The Old Fighters are done

Arturo Gatti fought Micky Ward with a broken hand.

I hope that's true, because we need a dominant heavyweight to keep boxing a viable sport. The only problem he will have now is lack of real competition to prove his greatness. He will also need another Byrd-like situation to prove he wants it badly enough to risk all.

Yeah which makes boxing in big trouble because there is no upcoming big names. And dont tell me trinidad will be around for long

You know nothing about me, but you can say I have never played any sport? I've played sports all my life, all of the contact variety. I have 2 fucked knees, arthritis building in my left shoulder and 4 questionable disks to prove it. Guess what? I still play football almost everyweekend with my friends, I still play on a softball team, I dive, I skydive and I work out daily. I will likely suffer greatly for this in my old age, but oh well. At least I enjoy it now :) Thank you for the medical information on how a doctor diagnoses a rotator cuff injury, but I already knew that. Physically, V made the proper decision. No sense in causing it further injury. Financially, he made the wrong decision, and the decision he made probably did more damage to his career than the injury would have had he gone on and fought. Because of his decision, he will always have the ghost of it hanging over his head, people like me will always question his heart until he proves otherwise, and he will likely never enjoy a reign as a "popular" champion. A sad as it is, the reality of boxing is that it's as much a business as it is a sport. He screwed himself in the business portion of it. No because I ahve the sneaking suspicion that for a guy like Vitali, being called a quiter just makes him strive harder. I know that just sounds like stupid jargon but I honestly believe that Vitali is one of those treuly DRIVEN fighters. He is not like his brother, he never runs out of gas and he has a damn good chin. In my oppinion, if vitali ever reaches greatness, if he is ever more than jsut a big, tough guy, it will be partially because of his loss to byrd.

O.G. when I want clarity I'll ignore you. When I want the mindless amusement of an organ grinder's little buddy you are at the top of the list. Ok there little fella?

No Nicht, your post was worthless. It was a waste of your energy. Never do it again.

Don't be so hard on yourself O.G. I think my quote moderated the worthless stupidity of your post.

Whoaaaahhh there ponyboy you'll have to ask me out to dinner first! Take me to the Greek Halls of History Diner! Where legendary consumables are forged from the hands of mere mortals for the GODS of GLUTTONY!!!! When we clink water glasses together it will be a MONUMENTAL CLASH OF THE TITANS! An ALL TIME edible spectacle so fantastic that life itself will pale everlasting whence it ends! This may be the most worthless post ever posted on Boxingscene.com.

in other words, you have nothing to offer in that regard either. have a nice life :)

By the way, I have yet to see you post anything regarding your sports background or ring record. Is it because the only sport you engage in is insulting via the internet? Whoaaaahhh there ponyboy you'll have to ask me out to dinner first! Take me to the Greek Halls of History Diner! Where legendary consumables are forged from the hands of mere mortals for the GODS of GLUTTONY!!!! When we clink water glasses together it will be a MONUMENTAL CLASH OF THE TITANS! An ALL TIME edible spectacle so fantastic that life itself will pale everlasting whence it ends!

Are you sure that you are not on a handicapped intramural debating team? Here are the facts: He had an injury. He withdrew from a fight. He had surgery. He had rehabilitation. He is now the champion. Although the injury he suffered has ended hundreds of successful professional careers you would rather parse words and dollop out very unclever sophistry to cloud the issue into some type of mythical gestalten narrative more indicative of the Aeneid . Now who is dealing with facts and who is dealing in bullshit? Again, rather than dealing in facts, you hand out insults. This time you even broke out the dictionary. I'm proud of you. claps all around for Nicht. Yes, he had an injury. Yes, he withdrew from a fight. Yes, he is now one of four world champions. As I have no facts to back up my opinion that he could have continued, you have none to back up your opinion that had he done so it would have ended his career. My argument is that had he continued on to win a fight that he was going to win anyway, he could have possibly come to the forefront of the heavyweight division earlier in his career, when there were still people out there to make compelling fights with, and become a historic champion rather than someone who holds a belt in a division now depleted of talent. He weighed the probablity of legend against the possibility of a foreshortened career and chose in favor of a mediocre career. Everything I have read and heard in the boxing world leads to the fact that he is considered the best of 4 people who wouldn't hold the crowns if there was any serious talent left in the division. By the way, I have yet to see you post anything regarding your sports background or ring record. Is it because the only sport you engage in is insulting via the internet?

