for hardcore fans

You kind of have to have some insight into the sport yourself. Theres a lot of boxing writers that dont know **** about boxing. Scoop Malinowski would be a good example of a current writer who writes a lot of stuff that has next nothing credible or insightful.

 

More often than not , you can see whether theres an agenda. Criticism for the sake of it, not constructive criticism, coupled with what you already know of the fight/fighter involved, will tell you. The recent thread McGrain posted by a journalist doing a number on Tyson is a good example of a hatchet job. Jesus help us if this is the kinda guy people listen to.

 

Extreme bias...
Malinowski calls Mayweathers entire career a fraud and that he ducked his way through all his fights. Now we know thats horse****.

 

Better now than in the past, but time makes a man wiser. I would definitely call someone out if they were being unfair, but I would be a bit more tactful than Mayweather for example.

 

i think it's a thin but clear line between criticism and attack. just because fair points against a fighter are raised doesn't make it biased...it's when facts are twisted, taken out of context or fabricated that it becomes an issue

 

in boxing?

"jack johnson ducked all black fighters, especially langford, during his reign" (out of context-true but he'd also beaten them all on his way to the title)

"primo carnera's whole career is mob controlled and his record is meaningless" (twisted, there were some mob connections but we have little or no evidence of fixed fights)

"sugar ray leonard's career was orchestrated and cherry picked because he was a media darling" (in a sense yes, he called the shots. but if hagler, duran x2, hearns x2, benitez, etc. is cherry picking i'd hate to see the alternative)

"bowe lost twice to golota" (fabricated. got beat up sure, but picked up two wins in the process)

 

The more you learn about a subject the more you can call BS when someone hasn't got the knowledge or simply has an agenda. Talking, watching and being involved in boxing pretty much gives you the ability to make that call

He's a pure hack, didn't he have an agenda against RJJ too or have I got my wires crossed

Mayweather overreacted and was rude but he has a history with Merchant, Merchant was very critical of him from the begining and Mayweather believes he has an agenda against him. Toney, Hopkins, Foreman have had blow ups with Merchant, he can be very critical and lack tact.