Is the European Heavyweight Era here to Stay?

[whoami]

** Byrd would beat the **** off of Fatboy. It's Fatboy who's been ducking Byrd the past few years. You really should study up. Fatboy is a fraud for the rubes. He would last half as long as Byrd did against Wlad.

you should study up and see if fatboy toney ever get caught with a haymaker. 240 and still dodging punches. toney running away from byrd is ludicris. why would he run away from a feather fisted boxer. byrds style is tailor made for toney. toney is the master of all boxers.

[Manny_P]

yea, I hope mo Euro gets involve wit boxing.

[BLOODSHED]

[enadeus]

It's bound to happen. Now that the soviet union has fallen apart it was just a matter of time before some of the strongest in the world get into boxing and fighting sports. MMA has already been graced with the presence of Fedor Emelianenko, a heavyweight fighter who thus far has only one loss on his record coming by way of a cut, with 18 victories. The likes of Soviet fighters started with Igor Vovchachen who at 5'7 dominated in the heavyweight ranks for a long time with his baseball like punches.

Now its boxing turn as Russian/German promoters realize the potential of ex-soviet boxers including mafia sindicates. This is just the beggining of the wave, and lets face it neither Wlad or Liakhovich are the best of yet to come, and soon a Fedor of boxing with also emerge.

[Hous]

It's bound to happen. Now that the soviet union has fallen apart it was just a matter of time before some of the strongest in the world get into boxing and fighting sports. MMA has already been graced with the presence of Fedor Emelianenko, a heavyweight fighter who thus far has only one loss on his record coming by way of a cut, with 18 victories. The likes of Soviet fighters started with Igor Vovchachen who at 5'7 dominated in the heavyweight ranks for a long time with his baseball like punches.

Now its boxing turn as Russian/German promoters realize the potential of ex-soviet boxers including mafia sindicates. This is just the beggining of the wave, and lets face it neither Wlad or Liakhovich are the best of yet to come, and soon a Fedor of boxing with also emerge.

First i think its safe to say Eastern Europeans dominate MMA in all ways.

Some of the boxers are ex sindicate? Who?

[enadeus]

First i think its safe to say Eastern Europeans dominate MMA in all ways.

Some of the boxers are ex sindicate? Who?

What I meant by mafia sindicate I mean that the mafia is putting together legal promoting business's and finding the best fighters out there to promote. Now that there is major money involved there is more training facilities being built and so on. I don't know if you've seen Fedor's training video at his facility, the place is like a barn. If you compare USA facilities to others around the world, the USA facilities are much more developed.

[K-DOGG]

Is the European Heavyweight Era here to Stay?
By Ryan ********, Photo courtesy BBC
4-24-2006

[img]http://i46.***********.com/albums/f121/asian_sensation201/wlad.jpg[/img]

It was a cold night in Germany for Chris Byrd, and an even colder night for American boxing. With his thrashing of Byrd Saturday night, Wladimir Klitschko not only took the IBF Heavyweight title, but the Americans grasp on the Heavyweight division. For the first time in Heavyweight history, there are 3 European titlists. And things aren't looking good for the Americans in the near future.

In the last 5 months, 3 titles have switched hands, all into the hands of Europeans. First came in December of 2005, when Nicolay Valuev of St. Petersburg, Russia took the WBA title from John Ruiz via MD. Then came Sergei Lyakhovich's come from behind upset of Lamon Brewster for the WBO strap earlier this month. And on Saturday night, Wladimir Klitschko of kieve, Ukraine manhandled the much smaller Chris Byrd and stopped him in 7 one-sided rounds.

The truth of the matter is that Saturdays fights results were decided long ago, about 6 years ago. Byrd couldn't beat Wladimir at any time in his career, let alone at the age of 35. What happened last night was exactly what everyone predicted would occur.
The new IBF champion may be the best in the division currently, which is surprising given that just last year, he was considered lost in the heavyweight mess. His last previous fight was a sloppy UD win against a raw and crude Samuel Peter.

In that fight, Wladimir Klitschko was dropped 3 times, but did well enough outside of those speed bumps to take the decision. His achilles heel will continue to be his chin until proven elsewise, but it does appear that he has corrected some of his stamina and pacing issues, atleast for the time being.

Valuev, who owns the WBA strap, is scheduled for a June defense against Owen "What the Heck" Beck. Perhaps a better question may be why the heck, but thus is the state of the division. The WBA rarely gives their titlists tough opposition, so Valuev may stick around with his belt for awhile.

Sergui Lyakhovich, of Belarus, is the lone titlist who is under 30 years fof age. Lyakhovich has a rematch scheduled for later this year with Lamon Brewster. Their epic battle in early April for the WBO Heavyweight title is an early front runner for the fight of the year. This fight could go either way, and expect the Las Vegas odds to be dead even by fight time.

Left standing with an alphabet strap is the lone American titlist Hasim Rahman. He is scheduled to defend his WBC title against Oleg Maskaev. Maskaev, from Kazakhstan, has the opportunity to become the 4th european titlist, creating a total monopoly for Eastern Europe.

