History Main / InternationalShowdownByProxy

In pro wrestling, the EvilForeigner is a stock type of heel.

The foreigner used is often an EvilForeigner.

* The OdaNobunaga Tournament in {{Yaiba}} includes participants from all over the world, and Yaiba even fought a European Knight. However it ended up with only Japanese Finalists.
* SamuraiChamploo gleefully lampoons this trope in the episode "Baseball Blues", in which a group of Japanese peasants play a baseball game against a crew of brutish Americans, and the fate of Edo Era Japan hangs in the balance over the outcome. Naturally this is all played out within Champloo's typically anachronistic, exaggerated idiom. [[spoiler: The most patriotic of the Japanese players are picked off in comical ways, while only Mugen (A thug with no patriotic fervour whatsoever) saves the country single handedly.]]

[[folder:Wrestling]]
* Happens A LOT in wrestling.
[[/folder]]

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* The OdaNobunaga Tournament in {{Yaiba}} includes partecipants from all over the world, and Yaiba even fought a European Knight. However it ended up with only Japanese Finalists.

* The World Cup.

* G Gundam is basically summed up with this trope, plus with earth as the battlefield and the rest of the population in space, the winner would literally be the strongest, and only, person on Earth.

** ''But Fischer's behavior mars the symbolism. This disciplined and obviously brilliant player falls to pieces when dealing with reality, throws tantrums like a child, breaks agreements, and makes arbitrary demands. Not a great, confident mind, but a tragically helpless victim torn by acute anxiety.'' - (Russian émigré and author {{Ayn Rand}})

** Actually, in 69 [{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_War a real WAR]] started after an heated game of soccer.

** [[{{Americanitis}} Less known]] but no less awesome is the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summit_Series Summit Series]] between Canada and the Soviet Union, an invitational tournament consisting of eight exhibition games. Canadian Paul Henderson [[DownToTheLastPlay scored the winning goal of the last game (until then, the tournament had been a tie) with under a minute left to play.]]

* ''[[TheMightyDucks D2]]''.

* The Olympics.

Bobby Fischer vs. Boris Spasky in Iceland in 1972. Pity Bobby was insane and Spasky was not a serious communist party member. (Unlike Karpov who took over after Bobby went into hiding.)

Our story is about a valiant hero, a professional sports/video games/pogosticking champion who is preparing or going to a major tournament for his preferred skill. Normally, these tournaments are contained entirely within the main character's country, as in their are no foreigners competing.

* Soccer is notorious for [[FootballHooligans rioting and fights.]] Disputed matches between countries where both the sport is [[SeriousBusiness extremely popular]] and [[PatrioticFervour national feelings run high]] have lead to ''hundreds of deaths,'' especially in Latin America.

* Soccer is notorious for [[FootballHooligan rioting and fights.]] Disputed matches between countries where both the sport is [[SeriousBusiness extremely popular]] and [[PatrioticFervour national feelings run high]] have lead to ''hundreds of deaths,'' especially in Latin America.

* ''{{Rocky}} IV'' is the ColdWar '''''with boxing!!!!''''' Unspoiler: [[AmericaWinsTheWar The American wins.]]

* ''{{Theatre/Chess}}'' is essentially about a ColdWar proxy showdown between an American and Russian chess player '''[[HolidayInCambodia in Bangkok!!!]]'''. Predictably, the contest is [[ManipulativeBastard manipulated behind the scenes]] by [[TheChessmaster the Arbiter.]]

* ''{{Theatre/Chess}}'' is essentially about a ColdWar proxy showdown between an American and Russian chess player [[HolidayInCambodia '''in Bangkok!!!'''.]] Predictably, the contest is [[ManipulativeBastard manipulated behind the scenes]] by [[TheChessmaster the Arbiter.]]

But for this special episode/movie, there is a great threat on the horizon . . . there is a foreigner who might just be ''even better'' than the hero, if not possibly '''''the best in the whole world!'''''

* ''{{Rocky}} IV''

* ''{{Theatre/Chess}}''

--> ''"Sport is war minus the shooting."''
-->-- '''GeorgeOrwell'''

* ''PennyArcade'': Takes this trope and [[UpToEleven creates a world where all international conflicts are conducted through]] [[SeriousBusiness games of Table Table]] in their [[http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2008/6/25/ Paint The Line]] story.