Dan Rafael: "American TV networks ALL rejected to show the Klitschko fight"

americans just get bored to easily where as europeans will like the art of the whole thing 60,000 people go to a fight yet they cant get this on tv, what an absolute joke hbo can go **** themselves

and that sums up the heavweight division for today.

I’m a (Wlad) Klitschko fan, but I can’t say that I don’t blame HBO for not picking this fight up. His last two fights with Chagaev and Rahman were, even to a Klitschko fan, kind of boring. Wlad needs to dispatch of these over matched opponents much more efficiently and in an exciting fashion. There’s no excuse why Wlad could have blown Rahman out in two rounds and Chagaev in four rounds. He’s gotta let his hands go a little more and mix up his punches a little better. When Wlad boxes his opponents he’s jabbing and throwing rights, and his opponents naturally have there hands raised; so why not start throwing bombs to the body? This is something that he seldom does, but could really help out his game… Vitali is exciting. Wlad not so much.

Estrada was a shit fight That Adamek dissapointed me in. They gave him Arreolla in April. I agree it wasn't the most exciting. I was speaking more about their apparent lack of business sense. They knew that they were going to have the Arreola fight so why not have the Estrada fight in order to make the average fan familiar with him and help hype the fight. I agree, Dawson-Tarver II probably shouldn't have been shown but I'm guessing it has more to do with business that goes on behind the scene that may have forced it. That's also why I said one of these reasons may have to do with numbers because there's also other factors like the relationships with the promoters, contractual obligations, etc. I really don't know all the details behind the discussions of Adamek-Cunningham II. They were having budget issues at the end of '09 and I'm guessing around then is when it was being proposed. Let's not forget that they wouldn't committ to Hopkins-Adamek either until their '10 budget came out and Hopkins has a lot more pull with HBO being with Golden Boy. What's their agenda, by the way? When i said that i was talking about whats in bold above. Hyping their own guys, only showing those who they know they have locked down, not doing anything to diminish their HBO fighters invincibility in the eyes of their viewers.

that surprises me,most people would pay for a cure for insomnia

To be fair, I believe Ross Greenburg of HBO has spoken about dumping the Heavyweights off the network since last year. So, at least from that end this isn't all of a sudden. The Klit fights do abysmal ratings.

I was sure to write "some Americans" for that exact reason. I hear what you're saying but they obviously have an agenda too, it's not just all about what the ppl want. They turn down fights like Adamek-Cunningham II and give us Dawson-Tarver II. It's not all about excitement or public demand. I agree, Dawson-Tarver II probably shouldn't have been shown but I'm guessing it has more to do with business that goes on behind the scene that may have forced it. That's also why I said one of these reasons may have to do with numbers because there's also other factors like the relationships with the promoters, contractual obligations, etc. I really don't know all the details behind the discussions of Adamek-Cunningham II. They were having budget issues at the end of '09 and I'm guessing around then is when it was being proposed. Let's not forget that they wouldn't committ to Hopkins-Adamek either until their '10 budget came out and Hopkins has a lot more pull with HBO being with Golden Boy. What's their agenda, by the way?

Lennox was in plenty of dull fights. Lets not pretend he was all action now. Of course he was in dull fights now and again. Who hasn't been? He was in plenty of exciting wars as well, and he generally always made an effort to finish his opponent when he saw they were ready to be taken.

The same Adamek that they showed no interest for a Cunningham rematch. Or the Estrada fight? They're not going out of their way to do him any favours, and after the Briggs fights it certainly has nothing to do with him having boring fights. Estrada was a shit fight That Adamek dissapointed me in. They gave him Arreolla in April.

Bollox. Adamek and the Super Six blow that notion out the water. The same Adamek that they showed no interest for a Cunningham rematch. Or the Estrada fight? They're not going out of their way to do him any favours, and after the Briggs fights it certainly has nothing to do with him having boring fights.

FSN or versus have no right turning down this fight. Unless the klitcshkos were asking for huge fees. I want to see the fight no matter how dull it will be.

