There was a good article in Boxing Monthly a while back explaining the impact their promotions are having and the lack of money they're putting back into it the sport. As we all know, they put on God awful undercards (how many times has Johnathon Banks been the supporting bout to the main event :tired) and don't invest any money into new talent whilst pocketing all the money for themselves (and when you consider they get 3 million Euros a fight from TV money and get gates of 40,000+...). And when they're getting the TV contracts (as well as other self-promoting fighters), other promotional outfits miss out. Universum's TV contract was not renewed for the first time in a decade by ZDF. When it's these types of promoters that are failing to get investment, then the platform to showcase upcoming fighters is quickly disappearing.
This for the most part. They may be 'nice guys' outside the ring, but they really are fundamental to the slow demise of boxing as a big time sport. Anyone posing half a threat they haven't even fought in a **** poor division, and the most exciting fight between the pair of em was when Vitali got his face made into 'pizza' by Lewis, well Sanders giving Wlad a good hiding came close.
Questionable business tactics as previously mentioned. Their treatment of Kevin Johnson was disgraceful. Vitali tried to intimidate him at the weigh in even though he was fighting Wlad and it the end of the fight when Vitali jumped in the ring you could tell by Johnsons reaction something had gone on. PR wise, I can't fault them.
They seem like ok fellas but again, there seems to be plenty of evidence to suggest they may be unreasonable to negotiate with.
Dunno if id go so far as Grade A **** , but that about sums up my feelings too. I have no time for drug cheats to me its as bad as loading gloves and were it not for Vitalis massive size and strength advantages he'd be nowt If Wlad would even occasionaly try and make an entertaining fight of it ( like he used to before Sanders ) I'd be a big fan again , but outside of that its hard to say anything bad about him.
I just hope the Borg mothership beams up it's two favourite drones very soon (and then clears of to bore another galaxy to death somewhere).
You only know what Vitali said happened...fact of the matter is that he got caught by a random drugs test and was thrown out of the Ukranian olympic squad. Thats all I need to know :thumbsup. Did Vitali take steroids?, yes Was Vitalli thrown off the Ukranian team as a consequence of the failed test?, yes Does this make Vitali a cheat?, yes Stop apologising for the cheating **** :deal
It was Vitali that Johnson fought not Wlad. I don't know what went on but Johnson was acting like a fool during and after the fight. Wlad came in the ring to calm him down and Johnson started having a pop at him too. He was getting owned but he kept thinking it was a moral victory for him to be able to take Vitali's jabs in the face and not go down. He talked a lot about how he would do this and that but in the ring he had no intention of doing anything but surviving and was still trashtalking non-stop. As for their business tactics, it could be true but who really knows? Is Adam Booth and Hayes' word that trustworthy? Personally I think Wlads 50/50 offer was very generous. When Haye made his video to justify his avoidance of Wlad I was expecting him to talk about how Wlad had tried to force him to wear the gloves he wanted, how he chose the ring size, how he demanded an immediate rematch if he lost, as well as other options. Instead all we got was that Wlad was supposed to be the "*****" because he refused to let Haye keep 100% of UK PPV money. Since Haye talked about that then he could've talked about all these other supposedly outrageous demands Wlad made but he didn't. Why?
Wlad Vitali? Youre right. Too early in the morning. That's my excuse. With the 50/50 offer, it's not really 50% for Haye though while Sauerland are involved is it? I don't think its unreasonable to come to the conclusion that K2 know that Haye is waiting for his deal with Sauerland to be up before he negotiates so that he, like a Klitschko, will really get 50%. Haye asking for all the UK money was probably some attempt to recoup part of Sauerlands cut.