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

All Boxing needs to do is get back on national tv in America and than it will become a major sport in America just like it was from 1920-1980.

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.

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.

The belt that muhammad ali once wore is on the line tomorrow in a HW clash and nobody here gives a damn. I would bet 999/1000 people in America don't know who vitali is, much less adamek. There is no appreciation or respect, and that's a shame for a HW as great as vitali. It sickens me. :bottle::bottle:

Stick a weight limit of 235lbs on it and bye bye big slow eastern european boxers that no one wants to watch. Are Eastern Euro heavies really all big and slow, or is it just the Klitschkos? I must admit, it did seem a bit ridiculous a 'little' guy like Haye going up against huge men like Valuev and Vladimir. I think it's fair to say people do want to watch them, just not in Western Europe and the US. But I wouldn't worry about it. America is getting left behind in other sports as well, like men's tennis. It's part of a general shift in power away from the US in the sporting world. The heavyweight division will likely be in European hands for a long time to come, so Americans will likely just keep on with the "take my football and go home" mentality, which is their loss. The US's sporting world really exists in the US with US football, baseball, basketball...the other sports only seem to gain prominence when they win in them.

Why did you list four black fighters that took steroids? You do realize I was born in the Ukraine? 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.

Bigger doesn't mean superior. Could you imagine someone like Joe Frazier (who was a truly great fighter) getting in the ring with some of these giants of today. Boxing has weight classes for a damn good reason, why the hell shouldn't it apply to bigger guys too? How can it be right that a guy who's natural fighting weight is 210lbs has to fight in the same division as someone weighing 250lbs? The is only 28lbs between welterweight and light heavyweight, would anyone put fighters in together form these weight classes? NO, and for a very good reason Stick a weight limit of 235lbs on it and bye bye big slow eastern european boxers that no one wants to watch.

The belt that muhammad ali once wore is on the line tomorrow in a HW clash and nobody here gives a damn. I would bet 999/1000 people in America don't know who vitali is, much less adamek. There is no appreciation or respect, and that's a shame for a HW as great as vitali. It sickens me. I have mad respect for the klitcho bro.... they should be on everyone p4p list...

i'm actually excited for tomorrow's fight. vitali-adamek plus gamboa-de leon...great night of boxing. just don't get carried away by what you see people discuss here...boxing forums have become a fanbase war. majority of posters here are more interested in winning a debate than discuss boxing in general.

The belt that muhammad ali once wore is on the line tomorrow in a HW clash and nobody here gives a damn. I would bet 999/1000 people in America don't know who vitali is, much less adamek. There is no appreciation or respect, and that's a shame for a HW as great as vitali. It sickens me. I don't think it's that ratio but I'm sure a lot of people don't know about Vitali or Adamek. I do though and I am more hyped about that fight than any of the others...I just hope that Adamek doesn't get KO'd and that he at least stuns Vitali once or twice.

If you're too small for the superior man, go down a weight class. CW was made for this reason.

PPV has also killed it, the general non boxing public will watch a good fight (one that means something other than a big payday for promoters) but won't pay extra for it. This. Boxing is relatively big in the UK compared to some nations but if the likes of Hatton, Calzaghe, Khan, Hamed, Lewis, Haye etc. were fighting on terrestrial television (i.e. free tv) it would be huge.

Bigger is Better? Sorry in Heavyweight terms bigger equals slower, lumbering giants that no one wants to watch (outside of Germany, that great boxing nation!) All of the best Heavyweights fought at around 210-230lbs, this division needs a weight limit so we can consign these boring giants to the super heavyweight boxing fringe. Valuev?

That's ironic considering "bigger is better" was coined in America, they should love both brothers. Who cares about 2 midgets fighting? 2 midgets watching.

Vitali is not a salesman like ali was. plain and simple. ali was a cultural icon as it was, vitali isnt. nobody cares. i dont. i know vitali is just gonna crush that lil bastard tommorow

Why would Americans care about two boring heavyweight champions that take no risks even though they are 10x bigger than any opponent they face? Because you think they should? :lol1: That's ironic considering "bigger is better" was coined in America, they should love both brothers. Who cares about 2 midgets fighting?

People know the Klitchko's .. Casual fans know who they are, but they're known for being boring and for being a part of the reason in the lack of interest in HW Boxing and Boxing in general in this era.

I already feel bad for Adamek. Vitali is the greatest hw since Lewis.

The belt that muhammad ali once wore is on the line tomorrow in a HW clash and nobody here gives a damn. I would bet 999/1000 people in America don't know who vitali is, much less adamek. There is no appreciation or respect, and that's a shame for a HW as great as vitali. It sickens me. the alphbet orgs have made the belts a joke

And why is it that no one knows or cares anymore when the Heavyweight championship fights were once the biggest events in world sport? I'll tell you why, too many belts, WBC, WBA, IBF, IBO, WBO etc (WBA super champ and regular champ bull****). PPV has also killed it, the general non boxing public will watch a good fight (one that means something other than a big payday for promoters) but won't pay extra for it. Boxing needs a unified legitimate world ruling body with one champion at each weight. Then the fights/belts would mean more. Put it on free to air, the advertisers would queue up to pay to get their brands promoted on it as the audiences would be HUGE and boxing would once more rule the sporting world. I've been following boxing for 30 years and I hate the way it's gone (won't ever stop me watching though!)