It's still damn important, and long may it remain so. But now there are other centres of influence. Boxing is becoming a more global sport which is surely a good thing. Also, although he's a bit of a knob. I can see where Calzaghe's coming from. The impression is that the americans hate and don't afford him the respect he deserves. Now that maybe because of his slapping or the lack of ambition earlier in his career, but I suspect nationality may play apart as well.
Well that is true, the US market is shrinking and being replaced by the German market for example, but I don't think this "Globalization" means its growing, the number of fans of probablly shrinking if anything overall.
Lacy never really had much of a fanbase(Why do you think his fight against Calzaghe was in The U.K?). Very few fighters in the States have a strong fanbase.
Yeah obviously, because there is never any bias in fights in America, especially when they feature a European fighter against an American (Lewis vs Holyfield I?, Strum vs. De La Hoya?)
Yawn. i wouldnt get into a discussion about dodgy decisions, because you will run out of examples long before I do. And I agree, I dont like Germany either.
Lewis was basically an American based fighter and got the nod in the rematch although Holyfield could've gotten that decision. De Lay Hoya has been the benefactor of dodgey decsions against other Americans and was even the victicm of a couple of dodgey decisions. Including one against a foreign fighter.
Well if you are talking about Americans going to Europe and getting a fair shake as opposed to Europeans coming to America and getting a fair shake then I would like to disagree. However, if you are talking about dodgy decisions as a whole being then I may agree with you. You know why I agree. BEACUSE THE U.S. IS THE MECCA OF BOXING AND THERE ARE MORE FIGHTS IN GENERAL AND MORE RELEVANT FIGHTS PERIOD. So the number of dodgy decision for whatever reason is greater.
What does his base have to do with it? He still came down with a British flag and got boo'd in every fight!