I’m a (Wlad) Klitschko fan, but I can’t say that I don’t blame HBO for not picking this fight up. His last two fights with Chagaev and Rahman were, even to a Klitschko fan, kind of boring. Wlad needs to dispatch of these over matched opponents much more efficiently and in an exciting fashion. There’s no excuse why Wlad could have blown Rahman out in two rounds and Chagaev in four rounds. He’s gotta let his hands go a little more and mix up his punches a little better. When Wlad boxes his opponents he’s jabbing and throwing rights, and his opponents naturally have there hands raised; so why not start throwing bombs to the body? This is something that he seldom does, but could really help out his game…

There are plenty of Americans, like myself, who support Wlad. HBO was just too stupid to market Wlad properly early in his career and now they think he isn't marketable because they can't accept their own failure. I was sure to write "some Americans" for that exact reason. You can only blame HBO, Showtime, etc. but so much. They are a business and they deliver what the market wants. They've tried to sell the Klitschkos, hell look at these advertisements for crying out loud: http://i700.photobucket.com/albums/ww1/mt1028799/n123284685353_6424476_3001822.jpg http://i700.photobucket.com/albums/ww1/mt1028799/n123284685353_6424482_2877831.jpg http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:_nG2gmA14gLLxM:http://www.hbo.com/boxing/img/downloads/432x559/poster_klitschko_brock_432x559.jpg They sure as hell aren't selling the Americans here..they didn't even bother showing their pics in a couple. I have to assume that one of the reasons for not showing the fight is that the Klitschko's numbers just haven't been there in the US combined with the fact that no one really knows who Chambers is I hear what you're saying but they obviously have an agenda too, it's not just all about what the ppl want. They turn down fights like Adamek-Cunningham II and give us Dawson-Tarver II. It's not all about excitement or public demand.

Who is almost 100% guaranteed to produce a knockout in ever fight they're in. I'm not criticising Vitali. I enjoy his fights. Wlad's, however, I do not. Personally speaking, I don't much care if a fight ends before the final bell if the rounds preceding it are so dull and repetitive. And the last two of those "knockouts" were a ref stoppage and a quitting on the stool. Not much entertainment in that. Quite an anti-climax in fact. I won't bother to respond to your Lennox dig. He's been in plenty of exciting fights in his career. Smells like bias or maybe even racism against Europeans. Bollox. Adamek and the Super Six blow that notion out the water.

Lennox was boring and not only did HBO pick up all his fights, but they gave him a commentating gig too. :chomp: Lennox was methodical, but not boring to me. He just wasn't exciting as Tyson.

Thats worse than a knockout. Thats all out domination. And yeah, Lennox was in boring fights. People used to say the same stuff about him. "oh he's too methodical for a heavyweight, he's not aggressive enough etc etc." But HBO aired his fights anyway. What do you mean worse than a knockout? Throwing 30 left jabs a round against a hapless opponent isn't better than a vicious right that flattens him. And Lennox was quite exciting; what fights were boring? Add the two opposites up.

Thats worse than a knockout. Thats all out domination. And yeah, Lennox was in boring fights. People used to say the same stuff about him. "oh he's too methodical for a heavyweight, he's not aggressive enough etc etc." But HBO aired his fights anyway. Yet you like Dirrell and Mayweather? At least Wlad knocks people out. Must be a Michigan thing. Hey we had Joe Louis...lol. He hit pretty hard...lol. I like watching Vitali. Wlad does nothing for me.

So ESPN, Versus, & FSN regularly have journeyman, club fighters, and unknown prospects as main events but won't air the HW champion of the world's title fight and against a solid opponent nonetheless? ESPN Classic did show Klitschko-Chagaev. Maybe the numbers weren't there, maybe there's scheduling conflicts this time, etc. etc. I really don't know but what I can assume is that if they believed it made financial sense then they would pick it up.

I mean guys just look at this poll. Fans wouldnt even spend 15 dollars on this shit. Me included. Hes fighting another guy who cant hurt him.

How the f*ck can HBO show the Rahman and Austin fights and then not show this one? I'm about to go pop off a profanity laced email. Because that'll go far.