Sultan ain't winning this fight. I'll be shocked if he does. He couldn't even beat Austin. It's a joke that he's even a champion when you consider how crappy Shannon Briggs fought him. This is not a legitimate unification bout. This is an over-achiever (Ibragimov) who's lucky to have won a belt cashing out to the highest bidder (Wlad). HBO is acting like it's a hsitoric event. Wait until they see the result and realize Rahman would've put up a better fight than Ibragimov will.
Lewis-Tucker didn't sell many pay per views as a lot of JCC-headlined cards, and that's with Chavez on the card to purposely sell it. Klitschko certainly isn't a pay per view star. He may never get to that status...or it may just take him a long time. Lennox Lewis was never a bonafied pay per view star, but with time and some marketable oppononents he was able to have some pay per view success. It's going to take time for Klitschko to approach pay per view-status, to do it right (and not bomb like his brother did vs. Danny Williams). The problem for him is there aren't many (if any) marketable Americans. Holyfield and Rahman may be the closest he has to it. Without an American name it's going to be extremely hard for him to do it. Klitschko will at least gain something this weekend if he can become a "unified" champion and HBO at least tried to help the numbers by having the Joe Louis documentary air before/after the fight on the East/West.
And again: there is not much interest IN AMERICA. Elsewhere there is. And I don't see how these fighters were less talented than the guys of 80s for example. Wlad was on Olympic champion, Povetkin one of the most succesful amateurs in many years, Ibragimov was a silver medallist in Olympics, Chagaev defeated the greatest amateur ever (Savon), Maskaev as an amateur only lost to Roberto Balado who is considered as the best super-heavyweight ever. These guys beat the Cubans in amateurs which is something that even the "talented" Americans usually could not do. Maybe they don't like "the American way" or whatever but that is a bit different thing
Yeah that's the amateurs. Oleg the chinless joke has been KO'ed several times, as has Wlad. Sultan? Well he couldn't even beat Ray Austin clearly and got dropped. Chagaev is OK but nothing special either. If there was that much interest elsewhere then Wlad-Ibragimov wouldn't be happening in the states. These heavyweights are all pretty much not that good and not entertaining. not because they are European, but because that's just how it is. Wake me up when these guys can draw more than a fight like Pacquiao-Marquez.
This is the stupidest thing I have ever read. Any why would a RUSSIAN be the best of any of these sports??? All of these are primarily AMERICAN sports! Virtually non existant in Russia, except for maybe Basket ball and golf, anfd then only until recently. Makes no sense.
Oh, I agree he wouldn't necessarely be the best, I meant to say he'd have to be considered number 1 ( or the champ ) in the division.
When the cats are away the mice will play, how many Russians are 100 metre sprint world champions by the way?...NONE... ,...those guys on the track WOULD definitely bring home the titles, they could do so tomorrow, they've got fast, explosive legs so they've gotta have fast explosive fists, it's all attached baby, the baddest cat on the planet is probably out there stretching his heels when he should be stretching all these bums instead, he'd only need a couple of months with a good trainer to put Wlad in his place.
Wlad will KO this cat within five rounds. Sultans only chance is to tap that jaw that everyone thinks is glass. Wlad KO 4 Ibragimov
dsimon writes: If he did teddy wouldn't blink, he would go home and three hours later his head would jerk back his eyes would roll up and he would say "what the fuck?" ::