David Haye Criticized By Cooper Over Klitschko Antics

[ßringer]

Maybe, it is the difference in Americans and Ukrainians way of perception and interpreting and morality in a way... But, doesn`t Wlad have parents??? How could they react if they saw it (coming back to the photo in the magazine)?

Or, should one, when it gets to the money, forget all the unwritten laws of morality, and spread his disrespect on the family of the man whom he dislikes?

P.S. and nobody said that Ali, Duran and etc. are forgiven for what they had said...

This is just my opinion, but I think you're being way too sensitive about this.

But, doesn`t Wlad have parents??? How could they react if they saw it (coming back to the photo in the magazine)?

I'm assuming that Wlad is like every other human being on the planet, so yes, he must have parents....

How "could" they react if they saw it? Well they could react in any number of different ways.

-They could get angry
-They could get sad
-They could take it in stride
-They could look beyond it
-They could cry
-They could laugh at it

I'm not going to presume to know how they would or have reacted to it, that would be ignorant.

But it's equally ignorant to ignore the fact that Haye is going to have to fight Vitali, assuming he makes it past Wlad.

So it's not as if Haye just up and decided to attack Wlad's family.

Wlad backed him into a corner with the negotiations, stipulating 3 fights with the Klitschko's just for the 1 chance at the title.

Something never even heard of before in boxing history.

So Haye is firing back, and he has every right to do so, IMO.

Love it or hate it, Wlad is benefitting from it.

More people are talking about the Klitschko/Haye match right now, than anybody has talked about Wlad's last 5 matches in the past 2 years.

[Lacrimosa]

This is just my opinion, but I think you're being way too sensitive about this.

Maybe... I think it is not about sensitivity, rather a different perception.

In 2007 i`ve been to USA. I remember having a brawl with a guy, who called me "son of a *****"... Maybe you have a different semantic meaning you put in that word-combination, maybe lots of meanings... But for me it meant only one, literal, meaning...

I think that the last thing that a 55-year old man, who went through war, who was brought up in USSR, and didn`t know a thing about such things as computers (not even mentioning Photoshop), would do, if saw the picture of his son with severed head, is laughing...

P.S. i`m actually pretty worried right now, as i don`t want Klitschko to take a dive, aiming to take the benefit of this three-fight contract.

[killerajh]

At the end of the day haye did what he had to to make the fight, if he wins then it was genious of he looses he's a ****y s**t who couldn't back it up. I hope for the first.

[The Surgeon]

On the one hand, Haye did a great job. He promoted the fight wisely, he sold many tickets, and he brought lots of interest and excitement to heavyweight division...
On the other hand, i think it is too personal now... I mean.. try to imagine if somebody made a photo of your son (any other relative available) with his head ripped off? Don`t you think it is too much?

It is personal but it HAS to be for it to be effective for him, i mean the Klitchko boys are SMART and know their advantages lie in long range jabbing contests, the know people want to trade but dont oblige often, this might be enough to make Wlad want to stand still and launch that ONE extra punch!

Whatever happens i think it will be a better fight for this.
Im a Big Haye fan so i will root for him but i Always start a fight rooting for Wlad BEGGING him to open up and destroy his oppenent but time after time im left frustrated and rooting for the other guy, this time might be different

[ACHlLLES]

Haye said he intends to sell them on his website.

HAHAHA, if he intends on selling them on his website. He'll make a fortune off the shirts alone, even if he lost to wlad he could be like atleast I sold those cool looking shirts and made a nice profit off it. Btw, would he have to pay the klitschkos money for having their images of their head ripped of on shirts he might sell or can they sue him? I don't have anything against the klitschkos aswell, but I thought the shirt was kind of cool looking.

