BoxRec

HomicideHenry wrote:Ever since Jack London wrote the epic phrase: "Only one thing remains! Jeffries must emurge from his alfalfa farm and remove that golden smile from Johnson's face, Jeff it's up to you!", there has been a collection of fighters, mainly from the boondocks and the hills of the Ozarks and beyond, with colorful characters and even wilder bios whom much of 'white America' were behind when going up against a black champion.

Even when Joe Louis came around, there was still this underlying urge that maybe Tony Galento, or Buddy Baer, or even Arturo Gudoy would have somehow been able to drop and stop the 'Brown Bomber' in the ring. And though a white man wouldn't beat him again until after he was no longer champion, though it saddened a majority, the world raved silently that Rocky Marciano so thoroughly battered the ex champion.

This attitude carried on even when Ali was around, when he fought such men as Jerry Quarry, and even humorously some pulled for Wepner with fliers that read "Give the white guy a chance", all the while Ali would quote "I was determined to be the one Jungle Bunny the white man didn't get."

But it possibly didn't get any more severe, in this thought process, than the biggest fight of the 1980's which was Gerry Cooney and Larry Holmes. Cooney was on the cover of Sports Illustrated and Time magazine, he even had the President's backing for the fight. Holmes, great champion that he had been, was in a sense thrown to the side as if he was a piece of parsley on a dinner plate, and Cooney was the steak that everyone wanted. Holmes, of course, went on to stop Cooney in the hard luck round, the 13th.

Since then, there has hardly been much talk of this, though during 2000-2004 there was great interest in both Klitschko brothers, though they were not American.

When Tommy Morrison came back after 11 years, though there was much controversy in his comeback due to supposedly having HIV, there seemed to be an underlying pulse pick back up again with the possibility of a 'white hope'. And it wasnt just Morrison either. The talk began again, when Joe
Mesi came back after having a brain bleed.

I guess the question, to each fan on here is this: Do you think America is still longing for a white hope?

Expug wrote:Im not trying to downplay your question at all.
Unfortunately I dont think the general public gives a shit about boxing anymore or any of that white hope stuff.
Its not the same, as it was in the 80s and before.
People used to rally around there own ethnic groups in boxing. Irish, Italian , Jewish ,whatever. This was at the heart of the old neighborhood rivalries.
Jimmy McClarnin vs. Ross , Leonard etc.Many , many others.
Nowadays if I told somebody I liked Billy Conn cuz he was a good Irish fighter, they would call me a racist.
Boxing used to be fun, no ones laughing anymore.
In our politically correct world, boxing dont fit.

Robinson wrote:Brute

'
A slav is not white nor is it quite human

Nordic, Gaelic and Anglo europeans are white and thus pure.

Eurasian slavs are mongrel races bred by the zionists as a mindless
work force, chained by bolshevik ideals in order to organise the mass hordes of these animal like verminites.

The white races of europe are at threat of being over run by these
in-doctrinated slavic masses.

The world needs a pure heavyweight champion one to show the coloured and
browned skin races of this earth that its master and crowned champion is of the right pure complexion.
"

Mix a bit of Jack London here and add some other writings from another famous early-mid 20th century authour-world leader and you have yourself a good guide book for how the championship should be held.

Goodnight, Irene wrote:"So you take the Alf Garnett approach that Europeans not of British descent are not white, but whiteISH? Otherwise why are the eastern European fighters not considered?

As goes being American or not, the best black heavyweight is a Nigerian. The Great White Hope era was a disgraceful time. Jack London was a pathetic alcoholic and should have been ignored." - Brute

How wonderful that you can use the powers of retrospect to cast judgement on those who actually lived in the time. Funny thing is, now you are part of the societal majority. You've decided that's your place, which is why you'd be cheering Jack along with everyone else, had you lived during the time.

Robinson wrote:I think there is a longing for a Black Hope now days

Expug wrote:Im not trying to downplay your question at all.
Unfortunately I dont think the general public gives a shit about boxing anymore or any of that white hope stuff.
Its not the same, as it was in the 80s and before.
People used to rally around there own ethnic groups in boxing. Irish, Italian , Jewish ,whatever. This was at the heart of the old neighborhood rivalries.
Jimmy McClarnin vs. Ross , Leonard etc.Many , many others.
Nowadays if I told somebody I liked Billy Conn cuz he was a good Irish fighter, they would call me a racist.
Boxing used to be fun, no ones laughing anymore.
In our politically correct world, boxing dont fit.

Ezzard wrote:

Expug wrote:Im not trying to downplay your question at all.
Unfortunately I dont think the general public gives a shit about boxing anymore or any of that white hope stuff.
Its not the same, as it was in the 80s and before.
People used to rally around there own ethnic groups in boxing. Irish, Italian , Jewish ,whatever. This was at the heart of the old neighborhood rivalries.
Jimmy McClarnin vs. Ross , Leonard etc.Many , many others.
Nowadays if I told somebody I liked Billy Conn cuz he was a good Irish fighter, they would call me a racist.
Boxing used to be fun, no ones laughing anymore.
In our politically correct world, boxing dont fit.

Another great post by expug. It's normal for people to rally round their own. It doesn't make it racist. I also think that people don't automatically support their 'own' guy. People select on more than race but it is a factor.

IMO ray is correct when he says that it's more subconscious. I think white might make more box office in but in many ways it's more down to skill and personality.

How much longer will boxers continue to bad mouth and insult one another. It's a tired act now and makes them all seem the same rather than stand out.