Why the high standard for the Klitschkos?

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Wladimir Klitschko, an Olympic Gold medalist and heavyweight champion, plays the Palmer course at PGA National Resort & Spa on Wednesday.
J. Gwendolynne Berry/Palm Beach Post
Wladimir Klitschko, an Olympic Gold medalist and heavyweight champion, plays the Palmer course at PGA National Resort & Spa on Wednesday.
By Jeff Greer

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Updated: 7:43 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 23, 2010

Posted: 7:06 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2010


PALM BEACH GARDENS — There's a picture of heavyweight boxing champion Wladimir Klitschko at PGA National posing next to "The Bear Trap" bear statue, the imposing symbol of the three demanding holes designed by Jack Nicklaus on the Champion course.

The statue depicts a bear standing on his hind legs, menacing in both stature and nature.

On Wednesday, the 6-foot-5, 240-pound Klitschko took his own intimidating presence to PGA National for a round of golf.

It may sound strange for an athlete known for his brute strength in a brutal profession to play a gentleman's game, but Klitschko is more of a renaissance man. So taking a break from his boxing life to enjoy the serene greens of South Florida isn't exactly unusual.

The 34-year-old Ukrainian arrived on Monday and will spend the next few weeks in Florida, celebrating the holidays. Klitschko said it was minus-10 degrees Celsius - about 14 degrees Fahrenheit - when he left Frankfurt, Germany, for the United States.

"I wish I could stay longer," Klitschko said before his 1:30 tee time on PGA National's Palmer course. "When I'm somewhere in the cold winter, I think about Florida. I think about PGA National and think about playing golf. It's just awesome."

Klitschko, who owns a condominium in Hollywood, is an honorary member at PGA National. He even trained here in January 2008 before beating Sultan Ibragimov at Madison Square Garden a month later.

But Wednesday was purely about golf, and Klitschko's no duffer.

He officially owns a 36 handicap, although he sheepishly admits that he plays with an 18 when he's in the United States.

While he's here, a camera crew is following his every move. One of Klitschko's assistants said the crew is filming for a movie about Klitschko's life, which is filled with much more than a boxing record of 55-3 with 49 knockouts.

He was born in Kazakhstan and raised in the Ukraine. His father was an officer in the Soviet Air Force and his older brother Vitali is just as decorated a fighter as he is.

In 2009, Wladimir Klitschko was the curator of the Ukrainian pavilion at the Venice Biennale, the world's oldest art festival.

His first painting, which he titled "The Moon," sold for the Euro equivalent of nearly $72,000. He dipped his boxing gloves in paint and punched a small, heavy punching bag wrapped in canvas.

"There is motivation to continue if it makes that much money," said Klitschko, who donates much of the money he makes to a collection of children's charities. "I'm going to take painting classes now. It's fun. It's something that you do for your soul."

Klitschko speaks four languages - English, Ukrainian, German and Russian.

And while he has a Ph.D. in sports science (from Kiev University in Ukraine), it's the "sweet science" - as boxing is known - that made him internationally known.

He won a super heavyweight gold medal at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta and has not lost a professional fight since 2004, when American Lamon Brewster recorded a technical knockout against him.

Since then, Klitschko has claimed the heavyweight belts of the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Organization, the International Boxing Organization and The Ring magazine. His brother, Vitali, 39, owns the World Boxing Council heavyweight belt.

Wladimir Klitschko's next fight may be next year. He wants to take on World Boxing Association champ David "Hayemaker" Haye of England and both fighters' camps are currently negotiating a deal.

Talks have been on-going for almost a year.

"It won't go for too much longer," Klitschko said. "Either it's going to work or it won't."

If that fight can't get scheduled, Klitschko said he'll fight Polish heavyweight Tomasz Adamek and Zimbabwe-born British fighter Dereck Chisora, whom Klitschko planned to fight two weeks ago before pulling out because of an abdominal muscle injury.

But all that is in the future.

On Wednesday, during a breezy, sunny, 70-degree day in Palm Beach County, the hulking boxer known as Dr. Steelhammer was just another golfer enjoying a relaxing day on the links.

"I love it here," Klitschko said. "It's just amazing."

 

Seems to me that you're jealous of the adoration that Mike Tyson seems to get for his illustrious Hall of Fame career and you feel frustrated that neither Wladimir nor Vitaly are receiving the same kind of acknowledgement from the American public when they are dominant forces of the Heavyweight Division.

Here's the thing;

Lets start with Vitaly.

Vitaly's resume is light. Mike Tyson in 2004 was fighting Danny Williams because he's far gone and he needed a soft touch; and this is the guy who Vitaly chose to defend against?

Granted he never got a rematch with Lewis but what sticks out the most is that Vitaly failed in the "passing of the torch" and he never got a 2nd chance to redeem himself. In 2003-2004 Vitaly was fighting and beating the same calibre fighters that Chris Byrd was beating and John Ruiz was beating. He was winning in far more impressive fashion but then he immediately as a result of an unfortunate injury takes a 4 year break comes back and picks a few wins against bland opposition and he's back in the routine.

