Peter rejects step-aside offer!

[amat]

Damn. 2.5 mil to watch. That's big big money.

Yeah!
To watch your oppourtunity get taken by someone else...

Yeah but still. 2.5 Million to sit on your ass and watch TV is something not to many would decline

[BoomBoom]

Good for Peter. Hes got principles unlike silver spoon Klitshcko

Silver spoon is harsh.

Stealing a Title Shot is harsh. A real fighter wants to fight. I bet you 9 out of 10 of the top 10 heavyweights would take that money and sit back. That is the problem with the division

[armin]

Ok at first I was agreeing with klitshko, but peter just seems to want this fight so bad he should let peter have a go at it. Something though needs to be put in the contract that whoever wins peter or maskaev, they have to fight vitali next, no ifs or buts. I don't see why vitali doesn't want to back out, shit I doubt peter could knock him out, and I seriously doubt that he can outbox him, so he should just take some warm up fight and then fight winner of peter-maskaev, most likely peter.

[Klitsfan]

Why??That was the best deal I have ever heard of!Peter will soon be kicking himself for that move.

[Klitsfan]

Good for Peter. Hes got principles unlike silver spoon Klitshcko

Please explain that stupid "silver spoon"comment.

[landmine950]

What if Peter steps aside, Klitschko Beats Maskaev.Then retires!
What happens to Peter's "Guaranteed" $3 Million fight against the winner?
The winner has retired! Is WBA guaranteeing the $3 Million? We know what their "word" is worth! Nothing!

Then what? He has to fight someone else or Mask to Qualify again? More sanctioning fees? I bet I know how much the fees would be!
The $3 million he got to step aside for Klitschko!
Maybe has to fight Maskaev and then maybe the winner of the #3 and #4 spots (Sam and Toney)
Hey maybe he ends up fighting James Toney 3 times!

What if Klitschko wins and then just doesn't want to face Peter?
say he wants Valuev or Briggs. You can't MAKE Klitschko fight Peter, maybe he relinquishes the belt? What leverage does Peter have then? No belt. No recent win. nothing.

Peter knows (thinks) that his BEST chance of a belt and then best leverage position in the div to COMMAND big $$ is to beat Maskaev.
When you have that Golden belt around your waist you have credability (in the publics eyes) "He who was the gold (belt) rules!"
With the belt in a fight against Klitschko he could demand a rematch clause if he loses....
SEE there is a lot more to this than meets the eye!
The question is...HOW MUCH DOES A TITLE BELT FIGHT or a UNIFICATION title belt fight generate in 2007?
LOTS more than 2 or 3 Million I'd say!
The 2 1/2 to step aside and then 3 milion to fight the winner might be chump change! The Mask/Klitschko fight might be worth 20 Million!
and the winners next fight worth 30! does anyone know? or have real data on what these fights are worth nowadays? Say the Peter/Toney fights?

[CountryBoy]

Let Vitali whip Peter's ass already.

[Bx730NY]

The way I see it, Peter is doing the right thing and even if he beats maskaev and loses to vitali for the title down the line (which I don't see happening), at least he stood his ground and did it honorably. klit fans should want Peter to fight for the title first because that way if vitali beats Peter for the title (again, I doubt it) and then gets injured and has to postpone a future fight, nobody will say it's an excuse and he will truly be recognized as champ. Even by me. Any one that doesn't see what a cowardly act it is for vitali to say he's coming back only after Peter beat Toney the second time, is either not paying attention or just a bias klit fan. He knows he could have taken his tiime coming back if Toney won cause he would have beaten him anyway but he's unsure if he can beat Peter.

[Klitsfan]

The way I see it, Peter is doing the right thing and even if he beats maskaev and loses to vitali for the title down the line (which I don't see happening), at least he stood his ground and did it honorably. klit fans should want Peter to fight for the title first because that way if vitali beats Peter for the title (again, I doubt it) and then gets injured and has to postpone a future fight, nobody will say it's an excuse and he will truly be recognized as champ. Even by me. Any one that doesn't see what a cowardly act it is for vitali to say he's coming back only after Peter beat Toney the second time, is either not paying attention or just a bias klit fan. He knows he could have taken his tiime coming back if Toney won cause he would have beaten him anyway but he's unsure if he can beat Peter.

What if Peter loses to Maskaev?It can happen where is he then?He won't get another shot for quite some time.All he has to do is sit back,make money(for doing nothing), and wait for a big money fight against the winner!What is the problem?

Vitaly is so far from being a coward and I won't even respond to such a ludicrous statement.

For those of you that forgot that Vitali retired because of injury, it takes time to rehab an injury such as his and now at this time and for no other reason he feels 100% and that is why he is coming back at this particular time and not because of the current heavyweight situation.

[Gandalf]

There is no reason why Vitali cannot wait one more fight....Peter should be allowed his shot...

