight many of the top guys during their prime, even though both have their share of dodgy decisions, and were heavily protected throughout their careers - again, like most of your British guys (Lewis being the exception) have been.

British boxing fans would not consistently cheer and support such a boring fighter like Ottke nor would one British fighter get so many dubious victories like Ottke. If they did they certainly wouldn't gain increased popularity because of it.

I agree, the percentage of dodgy decisions appears higher in Germany than just about anywhere else. But in Ottke's case, most people seem to remember only the recent Reid fight, forgetting that until the tail end of his career, Ottke wasn't really the beneficiary of all that many questionable decisions (Michalczewski had quite a few more, for instance.) It's more that Ottke's defense-first style led to a predominance of decision wins rather than clear-cut KOs, and most fans (especially bar-brawl-loving Brits) find it hard to root for a guy with a style like that. Hell, look at how many people actually thought Ricardo Mayorga won his fight vs. Cory Spinks, when, judged properly as a boxing contest, it wasn't even close.

Fair enough. I can't disagree with any of this analysis. I'm still going to cheer on Howard though as I like his boxing technique and his post fight interviews. He seems a really likeable character.

I can't cheer Calzaghe as I don't have SKY. Don't ask me about cheering Ottke!

Good Golota joke by the way!

[Eric the Viking]

Good Golota joke by the way!

There was a Golota joke (not to be confused with Golota being a joke) in my post somewhere?

[Matchfixer]

Good Golota joke by the way!

There was a Golota joke (not to be confused with Golota being a joke) in my post somewhere?

Your location! No-one can... when he's 100% undermedicated!

[Eric the Viking]

Good Golota joke by the way!

Oh, you mean the one in my location - sorry, bit of a daft attack there on my part. Yes, that's my homage to BoxRec's very own Tyson troll, nasty. ;)

And much as I think the Great White Foul Pole is an easily-frustrated nutter in the ring and is undeserving of a title shot, I still wouldn't mind seeing him pound Byrd into Bolivian. But I fear Byrd will pitty-pat and stymie him until he starts going south of the border and gets himself DQed.

[mickeybeard]

Fair enough. I can't disagree with any of this analysis. I'm still going to cheer on Howard though as I like his boxing technique and his post fight interviews. He seems a really likeable character.

He seems a bit 'out there' in his interviews, which is probably why I like him so much.

[J]

yeah Howard is a character alright, has a mad penchant for keeping birds apparently. I mean the feathered kind.
Enigmatic both in the ring and out of it, and somewhat left of field for sure.
I like Howard too but fear he will now underaccomplish in his career.

Erik I take your points on Calzaghe but I do think Hatton at 25 shouldnt be labelled a career underachiever as yet hew is bound to go stateside at some point and go for the better belts..

Also IF and its a big IF Calz. beats Johnson and then say tarver or fought Jones would you then grant him the grace of being world class and having acheived as much if not more than Ottke?

Hyperthetical at this stage I know but just wondered you thoughts mate.

[Eric the Viking]

Also IF and its a big IF Calz. beats Johnson and then say tarver or fought Jones would you then grant him the grace of being world class and having acheived as much if not more than Ottke?

Hyperthetical at this stage I know but just wondered you thoughts mate.

If he beats Johnson in non-disputed fashion that would certainly help his image in my eyes. Johnson is far from the best LHW in the world, but there's no disputing he's a world-class pro and even though getting on in years, still has something left in the tank. As for Tarver and Jones, well, let's see him get past Johnson first. I just hope Johnson isn't the victim of a hometown decision, as he's been so many times in his career.

[J]

ok fair enough mate, thanks.