From ESPN.com:
• The Klitschko brothers may not be able to gain much traction in the U.S., but the heavyweight title-holding brothers are stars in Germany, their adopted home country. Vitali Klitschko's title defense last Saturday, a ninth-round knockout of Juan Carlos Gomez in Stuttgart, was a huge hit in Germany. Besides a sellout crowd of 12,500, an astonishing 11.5 million television viewers watched it on RTL. That translates to 55 percent of the people watching TV at that time in Germany, Team Klitschko announced.
To put it in perspective, HBO's Feb. 28 broadcast of the Juan Manuel Marquez-Juan Diaz lightweight championship fight drew about 1.6 million viewers in the U.S.
I think a big reason for the decline in the popularity of boxing in the US and Canada is the poor media coverage. Not only are the biggest fights not on cable or free TV, we have very negative boxing commentators like Teddy Atlas, Steve Farhood and Wally Matthews, who turn the average viewer away. They are always complaining about one thing or another, or discrediting the fighters they don't like.
In contrast, the American MMA announcers tend to create excitement by being very positive and sounding excited about the fights. And the boxing commentators in Germany don't bash and discredit the Klitschkos the way Teddy Atlas and Max Kellerman always do.
As long as they keep owning the competition I'm cool with their "roboticness".
yep, you don't got anything to complain about (except how boring wlad is)
Oh, me too. The Klitschkos are my favourite current boxers.
I don't get what people call robotic. Fighting with a high guard and little head movement? Then Joshua Clottey must be robotic too?
But who cares what people call it, you can't dispute its effectiveness since Wlad has been owning people with it.
clottey also is robotic. but the K-sister are especially robotic.
Calling East Europeans "robots" is racist.
i didn't know calling someone a robot was racist. last time I checked nobody judges a robot on the basis of its color scheme.
Because of the thread boxingwizard made about "robotic".
Calling East Europeans "robots" is racist.
Personally, I very much enjoy watching the Klitschkos, while I find the American runners like Dirrell, Spinks and Mayweather boring.
Vitali throws 1000 punches per fight, and both Klitschkos have very high KO ratios (higher than Lewis, Holmes, Holyfield, Ali, Jack Johnson, etc).
Oh, me too. The Klitschkos are my favourite current boxers.
I don't get what people call robotic. Fighting with a high guard and little head movement? Then Joshua Clottey must be robotic too?
But who cares what people call it, you can't dispute its effectiveness since Wlad has been owning people with it.
RTL comes as part of a cable package like ESPN, HBO, Showtime, etc.
Remember, the US has about five times the population of Germany.
There is no way nowadays, even if it were on ABC or NBC, would 55% of American TVs tune in to a boxing event.
More like 3 times. US has roughly 300M while Germany has about 80M. If you include the other german speaking nations Austria and Switzerland you appoach 100M.
Still the Klits enjoy an unparalelled mainstream popularity in Germany unlike ANY active fighter in the US.
Why did you bump the thread?
Because of the thread boxingwizard made about "robotic".
Calling East Europeans "robots" is racist.
Personally, I very much enjoy watching the Klitschkos, while I find the American runners like Dirrell, Spinks and Mayweather boring.
Vitali throws 1000 punches per fight, and both Klitschkos have very high KO ratios (higher than Lewis, Holmes, Holyfield, Ali, Jack Johnson, etc).
RTL comes as part of a cable package like ESPN, HBO, Showtime, etc.
Remember, the US has about five times the population of Germany.
There is no way nowadays, even if it were on ABC or NBC, would 55% of American TVs tune in to a boxing event.
This is correct.
His speed is nothing special. Nothing about him is special.
You're a biased nuthugger. ANd if Klitschko loses, you should seriously be ashamed of yourself.
haye is nothing special - he used a lot of dirty tactics, hitting while holding, hitting opponents when they're down, and rabbit punching.
