Hope everyone's good, not looking to pick a fight or push an agenda here (Just a little disclaimer to get out of the way first of all) Looking for open honest boxing talk : why do you think some rivalries between fighters spill over dramatically into the lives of their fans? I'm sure you've all seen people here that get super touchy if you say something even slightly derogatory about their favourite fighter in relation to their rivals : as an example, the name calling and insult matches between wilder fans and Joshua fans, or Canelo and ggg fans... As a Brit, I can attest to the fact that many people here see AJ as an infallible pugilistic god, and even good friends of mine have gotten irate with me for suggesting he's just a mortal and that he could very well lose to Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder or even Dillian Whyte in a rematch. In a h2h, I think AJ beats wilder, but that being said I also thought Ortiz was going to beat wilder - kudos to him, he came through a tough fight and knocked out an undefeated top level opponent. This doesn't mean I feel the need to insult wilder fans who disagree with me, and I certainly don't expect to be abused for having an opinion on a COMPETITION... And both sides are guilty of this, extremist Fans of any fighter are incredibly annoying and delusional, and I guess my question is simply : what is it about certain rivalries or certain fighters that make the fans of said fighters inclined towards explosive online confrontations? This is a great sport that we all love, yet throughout the sport there is a profound lack of respect at all levels, from the fans at the bottom to the moguls that make the Matches... WHY?!
It's human mature Mick. We are tribal animals and we instinctively attach ourselves to larger groups. Once this happens objectivity is lost as it's more important in evolutionary terms that individuals identify with their fellow tribe members against the outsider. This behaviour is exaggerated in the online sphere due to the loss of non verbal communication and the 'keyboard warrior' syndrome that makes people braver than they otherwise may be. It's best to remember these things when people are throwing their toys out of the pram online and take a deep breath before rising above it. Of course scholars agree that none of the above applies to Canelo fans however. They're not human and neither is their hidous ginger demon god.
One word: internet. You ever get two people talking mad **** to each other for months to be in the same room together and they are buddied up hardcore with no problems and you think to yourself, "where's the tough talk at?" Indirect communication such as this makes Dwyane Johnson's out of all of us.
