Quote Originally Posted by Lyle View Post
Quote Originally Posted by generalbulldog View Post
To answer your question, yes people can be that stupid. But really, wlad just has a boring style. It does not make great exciting drama, hence no HBO fight.
Same was said about Larry Holmes and Lennox Lewis and basically anyone that's not Mike Tyson. I've heard it about everyone and really the people that believe Wlad is boring are the people that don't understand how difficult it actually is to be that dominant of a fighter. Could Wlad add some flash and some danger to his style? Sure, but why would he handicap himself? Nobody would have asked Tyson to fight like Willie Pep.

The reason the fight isn't being shown in the US is because the US has a lack of respect for the heavyweight division because the average "sports fan" doesn't think there are any Americans in the hunt for the title, and that's very disrespectful to guys like Eddie Chambers whom although may be a pudgey cruiserweight he's very skilled and he should have earned some respect.

But make no doubt about it the Klitschko's are a big deal in Europe and Wlad will have asses in the seats on Saturday.
Notice that boxing goes into a funk in AMerica when the HW champ is not exciting? Americans expect the HW champ to be a Dempsey, Marciano, ALi, Tyson, Holyfield, etc. An exciting champ, not some robotic cautious pawing giant. I think Larry Merchant put it best when he said, "Boxing is drama and theater." I see no drama or theater with Wlad. And a lot of people would agree with me on that, not just the casual fight fan but amongst hardcore followers of the sport.

At first I thought it was the American thing, but Pacquiao ain't American he doesn't seem to have a problem bringing people to Cowboys stadium or people paying to see his PPVs doesn't he? And he's not a HW but a WW.

In that ring article I posted on page 1, Goosen makes a good point in that if Wlad was an exciting HW champ he would be all over tv, times square, etc. But the truth of the matter he's not exciting. And really I don't think him not being American has anything to do with it.