[p4pking]

The way I see it, Peter is doing the right thing and even if he beats maskaev and loses to vitali for the title down the line (which I don't see happening), at least he stood his ground and did it honorably. klit fans should want Peter to fight for the title first because that way if vitali beats Peter for the title (again, I doubt it) and then gets injured and has to postpone a future fight, nobody will say it's an excuse and he will truly be recognized as champ. Even by me. Any one that doesn't see what a cowardly act it is for vitali to say he's coming back only after Peter beat Toney the second time, is either not paying attention or just a bias klit fan. He knows he could have taken his tiime coming back if Toney won cause he would have beaten him anyway but he's unsure if he can beat Peter.

What if Peter loses to Maskaev?It can happen where is he then?He won't get another shot for quite some time.All he has to do is sit back,make money(for doing nothing), and wait for a big money fight against the winner!What is the problem?

Vitaly is so far from being a coward and I won't even respond to such a ludicrous statement.

For those of you that forgot that Vitali retired because of injury, it takes time to rehab an injury such as his and now at this time and for no other reason he feels 100% and that is why he is coming back at this particular time and not because of the current heavyweight situation.

Maybe you didn't read the bolded part. Peter wants the title, he believes in himself, and he thinks that the big money will come if he just gets a chance to establish himself as a champ. How you can possibly not understand his stance does me in... It's much, much better for boxing with Peter not accepting the money to step aside. Why can't Vitali just take a tune up fight, then get the winner of Maskaev Peter?? Obviously he would get alot more credit for beating the winner than if he just fought Maskaev now..

[Kev]

What if Peter loses to Maskaev?It can happen

Sorry but could you explain how it could happen?

Maskaev has a history of being blown away by mediocre fighters who have a punch. Peter is a pretty good fighter and probably the biggest puncher in boxing right now.

It won't go 4 rounds.

[Gandalf]

What if Peter loses to Maskaev?It can happen

Sorry but could you explain how it could happen?

Maskaev has a history of being blown away by mediocre fighters who have a punch. Peter is a pretty good fighter and probably the biggest puncher in boxing right now.

It won't go 4 rounds.

There is very little chance of Maskaev beating Peter. Maskaev is a simple step up from decent journeyman status IMO...Peter should blow him away, or at least get an easy UD....

Even if I picked Peter I couldnt see him losing!

[Big_Deuce]

man,
This has been talked about, and beaten to death....And 90% of the people talkin about it, are just talking with emotion. And i feel for you, i really do. I have been a fan of a fighter who got the sh*t end of the stick before. However, jesus christ, the ONLY reason peter wants this fight, is so he can hold the WBC belt before klitschko's do. IF peter does not fight maskeav, he will NEVER get that belt. He wants the easier route to the belt, than having to go through a Klitschko to get it.

I mean seriously, he got beat down bad..something like 114-111, and thats with him getting 3 knockdowns! (even though 2 were rabbit punches). If wlad beat peters a$$ the way he did, wtf do you think will happen if vitali gets a hold of him? Seriously. Someone please look at this objectively.

Everyone is hatin on Vitali, but he is doing nothing wrong, he's a fighter who sees an opportunity to beat someones a$$, and make alot more money than peter vs oleg would make.
No one here would do anything different than vitali, NO ONE. it isn't his fault that the WBC granted him his emeritus status. He is just trying to use a right, given to him by the WBC. Also, this emeritus status that was given to vitali WAS NOT A LAST SECOND THING. it was given to vitali immediately after his retirement announcement. All in all, rules are rules, i know it sucks for peter (if it goes through) and if peter gets the fight, cool, glad he could make his money and get his belt. if he doesnt get his fight, cool, im glad vitali is able to come back after retiring from an injury and grab a belt.

[Bx730NY]

The way I see it, Peter is doing the right thing and even if he beats maskaev and loses to vitali for the title down the line (which I don't see happening), at least he stood his ground and did it honorably. klit fans should want Peter to fight for the title first because that way if vitali beats Peter for the title (again, I doubt it) and then gets injured and has to postpone a future fight, nobody will say it's an excuse and he will truly be recognized as champ. Even by me. Any one that doesn't see what a cowardly act it is for vitali to say he's coming back only after Peter beat Toney the second time, is either not paying attention or just a bias klit fan. He knows he could have taken his tiime coming back if Toney won cause he would have beaten him anyway but he's unsure if he can beat Peter.

What if Peter loses to Maskaev?It can happen where is he then?He won't get another shot for quite some time.All he has to do is sit back,make money(for doing nothing), and wait for a big money fight against the winner!What is the problem?

Vitaly is so far from being a coward and I won't even respond to such a ludicrous statement.

For those of you that forgot that Vitali retired because of injury, it takes time to rehab an injury such as his and now at this time and for no other reason he feels 100% and that is why he is coming back at this particular time and not because of the current heavyweight situation.

Why should Peter sit back and wait? vitali sat back for about 2 years. You mean to tell me he can't wait a few months all of a sudden? What's his rush? Let Peter fiight his well earned mandatory and then he can fight the winner.