By Hector Gonzalez: I grew up on Hip Hop and enjoy it just as much as I enjoy boxing. Growing up in the Bay Area where the term “Player Hater” originated and then mainstreamed through rap records, we learned that being a hater was not a good thing. Rap records taught us that you are a sucka if you have a PHD, Player Hater Degree. Despite these lessons, hater-ism runs rampant within boxing fans.
Being a boxing fan is different than being a fan of other sports. For instance, boxing is subjective in that it requires judges to determine the winner based on 1. ring generalship, 2. clean aggression, 3. defense, 4. punches landed, in which could make the judgment subjective. Boxing is also different than other sports in that team sports revolve around the personification of regional identify (your city’s team), while in boxing, an individual personifies themselves in the fighter whom they personally identify with, (looks, race, country of origin, etc.). There’s psychology to this, for instance, the reason a fan hates on Canelo Alvarez says more about the fan than it says about Canelo Alvarez. It’s also different in that there are no teams, it’s really the legacy of the fighter, and with that legacy comes with him the fans who get to define that legacy. However, with this there lies a problem, you see, in most sports there is little room left for interpretation, while in boxing there’s a science need there to be understood in order to interpret. In boxing there is more opinion than there is understanding, and therefore bad interpretation.
In the words of Andre Ward, “boxing fans need to be educated” to understand what they are watching. This comment is not intended to be condescending, but fans across the world can now watch boxing via internet, give opinions on message boards, and in reality not understand the science to what they are watching. These fans for instance, will say that the Sergey Kovalev vs Canelo fight last night looked fixed because Kovalev was not letting his hands go, these fans don’t understand the science that if Kovalev lets his hands go there is a devastating counter hook coming in return. These fans often times will be quick to critic fighters, disrespect champions…. being a hater. Consider this, being a world champion in itself is a unique accomplishment. Most of these top level champions have been fighting since they were kids, working and perfecting their craft their whole life, putting their bodies on the line to one day become a world champion.
Hater fans also have selective reasoning, meaning that they pick and choose their side of the argument when it’s convenient but will look the other way when their fighter does the same thing. For example, Canelo Alvarez is often criticized for catch weights yet ignore that Mayweather and Pacquiao did the same thing to get advantages, and not just them, catch weights are common in boxing. Some fighters are also unfairly given a different standard, Floyd Mayweather explained this well on an interview, he explained that fans were demanding that he move up to fight GGG, as well as some fans demanding that Andre Ward move down to fight GGG, yet no one was ever demanding that GGG move up or down, some fighters are just held to a different standard. Canelo is often criticized because he supposedly avoids fighters, yet GGG avoided both his mandatory Jermell Charlo and Demetrius Andrade. Hater fans say that Canelo fought smaller guys, yet don’t say anything when Vasyl Lomachenko fights Guillermo Rigondeux 2 weight classes smaller than him. Selective reasoning.
Canelo Alvarez’s victory over Sergey Kovalev sting his haters for a deeper profound reason then the victory itself, his victory over Sergey Kovalev now undoubtedly solidifies Canelo Alvarez as the pound 4 pound best fighter of today. And as he is unquestionably the pound for pound boxer of today, it consequently means that nor Vasyl Lomachenko, Errol Spence, nor Terrance Crawford are the pound for pound best fighter.
In the words of Errol Spence, Canelo is searching for “greatness”, David Haney admits to studying Canelo Alvarez, Sergey Kovalev himself says that he’s a Canelo Alvarez fan.
So for the hater fans that need further explanation, I’ll end it with this. Here is why Canelo Alvarez is the pound for pound and not Lomachenko. Canelo has proved that he could fight top level fighters and adjust his style to victory, he could be a pressure fighter against GGG, he could be a slick fighter against Daniel Jacobs, his arsenal is complete. He’s proven it. A couple of years ago, people said that Canelo struggled against ‘movement’, Canelo has now evolved. But here is the difference, Freddy Roach is on record saying that Lomachenko would lose to a strong pressure fighter, there’s real reason to believe it, you see after Lomachenko lost to Salido, he’s avoided that style. Canelo in the underhand has evolved. Here’s a bold comment, Canelo doesn’t lose for the next couple of years and that includes fights with Billy Joe Saunders, Demetrious Andrade or Caleb Plant. Lomachenko barely beats Francisco El Bandido Vargas and would probably lose to Miguel Berchelt, that’s not to disrespect Lomachenko but rather to point out the difference.
Lastly, be a true fan, understand the sport and appreciate it’s greatness. Don’t be a hater, it’s bad for your heart.
Contact Hector Gonzalez at Hect59@hotmail.com