If Wlad/Ibragimov wasn't a stinker...

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Originally Posted by Beanflicker

I think the Klitschkos will be far more appreciated in hindsight. They both are remarkable HW fighters who could possibly have been champs in ANY era IMO.

With the decreasing popularity of HW boxing and the increasing popularity of MMA, it's going to be harder and harder for boxing to rope in these world class athletes like the Klitschkos.

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With boxing fans and announcers being increasingly negative and UFC announcers unable to really criticize. There's no pleasing boxing fans these days. They are hypercritical, they look at a fighter like Wlad and when he KO's Ray Austin in 2 he gets nothing, but if he gets an opponent that doesn't want to engage Wlad gets blamed. Hell Wlad beating Sam Peterthe first time was a disappointment to basically everyone but me and now in hindsight everyone is of the idea that Sam Peter was just a shit fighter. Not like a Ron Lyle, not like a Ken Norton, not like an Earnie Shavers, not like a Donovan Ruddock, but just a shit fighter.

Wlad does have a good personality and is very articulate, he made David Haye look like a complete prat before their fight. However I do not think he could break into the US even if he was more destructive, Lennox Lewis could not do it so Wlad would not be able so either.

I honestly don't think it would have done jack shit for the division, majority of people may have started following wlad but that would be about it. They wouldn't start following the rest of the heavies, just as is the case with pbf and pac, they'll watch their fights but try mentioning anyone else around the weight and they look at you like a deer in headlights. I do like wlad but he was a bit to precautious in that fight, he had softened ibragimov up plenty and in round 9 or ten should have thrown everything at him, sort of like he did in the second sam peter fight, in the final round of that fight after many gave him an earful wlad just went out and threw everything at peter and got him outa there, but really don't think it would have attracted anymore fans to the sport.

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Originally Posted by Master

Wlad does have a good personality and is very articulate, he made David Haye look like a complete prat before their fight. However I do not think he could break into the US even if he was more destructive, Lennox Lewis could not do it so Wlad would not be able so either.

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Lennox's case I find puzzling. He gave us some exciting fights. Maybe it was his very soft-spoken personality??? I don't know. I do think it was a bit unfair of the American public not to warm up to Lennox. Maybe it was that he followed the Tyson era. One could argue that it would've been a downer for any boxer to have followed Mike Tyson.

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Originally Posted by TitoFan

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Originally Posted by Master

Wlad does have a good personality and is very articulate, he made David Haye look like a complete prat before their fight. However I do not think he could break into the US even if he was more destructive, Lennox Lewis could not do it so Wlad would not be able so either.

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Lennox's case I find puzzling. He gave us some exciting fights. Maybe it was his very soft-spoken personality??? I don't know. I do think it was a bit unfair of the American public not to warm up to Lennox. Maybe it was that he followed the Tyson era. One could argue that it would've been a downer for any boxer to have followed Mike Tyson.

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Lennox was not American, he did fight negative at times and he always talked about himself as a third person probably annoyed the yanks.

Lewis followed Bowe & Holyfield. Not the biggest punchers, not intimidating fighters, but guys whose styles matched up well.

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Originally Posted by Master

Wlad does have a good personality and is very articulate, he made David Haye look like a complete prat before their fight. However I do not think he could break into the US even if he was more destructive, Lennox Lewis could not do it so Wlad would not be able so either.

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Hayes entrance into the ring against Wlad was the worst ive ever seen. He was fighting to get into the ring.!

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Originally Posted by El Kabong

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Originally Posted by Beanflicker

I think the Klitschkos will be far more appreciated in hindsight. They both are remarkable HW fighters who could possibly have been champs in ANY era IMO.

With the decreasing popularity of HW boxing and the increasing popularity of MMA, it's going to be harder and harder for boxing to rope in these world class athletes like the Klitschkos.

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With boxing fans and announcers being increasingly negative and UFC announcers unable to really criticize. There's no pleasing boxing fans these days. They are hypercritical, they look at a fighter like Wlad and when he KO's Ray Austin in 2 he gets nothing, but if he gets an opponent that doesn't want to engage Wlad gets blamed. Hell Wlad beating Sam Peterthe first time was a disappointment to basically everyone but me and now in hindsight everyone is of the idea that Sam Peter was just a shit fighter. Not like a Ron Lyle, not like a Ken Norton, not like an Earnie Shavers, not like a Donovan Ruddock, but just a shit fighter.

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Sam Peter was a beast and was one of Wlad's better wins.

Who necks!!