As much as the sport of boxing is struggling to stay relevant in the 21^st century, there never seems to be a shortage of entertainment whenever Floyd Mayweather Jr. is preparing for his next fight. Whether you love the guy or hate him for his general arrogance or the way he flaunts around his money, you can’t deny that he is single handedly keeping the sport on life support. His fight this past weekend against Victor Ortiz was marred with controversy and a hilarious post fight interview, but the more fascinating story is the racial tensions surrounding the event itself. And while it’s no secret that race has been a constant variable in the realm of American sports, it is exemplified no better in any other sport than boxing. This is nothing new, however. The unspoken rule when watching two boxers of different races square off has always been to root for the guy who more closely resembles our own ethnic background.

Since the days of Jack Johnson and his unapologetic fondness for white women, which cast society into a frenzy over the dangers of the black athlete, it was a number one priority to find someone who could defeat him and prove once and for all that white athletes were superior. Not just for the sport itself, but for the symbolism of their continued dominance in American history. Same story with Muhammad Ali, another brash and cocky fighter who was better than anything the sport had seen at the time. And sure, you can blame it on his unwillingness to fight in the war as well as his association with the Nation of Islam that sparked the population’s hatred for him, but conservative white America was never a fan of his to begin with. The fact that he dominated most anybody he faced was really the cause for everyone to pray and pray for his downfall. Read More→