He looks good against bums like maccarinelli, but wait until you see what happens on june 20.
is he ****ing fast or not!?!?!?
If Wlad KOs Haye he will get no credit, they'll say Haye was moving up from cruiserweight.
Again, since I asked this elsewhere and you never answered, who exactly are you speaking for? If Wlad KOs Haye and demolishes him, I'll be the first on here with mad propz for the champ because I'm a boxing fan first and foremost.
However, if Haye dispatches your man, I can guarantee you not a single Klitschko fan will be on here praising a "blown up CW" for defeating the indestructible Steelhammer. Not one.
Prove me wrong.
Lol. OKay, I'll lay down that argument, as well. Just to prove a point.
Now, can you acknowledge that Haye is a fast punching, hard hitting guy? Can you admit that he has solid footwork? Can you admit that he has a fast and snappy jab?
Haye is nothing special - he used a lot of dirty tactics, hitting while holding, hitting opponents when they're down, and rabbit punching.
He looks good against bums like Maccarinelli, but wait until you see what happens on June 20.
Big difference!
Cunningham WANTED to fight Haye, but Haye refused! :nono:
Wlad has been trying to get a fight with Valuev for years, but Don King and Sauerland don't want to cash in their Sasquatch just yet.
Lol. OKay, I'll lay down that argument, as well. Just to prove a point.
Now, can you acknowledge that Haye is a fast punching, hard hitting guy? Can you admit that he has solid footwork? Can you admit that he has a fast and snappy jab?
You see. This is how I know you're biased. Klitschko has yet to unify, and you don't blame them. Haye wins pretty much EVERY available belt out there, then is drained from losing weight and would rather chase history, and you condemn him.
Big difference!
Cunningham WANTED to fight Haye, but Haye refused! :nono:
Wlad has been trying to get a fight with Valuev for years, but Don King and Sauerland don't want to cash in their Sasquatch just yet.
If Wlad KOs Haye he will get no credit, they'll say Haye was moving up from cruiserweight. Just like Atlas gave Vitali no credit for beating the former cruiserweight champion JC Gomez.
Strangely enough, Bowe and Lewis were given credit for beating Holyfield... :thinking:
Because I live here, not over there. I don't know very much German.
I'm always downloading fights in the German language - I wish I could watch them in English with decent commentary. I do enjoy the UK commentary.
There's a lot of good American commentators too like Kenny, Tessitore, Steward, Ricardo, and Lampley. But sadly, on virtually every broadcast I need to put up with an idiotic, bigoted Euro-hater like Atlas or Kellerman.
Oh, I thought you lived in Europe. Cool, fair enough.
I personally like Atlas and Kellerman, but understand how one can hate certain announcers for various reasons. It goes back to Howard Cosell (who, strangely enough, is entertaining to me now when I go back and listen to him, but thought he was kind of annoying when he was alive).
Haye was unable to unify the cruiserweight division, because of the slick Steve Cunningham who he knew he'd lose to.
You see. This is how I know you're biased. Klitschko has yet to unify, and you don't blame them. Haye wins pretty much EVERY available belt out there, then is drained from losing weight and would rather chase history, and you condemn him.
I gave you a chance to not seem like a nuthugger. I gave you a chance to look like a stand up guy. All you had to do was lay a compliment on the talented Haye. Just say, 'Yes, he does have hand and footspeed, but he'll still lose.' But you can't do it. You're that baised.
If Haye wins, and Haye has literally NO TALENT, like you're making it out to be, what would that make Wladimir. Tsk, tsk, tsk.
All right. I'll entertain you. Sure, Haye's opponents suck. Now answer the rest of my question.
Regardless of the quality of his opponents, did he not have the guts and the courage to unify his division?
No he did not! Haye was unable to unify the cruiserweight division, because of the slick IBF champion Steve Cunningham, who he knew he'd lose to.
17y ago
Boxing and the Klitschkos are more popular in Europe | BoxingScene Community