In their first encounter in 1999, Hasim Rahman was ahead on all cards when he was sent through the ropes and into Jim Lampley's lap. That one punch KO compelled many in the press to declare Maskaev the number three man in the division, behind Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield. Then Kirk Johnson happened.

There are a few American heavyweights that can break Europe's stranglehold on the division.

2000 Olympian Calvin Brock is the front runner to face Klitschko later this year. He is rather inexperienced at the top level, however, and hasn't faced a top 10 heavyweight since he got off the canvas to outpoint Jameel McCline a year ago. He has some awkward mobility and one shot power, but will be a heavy underdog in that fight. Brock has other business to take care of first, as he will square off with Uzbekistan's Timor Ibragimov in June.

James "Lights Out" Toney is coming off of two heavyweight title opportunities in the last 2 years. In 2005, he soundly beat John Ruiz to win the WBA belt, only to have the decision overturned as a result of a positive steroids test.

Then in March, he squared off with WBC champion Hasim Rahman. Weighing an unsightly 237, Toney was outworked by a well-conditioned Hasim Rahman and received a gift draw that clearly should have been his fifth loss of his career. He is, however, the mandatory challenger for the winner of the Rahman-Maskaev II fight.

Whatever happens, what matters is that the fights are entertaining. With a Wladimir Klitschko fight, you are almost guaranteed a couple of knockdowns. Lyakhovich-Brewster was a scorcher, perhaps the best twelve round heavyweight scrap since Tua-Ibeabuchi. Rahman-Maskaev II could very well wind up being as explosive as their first encounter.

Whether this is a freak occurrence or a change in the tides, the American superiority in the heavyweight division is looking weaker than it ever has.

Ryan ******** is a syndicated weekly columnist. If you would like to reach him, his e-mail is mc_rson@yahoo.com.

Faith, my friend. Life is a cycle and nothing is permanent. The Euros are on top becaue they're hungrier and arent' as spoiled. Sooner or later, success takes it's toll, as does hard times. Trust me on this.

[potatoes]

It is about time all those big, fat, boring, old American heavyweights were punched into retirement. They were becoming an embarrassment to boxing. The fans like their champions to be young, fit and exciting. If we have to go to Europe to find them, then so be it.

[Tha_Greatest]

HELL MOTHER****ING NO!


Valuev is a bum who couldn't even beat Ruiz and lost 11 rounds to Larry Donald...lol

Lyakovich fought a Brewster who REALLY underestimated him and would get killed in a rematch if Brewster trained.

Wladi***** beat a OLD Byrd who lost like 3 of his last 4 fights....and loooked like crap in the ones he hardly won...Peter was a green fighter with zero experience and he still put a can of asswhooping on that bum.

Vitali=*****

The only Russian I see potential in is Sultan, I really think the guy will be awesome in the future...

Also....it's only the Russians that suck....British fighters are good....at least Hatton, Calzaghe, etc.

[Hous]

HELL MOTHER****ING NO!


Valuev is a bum who couldn't even beat Ruiz and lost 11 rounds to Larry Donald...lol

Lyakovich fought a Brewster who REALLY underestimated him and would get killed in a rematch if Brewster trained.

Wladi***** beat a OLD Byrd who lost like 3 of his last 4 fights....and loooked like crap in the ones he hardly won...Peter was a green fighter with zero experience and he still put a can of asswhooping on that bum.

Vitali=*****

The only Russian I see potential in is Sultan, I really think the guy will be awesome in the future...

Also....it's only the Russians that suck....British fighters are good....at least Hatton, Calzaghe, etc.

Valuev - agree
Lycohvich - no, everyone knows Brewster is my number 1, he got whooped horribly even if he didnt train much. You honestly Brewster didnt train?
Wlad - 5 year age difference, Byrd was never a complete champion in the first place. He beat a prime Byrd anyways...
Vitali - doesn't box any longer

According to Brewster his training before Lyakovich was the best hes ever had, and it was the first time he had confidence in his corner.

With new trainer Buddy McGirt in his corner, Lamon Brewster has nothing but confidence. "This is the best training camp that I can honestly say I have ever had," Brewster said. "Working with Buddy McGirt has been a fulfilled dream of mine and I think he is the best trainer alive. Going into this fight, I have the utmost confidence because for the first time in a very long time, I have confidence in my corner as well going into a fight." "I think Sergei is a good fighter and I will not take anything away from him," Brewster said. "It is not what you do in the past, it is what you do that night. I am not going into this fight expecting anything less of him than to put his best foot forward because guys do tend to get up when you are fighting for a world title."

http://www.*********.com/crytzer20.htm

Lamon Brewster said before the fight he wasn't going to take anything away from sergei, why are you?

I was worried about Brewster when he was unanimously losing to Luan Krasniqi, but he KOed him.

Sultan is going to the top, followed by that Denis Boy(something) guy.