In fact, confidence is one of the primary reasons blacks hold an edge in many sports nowadays. Whites, especially American whites, are cowed by blacks by in large. This even relates to their worshipfulness of blacks as fans.
Yes, I agree that mentality and confidence goes a long way in explaining performance in sports.
Ive been a diehard boxing fan for my entire life (I'm 24), so I'm well versed in boxing from say, year 2000 onwards to today, I know pretty much everything about the sport. And I can tell you with certainty that European boxers are absolutely not intimidated by blacks.
I can recall literally hundreds, probably thousands of occasions Ive seen of Europeans knocking out Negroes from the States. American Negroes getting destroyed and knocked out is actually a regular fixture on many German and Russian boxing cards.
The success of European fighters in the past ten years, I would say is unparalleled by any other racial group in boxing. No one race dominates boxing, but the race with the biggest share, especially from 2006 onwards to today is definitely EUROPEANS.
Unfortunately, the success of European whites is not even close to being met by American whites. No doubt, mentality, confidence, false media portrayal of race and athletic ability can largely explain that.
Another factor to explain nonsuccess of American whites in boxing is mismanagement, and having fewer options than blacks. The very few white Americans who achieve some level of success (ie Kelly Pavlik, Jason Litzau) always take the *hard road*. The truth is that matchmaking and management early in a fighter's career has a monumental impact on his future standing. American whites are greatly disadvantaged there and often have to work much harder to make it in boxing than American blacks or Hispanics.
You build a fighter up to success, it doesn't just happen overnight. That sort of foundation is simply not available to many white boxers in the USA.
Certainly this ritual is preformed to promote the fight. But this is, in many ways, a barbaric sport, not infrequently leaving its participants with permanent brain damage and considered by many as vulgar (except when it is promoting black civil rights) so it seems to fit the spirit of the sport well, IMHO.
Yes, the staredown is a ritual that accompanies all title fights and big fights. Personally I like it as it gives some added entertainment in hyping up a fight. Primitive? Yes. But also entertaining. I mean, if you want something softer someone can always watch another sport.
One more comment to you: Ive been watching boxing for about 15 years religiously. I would say that a staredown usually means NOTHING towards a fight. Its to entertain and hype a fight, that's all. These guys are professionals, and it's not good to read into "body language" of a staredown or weighin.
I remember when Joe Calzaghe dominated hyped up Negro Jeff Lacy. Calzaghe looked horrible at the staredown and weighin, but when it came fight time, he was superb. Ive seen this often times. Similarily, Ive seen guys look super confident at the weighin, only to get destroyed in the fight (Ricky Hatton against Floyd Mayweather comes to mind, Dereck Chisora losing to Vitali also comes to mind).
Dont read a lot into body language at a staredown, it means nothing.
