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I read a lot on here about how the Klitschko's are European and they are boring robots and all of that, but that really isn't the reason why Americans havent embraced them. Thats just the simplistic, repetitive, nonsense that the people have been told to repeat. The truth is far more complex and demonstrative of boxing as a whole.
1. American boxing fans don't watch boxing. I dont know how many people I talk to outside of the die hard fans who frequent message boards (ie. people on here) who consider themselves "boxing fans", but who rarely watch fights. These fans arent really boxing fans, they are fans of Sportscenter and ESPN. Boxing highlights and convo used to happen in these mediums but now they don't. Now people have to go out and search for fights, or for articles and videos etc...Since American's don't watch fights, they dont search for the info, and so they care about the fighters the media discusses...Floyd and Manny. Ask your average American who Sergio Martinez is...most would probably think hes a baseball player. So yes the Klitschko's are punished for being ukranian, but its only because they journalists and the world media is hardly at all influenced by Ukranian writers.
Ive heard it from several sports fans here...that boxing is like soccer to them. Its boring, and dull, up until the knock out or "goal" and sometimes you dont even get that. These people arent talking about the Klitschkos...they are talking about boxing. The Klitschko's are just victims of this. BEcause most Americans today dont even like boxing and equate it to soccer...What sells them on boxers is their attitude, their trash talking, their life outside the ring. Now, a lot of you are saying, BUT WHAT ABOUT MANNY. Manny Pacquiao is nothing. If it wasnt for Floyd Mayweather, he'd be Chris John. Americans love their black athletes...but they love it even more when they fall. Manny Pacquiao is that "white" knight who many think has come to save the world from Floyd. If Ricky Hatton and Floyd avoided eachother 2 more years...Hatton would have just as much build up. American's love drama, they love plots seemingly straight out of movies, they don't love boxing. The Klitschko's arent spoken about in the media, they dont come off as the villain like FLoyd does, they arent taking pictures with rappers, their girlfriends punani's arent being posted on twitter by other dudes who are apparently friends. They dont make great movie characters.
2. Americans love nostalgia. They are crazy about it. Just look at baseball. Or look at the "greatest of all time football players." They have like 180 lbs offensive linemen on the list and quarterbacks from before the forward pass was legal. They love nostalgia, they hold on to their legends and build them up in the years after they are gone. The Klitschko's threaten their memories and their history. The Klitschko's do things in the ring that no one before them did. They are more dominant, they are bigger, stronger, and in Vitali's case meaner and tougher than the past fighters. This doesn't sit well with Americans. They are fine with records being broken...but it has to be by the right people. It cant be by Barry Bonds...or Hank Aaron, it cant be by some no-name Roger Maris...its gotta be by Micky Mantle. Thats just how they operate. A couple of Ukranians, in a sport they no longer love, hurting their idols accomplishments...that just doesnt go over well.
Just look at how many non-british Haye fans have Mike Tyson or Ali in their Avatars. They root against the Klitschko's because they want to save their memories and embrace their nostalgia to further hoist the past fighters even further up on pedastals. To many the Klitschko's represent something entirely new. Boxing to them has been dead since Tyson vs. Lewis and now its some "boring" abomination. Its not a different sport, the media moved away from boxing and fan's dont really understand it anymore. They now only care about KO's and you no longer have to watch a whole fight for one of those, and you dont have to pay to see more than still images on sportscenter like back in 1992, now, all you have to do is get on youtube the next day, watch the 30 second KO clip and you get all thatyou want out of the fight.
The Klitschko's, being the kings of the premiere division in boxing, are just the greatest example of how American's fell out of love with boxing. Boxing is dead in America, what exists now are story lines. 1% of people watch pro wrestling for the fights and its becoming that way for boxing. Its all about the story. Most "fans" just want to know 2 things...1. Why should I care (ie. the plot) 2. And who won (the ending).
The only other outlier in America is the pseudo-nationalism. The Mexicans who love Mexicans, Cubans who love Cubans, Russians who love Russians etc...thats it. There's not many Ukranians here in the U.S..
Its all about the storyline, its not about boxing anymore. The media moved on to the bigger, more fast paced stories and the population followed. Americans in general have a hard time thinking for themselves. If people tell them, "MMA is getting popular" they start to watch, if someone says, "Boondock Saints is a phenomenal movie" they watch it and no matter how horrible it is, they think its great. With sports they want fast paced, big hits, and drama. Thats what they want. Attention spans have shrunk to the point of near non existance. Boxing doesn't fit that equation anymore and the Klitschko's just exemplify that. Its frustrating to boxing fans and they try to take that out on the Klitschko's when really its just boxing itself. Its like Guns N' Roses, the world doesnt care about great metal music anymore, so when Axl comes out with a cd and its not embraced...who do people blame...The new people in the band. The Klitschko's are just the new guys...people say, "oh the old HW champions were really popular", yes, they were the champs of a popular sport. The Klitschko's are champs of a sport in huge decline, thats all.