If Vitaly retired tomorrow, he wouldn't make the top 20 list of ATG Heavyweights and I can argue that I'm being generous. On paper Vitaly looks great, when he steps in the ring we know he's talented but his legacy does little justice to his obvious talent, and while his career has had it's share of success he's in the unfortunate position of sharing the spot light with his brother. No other Heavyweight Champion has had this scenario of sharing the spot light for an extended period of time without a resolution.

Mike Tyson was undisputed; so was Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis, Larry Holmes, Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Micheal Moorer, Joe Frazier, Rocky Marciano, Jack Johnson, Jack Dempsey the list goes on. Vitaly is not undisputed and that counts against him. He still technically has claim to being lineal champ.

Wladimir on the other hand has alot more going for him. He had major bumps on the road to the top. Losing to Ross Purity early in his career was a black mark that could have been excused but unfortunately the Corrie Sanders loss came at a time when he was being called the heir apparent to Lewis's throne. Then in a desperate attempt to revamp his career he takes on a few soft touches and then gets stopped By Brewster. Most modern champions have had much fewer mistakes/losses on the way to the top. He seemed like dud until the Peter fight. The came 2005 and then came the Peter fight; it was transformational, he got his mojo back and he became the champion he is today. Wlad should he continue his path will be remembered. Problem for Wlad is that, again, he is not undisputed; he shares the title and distinction of being the baddest man on the planet. His opposition isn't very good but as long as he keeps winning it could only help his case.

Now if you want to put Vitaly and Wlad on Tyson's shoulders and call them tall then fine. But understand while trying to detract from a great fighter like Tyson by focusing on the negative aspects of his career and undermining him with the intention of aggrandizing the Klitschko bros then it means that you've clearly missed the point. Mike Tyson was loved; and despite his many transgressions in and out of the ring the public remained enamored with him because of what he brought to the table in the first place. He had a style that was exciting; both purists and casual fans appreciated it. He had incredible speed, power and had the aggression that captivated the fans for decades. Tyson was skilled and when he fought he didn't appear to be a brute, rather he looked like a trained killer. And because he had a blemish free rise to the top, it became incredibly difficult for the public to believe that someone that good can lose. He was what the public wanted from a fighter particularly a Heavyweight Champion.

The Klitschko bros, especially Wladimir are the like guys who drive Lamborghini's but are more than content to stick to the speed limit. We all know they are capable of doing so much more but their fights offer no drama. The public wants aggression, they want to see them take chances and go for the kill each and every time they step in the ring. The want to see a war and short of that you lose their attention unless you beat up a marquee name.

For those that think its because they are white European; think again. Wladimir is in a better position than Lennox Lewis was during his time because unlike Lewis Wlad does not have to remain in the shadows of Tyson, Holyfield and Bowe. Wlad at this point has only 2 Heavyweight attractions that have similar drawing power to him; Vitaly and David Haye.

For those that think it's because they are not American should look at Manny Pacquiao to debunk that myth. They lack adequate exposure to the American public because

1. They always fight out of Germany and frankly alot of their fights are not easily accessible. They are seldom on HBO or Showtime limiting the access that Americans have to them.

2. They haven't made a significant effort to market themselves to the American public and seem content on basing themselves out of Germany.

3. Despite their physical attributes they lack the killer instinct that the public yearns for especially in Heavyweight Champions.

 

ironchamp, you didn't address my line of thought at all. You're discussing HOF status of fighters and marketability of a fighter between the US and their native markets. This has nothing to do with the psychological difference of "mental weakness" I elaborated on.

No matter how dangerous Tyson may have looked his character was weak and when faced with adversity in his life he folded like a house of cards. A man who can't bounce back from a personal and professional defeat is a weak man and Tyson was exactly that. Just my personal definition, I understand most here will disagree.

That's why I don't give Mike a pass on his catastrophic losses. No matter how much people love(d) him a man who can't bounce back is a loser. Borrowing from Alec Baldwin's character in Glengarry Glen Ross ".. and a loser is a loser is a loser".

Bowe fits in the same category as Tyson by the way. Holyfield, Lewis, Vitali and Wlad on the other hand do not. They all had the mental makeup to bounce back from adversity in their life and career.

 

Haye was against a guy who had massive physical advantages and was applying steady pressure throughout the fight, whilst having a broken hand.

Wlad was against a guy who had literally nothing in his favour and could have stopped him at any time, yet chose to jab the entire fight. Ibragimov was doing nothing and Wlad didn't try to stop him. Even Manny Steward was pissed off with Wlad.

There are genuine reasons why Haye was inactive against Valuev. There are no valid excuses as to why Wlad was content with sitting behind his jab against Ibragimov.

 

The American fans will appreciate respectful, honest non-American's, such as Ricky Hatton, Manny Pacquiao and more. The fact that American fans don't like them is nothing to do with them being nice guys outside the ring or even non-American. They want aggression, not pawing a jab against an utterly inferior opponent. They want the fighters to go out for the kill and that's something neither Klitschko is willing to do.

