Here's a sobering and sickening thought about boxing in America today

[ManchesterMike]

Steroids help build muscle quickly but anyone who's ever watched 'Worlds strongest man' on TV knows that the juiced up body builder types always come last next to the naturally big guys, only PEDS that a boxer should be concerned about are ones that increase stamina or dull pain and these are all short term effect drugs which would show up in post fight testing.

Again re Vitali and lack of recognition/respect, yes if you look at the Vitali/Wlad in a purely technical boxing viewpoint then they are hard to fault but the general public want exciting fights, they want a damn good tear up (Tyson, Hagler etc) or they want showmen (Ali, Sugar Ray Leanord etc) The Klitschko brothers fulfil neither of these types and are a turn off to the majority of boxing fans who don't give a monkeys about purely technical ability.

[Trapped Bird]

Any proof?

btw, Mike Tyson smoked crack. There are a lot of worse things in this world than doing steroids when you know your opponent is using them as well.

Da ya magu gavarit pa ruski.

[Grinderman]

Why did you list four black fighters that took steroids?

You do realize I was born in the Ukraine?

You can say you were born in Harlem, I don't really care. So what?

[Grinderman]

Steroids help build muscle quickly but anyone who's ever watched 'Worlds strongest man' on TV knows that the juiced up body builder types always come last next to the naturally big guys, only PEDS that a boxer should be concerned about are ones that increase stamina or dull pain and these are all short term effect drugs which would show up in post fight testing.

Again re Vitali and lack of recognition/respect, yes if you look at the Vitali/Wlad in a purely technical boxing viewpoint then they are hard to fault but the general public want exciting fights, they want a damn good tear up (Tyson, Hagler etc) or they want showmen (Ali, Sugar Ray Leanord etc) The Klitschko brothers fulfil neither of these types and are a turn off to the majority of boxing fans who don't give a monkeys about purely technical ability.

Vitali's fights are very good if the opponent is interested in fighting, like Corrie Sanders was. In the case of a guy like Kevin Johnson laying in the ropes all night, there is not much he can do.

The Klitschkos more often than not deliver knockouts: Vitali's KO ratio of 89% is the best in the division's history.

If they were Americans, they'd be big here because America loves a winner. But they're not and the old guard boxing media wants to keep them from getting popular here. It's a combination of xenophobia and resentment, and like I said, Lennox Lewis got the very same thing here when he was fighting: "boring," "jab artist," etc.

Unfortunately for these people, there are loads more European heavyweights on the way up, and very few Americans with any promise.

[Trapped Bird]

You can say you were born in Harlem, I don't really care. So what?

No, you thought I was black, so you named some black fighters that have tested positive thinking that it means something to me. It doesn't.

[The Hammer]

da ya magu gavarit pa ruski.

Вы не русский.

Вы лжец.

[Grinderman]

No, you thought I was black, so you named some black fighters that have tested positive thinking that it means something to me. It doesn't.

No, I named black fighters because those fighters are who came to mind. I don't give a **** what color they are or you are.

Just to make you happy, how about Tommy Morrison? That better?

[ManchesterMike]

Vitali's fights are very good if the opponent is interested in fighting, like Corrie Sanders was. In the case of a guy like Kevin Johnson laying in the ropes all night, there is not much he can do.

The Klitschkos more often than not deliver knockouts: Vitali's KO ratio of 89% is the best in the division's history.

If they were Americans, they'd be big here because America loves a winner. But they're not and the old guard boxing media wants to keep them from getting popular here. It's a combination of xenophobia and resentment, and like I said, Lennox Lewis got the very same thing here when he was fighting: "boring," "jab artist," etc.

Unfortunately for these people, there are loads more European heavyweights on the way up, and very few Americans with any promise.

The difference wih Lewis compared to Klitschko's was that Lennox still pulled in the PPV figures and Wlad/Vitali don't. Thats why the networks/critics/promoters etc aren't intersested.

Lennox Lewis was someone that the US audience could connect with whereas no one wants to know the Klitschko brothers because for a start they don't come off well in interviews, just come across as big robots with no personality.
As people and fighters they are dull, but I concede that the lack of decent US Heavyweight contenders is a major factor, do all they guys who would have become boxers in the past now just want to be rappers or have I got it wrong? seems to me like there has been a major cultural shift in the states over the last 20 years.

[Trapped Bird]

No, I named black fighters because those fighters are who came to mind. I don't give a **** what color they are or you are.

Just to make you happy, how about Tommy Morrison? That better?

Tommy Morrison has AIDS so he gets a pass.

Manny Pacquiao would do.

[Grinderman]

Tommy Morrison has AIDS so he gets a pass.

Manny Pacquiao would do.

Maybe he got AIDS from using a dirty needle to inject steroids?

Manny has gotta be juicing, IMO. And I'm not a big fan of Floyd's either.

Just look at the size of Manny's skull -- certainly seems to have gotten larger a la Barry Bonds.