So Americans who hate on the Klitschko's, I don't blame you, I understand why you do. You really dont hate them, you hate boxing and deep down...you hate yourself.
1. American boxing fans don't watch boxing. I dont know how many people I talk to outside of the die hard fans who frequent message boards (ie. people on here) who consider themselves "boxing fans", but who rarely watch fights. These fans arent really boxing fans, they are fans of Sportscenter and ESPN. Boxing highlights and convo used to happen in these mediums but now they don't. Now people have to go out and search for fights, or for articles and videos etc...Since American's don't watch fights, they dont search for the info, and so they care about the fighters the media discusses...Floyd and Manny. Ask your average American who Sergio Martinez is...most would probably think hes a baseball player. So yes the Klitschko's are punished for being ukranian, but its only because they journalists and the world media is hardly at all influenced by Ukranian writers.
Ive heard it from several sports fans here...that boxing is like soccer to them. Its boring, and dull, up until the knock out or "goal" and sometimes you dont even get that. These people arent talking about the Klitschkos...they are talking about boxing. The Klitschko's are just victims of this. BEcause most Americans today dont even like boxing and equate it to soccer...What sells them on boxers is their attitude, their trash talking, their life outside the ring. Now, a lot of you are saying, BUT WHAT ABOUT MANNY. Manny Pacquiao is nothing. If it wasnt for Floyd Mayweather, he'd be Chris John. Americans love their black athletes...but they love it even more when they fall. Manny Pacquiao is that "white" knight who many think has come to save the world from Floyd. If Ricky Hatton and Floyd avoided eachother 2 more years...Hatton would have just as much build up. American's love drama, they love plots seemingly straight out of movies, they don't love boxing. The Klitschko's arent spoken about in the media, they dont come off as the villain like FLoyd does, they arent taking pictures with rappers, their girlfriends punani's arent being posted on twitter by other dudes who are apparently friends. They dont make great movie characters.
2. Americans love nostalgia. They are crazy about it. Just look at baseball. Or look at the "greatest of all time football players." They have like 180 lbs offensive linemen on the list and quarterbacks from before the forward pass was legal. They love nostalgia, they hold on to their legends and build them up in the years after they are gone. The Klitschko's threaten their memories and their history. The Klitschko's do things in the ring that no one before them did. They are more dominant, they are bigger, stronger, and in Vitali's case meaner and tougher than the past fighters. This doesn't sit well with Americans. They are fine with records being broken...but it has to be by the right people. It cant be by Barry Bonds...or Hank Aaron, it cant be by some no-name Roger Maris...its gotta be by Micky Mantle. Thats just how they operate. A couple of Ukranians, in a sport they no longer love, hurting their idols accomplishments...that just doesnt go over well.
Just look at how many non-british Haye fans have Mike Tyson or Ali in their Avatars. They root against the Klitschko's because they want to save their memories and embrace their nostalgia to further hoist the past fighters even further up on pedastals. To many the Klitschko's represent something entirely new. Boxing to them has been dead since Tyson vs. Lewis and now its some "boring" abomination. Its not a different sport, the media moved away from boxing and fan's dont really understand it anymore. They now only care about KO's and you no longer have to watch a whole fight for one of those, and you dont have to pay to see more than still images on sportscenter like back in 1992, now, all you have to do is get on youtube the next day, watch the 30 second KO clip and you get all thatyou want out of the fight.
The Klitschko's, being the kings of the premiere division in boxing, are just the greatest example of how American's fell out of love with boxing. Boxing is dead in America, what exists now are story lines. 1% of people watch pro wrestling for the fights and its becoming that way for boxing. Its all about the story. Most "fans" just want to know 2 things...1. Why should I care (ie. the plot) 2. And who won (the ending).
The only other outlier in America is the pseudo-nationalism. The Mexicans who love Mexicans, Cubans who love Cubans, Russians who love Russians etc...thats it. There's not many Ukranians here in the U.S..
Its all about the storyline, its not about boxing anymore. The media moved on to the bigger, more fast paced stories and the population followed. Americans in general have a hard time thinking for themselves. If people tell them, "MMA is getting popular" they start to watch, if someone says, "Boondock Saints is a phenomenal movie" they watch it and no matter how horrible it is, they think its great. With sports they want fast paced, big hits, and drama. Thats what they want. Attention spans have shrunk to the point of near non existance. Boxing doesn't fit that equation anymore and the Klitschko's just exemplify that. Its frustrating to boxing fans and they try to take that out on the Klitschko's when really its just boxing itself. Its like Guns N' Roses, the world doesnt care about great metal music anymore, so when Axl comes out with a cd and its not embraced...who do people blame...The new people in the band. The Klitschko's are just the new guys...people say, "oh the old HW champions were really popular", yes, they were the champs of a popular sport. The Klitschko's are champs of a sport in huge decline, thats all.
So Americans who hate on the Klitschko's, I don't blame you, I understand why you do. You really dont hate them, you hate boxing and deep down...you hate yourself.
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