Larry Holmes: “The Klitschko brothers aren’t carrying the sport."

[lefthook2daliva]

I'm not talking about the Klits, I'm talking about the division.

Ok.

So the division is good but unpopular or no good but popular?

[nomadman]

Ok.

So the division is good but unpopular or no good but popular?

Outside of the Klits the division, talent wise, is neither particularly good nor particularly terrible. Popularity is high in Germany but poor in other traditionally strong countries like the US. In the UK it's up and down.

[Barn]

Outside of the Klits the division, talent wise, is neither particularly good nor particularly terrible. Popularity is high in Germany but poor in other traditionally strong countries like the US. In the UK it's up and down.

A lot of people in the UK know the Klitschko name due to the Haye fight.

[nomadman]

A lot of people in the UK know the Klitschko name due to the Haye fight.

I know. I live there.

They're not especially popular though.

[Jedi Vader]

Again, talking about excitement, not skill.

The Klits are good fighters but that is all it takes in this era. Look at the state of the rest of the heavyweights who are vying to take their crown. Fat, out of shape and bereft of any skill that wouldn't even allow them to leave the Amateur ranks had they were living in oher era's. Lewis was overweight, unfit, unmotivated and at the end of his career and he still ripped open the face of someone who in his prime at the time, is still ruling the division 8 years later and is considered the best today. That alone should tell you the skill level of the current crop.

jedi vader is butt hurt over david haye

"Butt hurt"

Seems one has lost his national identity and is talking like a Klitlicker.

A lot of people in the UK know the Klitschko name due to the Haye fight.

Spot on.

[Barn]

I know. I live there.

They're not especially popular though.

Yeah, a lot of my friends who are casual fans watched it and it being a crap fight, it didn't do boxing any justice. Actually hindered it's popularity probably.

[SirTomJones]

"Butt hurt"

Seems one has lost his national identity and is talking like a Klitlicker.

I don't care about nationality. David Haye was a complete coward. shame he tricked you and others into believing in him.

[Lucky Jim]

Of course the Klitschkos aren't "carrying in the division" in America. It's got nothing to do with their skill level or styles or anything like that. Anyone who thinks Americans generally are going to embrace two "Russian" (please don't ask an American to distinguish between a Russian and a Ukrainian) brothers as heavyweight champions, I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you.

The cold war mentality is alive and well here, thanks. Americans can accept Manny Pacquiao as a "cute lil' Asian feller," but when it comes to two hulking "Russians," the Rocky movie jingoistic "USA USA" mentality kicks in.

The brothers are quite popular in the aforementioned Brooklyn, actually, and Wlad is thinking of fighting here in the new basketball arena later in the year. Why? Because south Brooklyn is heavily populated by Russian, Ukrainian, and Polish peoples, not "real Americans."

The Klitschkos are superstars in Germany and are doing fine in the rest of continental Europe, and the UK has been kinder to them since Wlad beat David Haye. They have mostly given up on the US market because of the factors I've already stated. As has been said many times, including by Larry Merchant, if they were named Wally and Vic and were from Montana, they'd be bigger than sliced bread in America, and any perceived flaws they may have would be overlooked. Two heavyweight champ American brothers? They'd be on magazine covers and TV shows all the time.

As for Larry Holmes, there's a good deal of jealousy involved in most of what he says these days. He's a bitter old man, it seems.

[Mr. Fantastic]

Because the Klits are not from here. All them views and people going to watch them fight is a damn good way of letting me know that they are carrying it.

[Jedi Vader]

I don't care about nationality. David Haye was a complete coward. shame he tricked you and others into believing in him.

I'm not entirely sure why you have such a hard on for Haye but didn't he take the title away from the one who the Klits ducked for so long???