Random capitalization has begun......resistance is futile. Oh Yes, It's on!. Bring It!

Random capitalization has begun......resistance is futile.

that's the best you can come up with? the normal route for debate is to counter an argument with your own facts/opinions, unless you have no counter. while I understand that my first post to you could have been seen as insulting, it was not my intent and I apologized. You have continued to insult, question who and what I am, without offering anything to lend weight to your opinion in this argument. You questioned my background, I answered. You insulted. I questioned yours, you had no answer, you insulted. It's quite obvious that we have different opinions, while I try to support mine with both facts and further opinions, you have no answers but childish insults. I have said, quite clearly, that I understand your opinion, I just don't share it. Unless you can do more than insult, I see no point in carrying on this discussion with you. VB, Don't worry, it's the way Nickledick, deals with his childhood, which is full of child molestation, dead mothers, and sexual fantasies about Vitalia Klitcshko. As traceylee says Nigfuckin, is a jackass, who has nothing better to do then pick on Spelling Mistakes. If only the world was as cool as him. Don't worry about him, he's a fucking Jackass Pinhead.

Are you sure that you are not on a handicapped intramural debating team? Here are the facts: He had an injury. He withdrew from a fight. He had surgery. He had rehabilitation. He is now the champion. Although the injury he suffered has ended hundreds of successful professional careers you would rather parse words and dollop out very unclever sophistry to cloud the issue into some type of mythical gestalten narrative more indicative of the Aeneid . Now who is dealing with facts and who is dealing in bullshit?

I think you are confusing the fantasy league world with reality. that's the best you can come up with? the normal route for debate is to counter an argument with your own facts/opinions, unless you have no counter. while I understand that my first post to you could have been seen as insulting, it was not my intent and I apologized. You have continued to insult, question who and what I am, without offering anything to lend weight to your opinion in this argument. You questioned my background, I answered. You insulted. I questioned yours, you had no answer, you insulted. It's quite obvious that we have different opinions, while I try to support mine with both facts and further opinions, you have no answers but childish insults. I have said, quite clearly, that I understand your opinion, I just don't share it. Unless you can do more than insult, I see no point in carrying on this discussion with you.

I think you are confusing the fantasy league world with reality.

Well HBO's two highest rated boxing programs in 2003 were Lewis v. Klitschko and Klitschko v. Johnson. I also remember MSG and Staples Center being pretty full for his last 2 fights. Lewis was the draw in the first fight, and LA always sells out heavyweight fights. Fights in MSG generally sell out, too, now that it's a venue again. When Johnson walked into the ring that night, the first thought to hit my mind was, "holy shit! it's the Pillsbury Homeboy!" Johnson, at that time, was considered to be a heavy prospect in the division, so he brought his own part of the draw to that fight, too.

All he had to do was protect himself for 3 rounds. If he had heart and skills, he could have done easily one-handed. Switch to southpaw and try to use that thunderous right as a jab for 9 minutes, move, do something, don't just quit. Vitali is starting to get older. Even back then his time to shine was limited. Sure, he's the recognized World Champion right now, but who is going to remember who he is 20 years from now? If he had gone on and finished a fight he was WINNING, found the desire in his heart to be a great champion rather than a belt-holder, how might history have changed in his favor? How might he be remembered in history? How much sooner would his fight with Lewis come? How much more highly regarded would he be? Yes, there is a chance that he could have been injured worse, but there is just a great a chance that he would have recovered just as well and possibly become legend. He blew that. I don't see how you don't understand my point. Want to just butt heads and call it a draw?

and this relates to a rotator cuff injury how, exactly? It relates by the simple fact that in an orthodox fighter the left hand is the first parrying line of defense! He injured his left shoulder. His arm was reflexively flailing at Byrd's punches furthering the severity of the injury. This isn't Chinese arithmetic what the fuck is the problem here?