The safety first mentality is something Manny Steward has mentioned as a reason why they aren't bigger stars. It's nothing to do with their nationality or how respectful they are. Wlad has been on Conan (I think) purely because he's a nice guy who comes across well, but you need to back up those public appearances with good fights to be stars. Neither Klitschko has done that.

 

maybe, just maybe, people have high standards for the Klitschko's cause they are the best heavyweights in the world.

just a wild guess.

 

For a fighter with such mental weakness he sure went the extra mile to fool us by winning and unifying the heavyweight titles and defending it 9 times. Going into exile and returning regaining 2/3 of the title again.

Thing about mental weakness is this; you can't be selective when you call it adversity;

1. He first experienced adversity when he faced Tillis as a 19 year old kid. Tillis didn't waver and he gave him a fight. Result Tyson hung in there and beat him.

2. The Berbick fight. Tyson was on the big stage it was up to that point the most important fight of his career; he passed with flying colors.

3. The Spinks fight there was adversity that he faced in and out of the ring, He performed well.

4. The Douglas fight. He was getting beat from pillar to post and managed in the 8th round to turn things around by dropping Douglas. Although he lost it shows that he was faced with adversity and he exhibited the mental strength to continue.

Let me put something in perspective; after Joe Frazier lost the title to George Foreman, what did he go on to accomplish that was bigger than Mike Tyson losing the title to Douglas?

After losing to Douglas he wanted a rematch obviously but couldn't get one so he destroys:

Henry Tillman (who beat him in the amateurs),

Alex Stewart (who went life and death with Holyfield and Foreman)

Fights Donovan Razor Ruddock (a fighter who was avoided by all the other top heavys including Holyfield and Bowe).

Then challenges Holyfield for his title. Fight never comes off. How is that mental weakness?

You're claiming that Lewis, Wlad, Vitaly and Evander have superior mental strength fine.

But what is Wlad's mental strength?

He hasn't faced adversity in a ring in years, so if winning is all it takes to have mental strength then I guess Tyson has it in spades?

Vitaly first true sign of adversity was against Chris Byrd and we all know how that went.

Was Evander mentally strong when he got beat up by James Toney, Micheal Moorer? or Riddick Bowe in the 3rd fight?
(when you pick and choose the argument looks as ridiculous as this example does here)

You see with Tyson his detractors pick and choose situations to suit their argument about Tyson being "mentally weak." its a tired argument and one that been repeated over and over without merit. The fact is that nobody can reach the heights that Tyson reached without mental strength.


As for Riddick Bowe, I'm not sure if you dislike Brooklyn, New York but where can you come up with an example of his "mental weakness"

 

Because there from the Ukraine mainly...and Ukraine or Russia, etc don't have big followings. If they were American, Black, or from Britain they'd have much love. If they were from America...Britian would hate them though. If they were from Britain...America would hate them. If they were black a lot of idiot racist white people would hate them, and because of that 99% of blacks would like them.
It's mainly all about race. I can agree to a certain degree about Wlad being boring although he does get the knock outs even if there overly cautious and slow coming. Vitali I don't see how anybody calls him boring. He's not robotic...He's probably one of the most fluid HW's I've seen. He leans, bends, keeps his hands down, hits underneath, from above, takes punches on his granite chin, gives good punches back...Don't see why anybody could hate him.

 

Manny Pacquiao's not American and doesn't speak perfect english but he's a draw and he's liked.

I have a full on post on this page. read it.

 

stopped sultan at anytime, sultan had no defeats on his record an was a crafty southpaw, an he once again went in there too survive, that is a harder foe to KO,,,,but yes last few rounds wlad stop going after the ko, cause of sultan being in survival mode, this is not uncommon in boxing. Hayes will find this hard to understand, but alot of boxers that fight wlad, go into survival more by the end of 3 rounds.

Hayes had a broken hand:yep:yep
Valuev was tooooo bigggggg:yep:yep

Sure hayes had a broken hand, an he also seem to have it feel better in last couple arounds, once valuev was gassed out.:yep

Barrett, landed more punches against valuve in his losing effort, then hayes in his questionable winning effort. hayes was on a bike for that fight, he might of used sultans. He can take credit for stopping a shot ruiz, no problem, but to act as thoe he didn't get lucky on the cards with valuev is crazy (the fight could of went either way), now i give you valuev is under-rated, i mean the holyfield thing was BS, he stated he did not want to fight him cause of his age, an he barley ingaged the guy when they fought , you could see it was not out of fear, like hayes, but respect, he was a fan of holyfield an was boxed into the fight by don scum bag king. If he put a winning effort in, he would of stopped holyfield IMO, but he did not want to beat up on a old man

I am not sure why hayes looked like **** with auderey, maybe it was respect for his friend, but valuev had a closer fight an more fun to watch against chaguev, an he was hayes size.