[Dave Rado]

Let's be honest, guys..at it's core boxing, like all combat sports from the ancient gladiators through medieval tourneys and right up to today, appeals to the lowest common denominator of society

No, boxing appeals to much more than that. The lowest common denominator fans would hate Ali, Ray Robinson, Ray Leonard, and all other fighters who showed real artistry in the ring. And many of the most enthralling fights in history didn't involve any blood or gore or even any knock-downs, e.g. Bowe-Holyfield I, or Ali-Frazier III.

[ßringer]

No, boxing appeals to much more than that. The lowest common denominator fans would hate Ali, Ray Robinson, Ray Leonard, and all other fighters who showed real artistry in the ring. And many of the most enthralling fights in history didn't involve any blood or gore or even any knock-downs, e.g. Bowe-Holyfield I, or Ali-Frazier III.

This guy knows what's up.

Don't get me wrong, I love an all out war as much as the next man.

But there's something so much sweeter about the technical aspect of the game.

I can't even put my finger on it. It's just something you feel or you don't.

But watching two skilled technicians trying to figure each other out, or watching a technician trying to adapt to a swarmer is just bliss for me.

[Dave Rado]

Maybe, it is the difference in Americans and Ukrainians way of perception and interpreting and morality in a way...

Absolutely, No one in the West would find it objectionable if Wlad referred to David Gaye, for instance. And when people started referring to "Ricky Fatton", Hatton made a joke of it and even had a "fatton suit" made, and wore it on his ring walks for a while. There does indeed seem to be a cultural divide between Ukraine and the West - Ukrainians seem to take life more seriously, and to take talk more at face value. I'm not saying that's a bad thing or a good thing, but it seems to be the case.

When Tyson said he was going to eat Lennox Lewis's babies, Lewis just laughed, whereas Wlad gets upset by similar trash talk and takes it personally.

But, doesn`t Wlad have parents??? How could they react if they saw it (coming back to the photo in the magazine)?

Their sons are boxers, and they'd be a lot more upset if Haye really does manage to knock Wlad out. Boxing is a hurt business and the parents of boxers need to develop thick skins.

Or, should one, when it gets to the money, forget all the unwritten laws of morality, and spread his disrespect on the family of the man whom he dislikes?

He doesn't dislike him as a person, only as a fighter. He said that he respects what he does outside the ring, and that he's a good role model.

And he has never disrespected his family, only Wlad and Vitali. Unless you think making jokes about his name is disrespecting his family, but if you do, see above - no one in the West would see it that way.

P.S. and nobody said that Ali, Duran and etc. are forgiven for what they had said...

Cooper has forgiven both of them, that's the point, in the context of this thread.

And most people did enjoy most of Ali's trash talking, although he went much too far in the case of the Uncle Tom comment. But overall, Ali is generally credited with having had an extremely positive impact on boxing. And I have rarely seen anyone claim that Duran or Mayorga brought boxing into disrepute or turned away fans from the sport.

[Dave Rado]

In 2007 i`ve been to USA. I remember having a brawl with a guy, who called me "son of a *****"... Maybe you have a different semantic meaning you put in that word-combination, maybe lots of meanings... But for me it meant only one, literal, meaning...

English is not a literal language. There are literally millions of English words and phrases that are not meant to be taken literally.

P.S. i`m actually pretty worried right now, as i don`t want Klitschko to take a dive, aiming to take the benefit of this three-fight contract.

Then you don't know Wlad very well. He has far too much pride.

[Lacrimosa]

Then you don't know Wlad very well. He has far too much pride.

Dave, you are a very good poster, and seem to be an intelligent guy, But don`t you think I might, probably, know a Ukrainian guy a little bit better than anybody else here Unless you yourself are Ukrainian or Eastern-European or have friends here or etc.

What i know is that when Vitali made his political coalition, lots of Wladimir`s money from the fights was spent for Vitali`s political "games"...

Lots of Ukrainians, though big Klitshcko fans, understand and perceive them more as businessmen than boxers... I would like Wlad to become the Undisputed Heavyweight Champion, but i cant count out the possibility of them doing anything like that (take a dive or something) if they would need that badly...