COULDHAVEBEEN
04-19-2009, 10:05 PM
In an article from badlefthook.com it's claimed Klitschko has said that, although he could finish the fight quick, he would prolong Haye's punishment for the full 12 rounds, as a result of the Brit's insolence and disrespect - see full article below:
article:
I found Wladimir Klitschko's retort to David Haye's artistic t-shirt highly amusing. Haye enjoys goading his opponents because he believes, like many of us, that the present heavyweight champions of the world do the division a grave injustice. That is, in relation to the history of heavyweight champions who inspire such awe in our minds eye. Louis, Marciano, Liston, Ali, Foreman, Frazier. These names are loaded with prestige and presence, they command respect, fear and admiration. I won't waste words on this topic because it's been exhausted. Suffice to say we eagerly await a true great to emerge and demolish the current status quo.The point is - Haye has a point. His disgust is shared by many boxing fans.
I'm not beginning to suggest that Haye will become the undisputed heavyweight champion and mark his name in history among the greats. But when Wladimir Klitschko became rather upset with Haye's t-shirt, depicting him triumphantly holding each of the Klitschko's heads, with their bodies strewn in a heap on the floor, he used a phrase which invoked the words of one of the all time greats. Klitschko basically said that, although he could finish the fight quick, he would prolong Haye's punishment for the full 12 rounds, as a result of the Brit's insolence and disrespect. Ring any bells?
His angry response was fair enough, and it created a necessary drop of bad blood betweeen the two. Hype must be generated and milked for this fight, because it is arguably the biggest heavyweight title fight in six years, since Dr Iron Fist, Vitali, fought Lennox Lewis and was winning until he suffered a horrendous cut, which brought it to a premature end in the sixth.
But Wladimir's words echoed the words Jack Johnson, used before his long-awaited shot at the World Heavyweight title - as opposed to the exclusively "Coloured" version of the title he had been forced to endure for years. Johnson would fight the champion Tommy Burns in Australia and knew that he would finally be the acknowledged world champion, as he would surely dominate the much smaller, lighter, and generally inferior specimen. Tommy Burns had uttered taunts before the bout along the lines of: "Aint no ***** ever gonna take my title".
So Johnson uttered some prophetic words of his own, in his respectful manner, to the tune of: "I'm going to make his beating extra long to teach him a lesson." He did just that, fighting a patient fight, revelling in the moment, owning Burns in the ring by holding him, landing the odd explosive combination in close quarters, which may have taken a few of Burns' teeth out. But while landing heavy shots which crumpled Burns, he physically held him up so as to prolong the fight and the pain for the white man. A statement to the world, which shocked onlookers so much that the police ended up halting the contest in round 14, with the live transmission also being cut.
Wlad Klitschko, ever the scholar, will be acutely aware of the history of heavyweight boxing and perhaps regards himself as an extension of the divisions prestige and honour. He has delusions of grandeur and why not? He is recognised as the best, at the moment. But does he imagine he is so dominant that he can carry a dangerous fighter like Haye for an entre fight, owning him, perhaps toying with him the way Jack Johnson owned Tommy Burns, smiling at the cameras while he paws away the hopeless Brit? He may realise a crushing truth on June 20th: he is a worthy champion standing tall in a barren division, but he is only keeping the throne warm, for he will be usurped by a great champion.
article:
I found Wladimir Klitschko's retort to David Haye's artistic t-shirt highly amusing. Haye enjoys goading his opponents because he believes, like many of us, that the present heavyweight champions of the world do the division a grave injustice. That is, in relation to the history of heavyweight champions who inspire such awe in our minds eye. Louis, Marciano, Liston, Ali, Foreman, Frazier. These names are loaded with prestige and presence, they command respect, fear and admiration. I won't waste words on this topic because it's been exhausted. Suffice to say we eagerly await a true great to emerge and demolish the current status quo.The point is - Haye has a point. His disgust is shared by many boxing fans.
I'm not beginning to suggest that Haye will become the undisputed heavyweight champion and mark his name in history among the greats. But when Wladimir Klitschko became rather upset with Haye's t-shirt, depicting him triumphantly holding each of the Klitschko's heads, with their bodies strewn in a heap on the floor, he used a phrase which invoked the words of one of the all time greats. Klitschko basically said that, although he could finish the fight quick, he would prolong Haye's punishment for the full 12 rounds, as a result of the Brit's insolence and disrespect. Ring any bells?
His angry response was fair enough, and it created a necessary drop of bad blood betweeen the two. Hype must be generated and milked for this fight, because it is arguably the biggest heavyweight title fight in six years, since Dr Iron Fist, Vitali, fought Lennox Lewis and was winning until he suffered a horrendous cut, which brought it to a premature end in the sixth.
But Wladimir's words echoed the words Jack Johnson, used before his long-awaited shot at the World Heavyweight title - as opposed to the exclusively "Coloured" version of the title he had been forced to endure for years. Johnson would fight the champion Tommy Burns in Australia and knew that he would finally be the acknowledged world champion, as he would surely dominate the much smaller, lighter, and generally inferior specimen. Tommy Burns had uttered taunts before the bout along the lines of: "Aint no ***** ever gonna take my title".
So Johnson uttered some prophetic words of his own, in his respectful manner, to the tune of: "I'm going to make his beating extra long to teach him a lesson." He did just that, fighting a patient fight, revelling in the moment, owning Burns in the ring by holding him, landing the odd explosive combination in close quarters, which may have taken a few of Burns' teeth out. But while landing heavy shots which crumpled Burns, he physically held him up so as to prolong the fight and the pain for the white man. A statement to the world, which shocked onlookers so much that the police ended up halting the contest in round 14, with the live transmission also being cut.
Wlad Klitschko, ever the scholar, will be acutely aware of the history of heavyweight boxing and perhaps regards himself as an extension of the divisions prestige and honour. He has delusions of grandeur and why not? He is recognised as the best, at the moment. But does he imagine he is so dominant that he can carry a dangerous fighter like Haye for an entre fight, owning him, perhaps toying with him the way Jack Johnson owned Tommy Burns, smiling at the cameras while he paws away the hopeless Brit? He may realise a crushing truth on June 20th: he is a worthy champion standing tall in a barren division, but he is only keeping the throne warm, for he will be usurped by a great champion.