You chose to ignore post # 31, Lyle... and that's fine. You see... that's where posters here lose a little credibility. When have I dissed Wlad and his skills? I did that in his glass jaw years... but lately, no. All I do is talk him up. But I go into some constructive criticism about the division itself....... AND...... come up with some suggestions as to what Wlad can do to improve his image in the U.S...... and you become all defensive and shut yourself off. Only those who share your exact views point by point have valid arguments. In that way, you're no better than those we all criticize. I get slammed for being a Cotto "fanboy". Yet I criticize him for things even the haters don't think about criticizing him for. What I DO take exception to are the haters that criticize everything the guy does. That, Lyle, is what denotes real "hate". When you're incapable of saying something positive about a fighter you don't like. Anyone who's been on the forum over 2 minutes knows you're the biggest Wlad fan here. There's nothing wrong with that. But when you dismiss everything that is said, except praise that mirrors your own, it eats away at your credibility. I know you'll dismiss this comment with the arrogance you sometimes display. That's fine.

I'm not gonna repeat what I posted in post # 31. I think it's there for you to read, if you choose. It has nothing but praise for Wlad, but it does mention some ways for Wlad to improve his image even more. It's OK to feel that the U.S. market is not the "cure-all, end-all" for boxing. To think that would be foolish. But to go the other way and ignore the importance of the U.S. market is even more foolish. Simply put: a fighter who is cherished in Europe but ignored in the U.S. can improve his image. A fighter that unknown outside the U.S. can also improve his image. If you can capture both markets, the way Ali used to..... then you're talking.

What opponents do when they enter the ring against Wlad is totally outside his control. They want to go in there like whimpering little puppies waiting for the axe to fall? Fine. Why not cut a swath through the division until there's no one left? Someone's bound to give Wlad a fight sooner or later.