Chances are that if you know anything about anything of current day boxing, you’ve heard of the Klitschko brothers. Granted they aren’t mentioned in the same breath as Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather, but you’ve at least heard of them. They’re kind of like Kevin Bacon; you don’t have to see any of his movies but as soon as someone mentions him you go, “Hey, I’ve heard that name before!”.
For those who don’t know, Vitali Klitschko is a 6 foot 7, 42-2 heavyweight whose only losses came via shoulder injury against famed boxers Chris Byrd and cut against Lennox Lewis. His younger brother Wladimir is a 6 foot 5, 53-3 heavyweight and between them both, they hold the WBC, IBF, IBO, and WBO belts. They are the best boxers that barely anyone’s heard of.And it’s not their fault.
In any combat sport, the heavyweight division is often considered the most prestigious. The men who compete in it have won the genetic lottery, towering over the mere mortals in the audience as their blows pack spine-tingling power. It’s no surprise that fighters who’ve truly united the boxing world are most often found at heavyweight: Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, etc. So it’s no surprise that when the heavyweight division is filled with so few noteworthy names, the Klitschko dominance flies under the radar. But that’s not the real problem.
The real problem is the fans. Specifically it seems . . . American fans.
Now I’ll admit right now that I prefer MMA to Boxing, but that doesn’t mean I’m not a boxing fan. I am just as enthusiastic about fights like Marquez vs. Diaz as I am Griffin vs. Bonnar. Being the cynical teenager I am however, I am willing to point out the flaws in everything and today it’s boxing fans’ turn to put their heads on the chopping block.
I want you to think of some of the most famous, notable, biggest draw fighters. I’m not talking about just famous, I’m talking about people that catapulted boxing to the forefront of the sporting world on their shoulders alone.
Floyd Mayweather? Roy Jones Jr.? Hell let’s take it back a little further: Muhammad Ali? These are all men who not only captivated the boxing scene on their shoulders, but probably defined their respective weight division(s) through their ability. You know what else they have in common?
They were all A-holes. That’s right A-holes. Dick pistons. Men whose behavior resemble more that of a 10 year old trying to act cool for his brother’s friends than professional athletes.
Maybe it’s because I’m foreign born, but I never understood why Muhammad Ali is worshipped the way he is. He was unbearably arrogant, and he treated rival Joe Frazier like crap. Seriously, when Ali’s boxing license was revoked Frazier helped him out financially . . . and then Ali turned around and used racial slurs to hype up their third meeting in Manila. There are SO many talented, championship boxers . . . and this is the one who becomes a cultural icon?
No other sport has this problem.
Basketball? Isaiah Thomas and Michael Jordan may have made war on the basketball court, but they never engaged in the immature verbal battles on the level that boxers do. Whenever Isaiah did lash out, it was HIS popularity that suffered while Jordan’s soared. Tennis? Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are the most polite men in the sporting world period . . . and they are also the two most revered tennis players as of this writing. Baseball? Roger Clemens may have been good, but his arrogance definitely didn’t help the Yankees gain any new fans.
But Siri! None of those are combat sports, which has an entirely different subculture surrounding it . . . bleated the sheep. Alright, let Siri provide you with an example from MMA, boxing’s chief competition.
On April 10, 2010, Anderson Silva (arguably the best fighter in the world) defended his title against lankly contender Damien Maia. Clearly dominating the fight, Anderson Silva began showboating and dancing around his hurt opponent instead of finishing him off. Do you want to know what happened? Anderson Silva was REVILED, his fan-base turning away in disgust. Look at fighters like Roy Jones Jr. who showboated in the ring, seeking to express their ego’s much in the manner of a chimpanzee attempting to attract a mate. These fighters became loved for their antics instead of blasted for their immaturity.
Look at the Klitschko brothers. It’s not like they’re boring.
Both are granite chinned punchers who have a host of finishes under their belt. They are imposing physical specimens who have redefined the heavyweight jab as a legitimate threat. By professional athletic standards they are some of the most educated, well spoken, and humble men in the world. I mean, seriously . . . they both have PhDs.
So why in god’s name has it taken a loud mouthed wannabe like David Haye to draw true attention to a Klitschko fight? I’m not angry that this fight is getting hyped; it’s going to be one of the best big man fights in recent memory and I’m happy it’s beginning to get the attention it deserves. But why must they rely on this annoying gum-flapping to generate so much interest for their fights when both brothers shining beacons of what a professional athlete should be?
No seriously, I’m not going to answer this question; I can’t even comprehend the logic behind it.
Is it because they fight out of the Ukraine and are stationed in Germany? I understand that Call of Duty games seem to give the uneducated crowd massive erections with their fictional invasion plot involving Axis and Cold War powers, but I was hoping that brain dead idiots would have enough IQ to realize that while it would be nice to have a hometown heavyweight . . . great foreign fighters should not wane their interest in boxing.
Is it because they’re too damn nice? Has unwarranted and unbridled smack talk (a.k.a. Muhammad Ali) somehow become what America desires in its boxers? So . . . if the Klitschko brothers were uneducated, unrefined and arrogant they would still generate more interest as long as they kept their gums flapping? Yeah sure they could do that . . . as they sip their beer, hit on their relatives and pronounce the name of this country as “Murca”.
This is a time when boxing fans need to be united; our sport (that’s right I’m a fan too) is splintering. We have so many organizations that if you put them all together it would look like alphabet soup. It’s becoming more and more apparent that steroids are common in the sport, and organizers are unwilling to enforce stricter measures lest they lose big fights. Mixed martial arts is quickly siphoning off the younger generation of fans with marketing, variety and good business strategy. And with all of this . . . American fans are simply turning away from two of the best heavyweight boxers on the planet?
Wow guys. Just wow.
Source: ringsidereport.com
