[jlupi]

Fightnews

HBO Sports President Ross Greenburg has again ripped the Klitschko brothers. IBF/WBO/IBO heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko (54-3, 48 KOs) and WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko (40-2, 38 KOs) have both have previously fought on the network numerous times and routinely fill huge soccer stadiums when they fight, but Greenburg says there is no longer any interest in them from HBO. “I’m really souring on the heavyweights,” Greenburg was quoted as saying strangely on ESPN’s website, rather than that of his own network. “There doesn’t seem to be any interest in the U.S. and there doesn’t seem to be any heavyweights besides David Haye who would have any juice in challenging the Klitschkos. We’re out of the heavyweight division. We’re not playing in that sandbox right now. It doesn’t make any sense for us. The fights happen over there [in Europe], they’re on tape delay. There is just very little interest in this country.” Greenburg added that HBO definitely will not televise Wladimir Klitschko against unbeaten Teddy Atlas-trained Olympic gold medal winner Alexander Povetkin (19-0, 14 KOs), nor Vitali Klitschko’s next fight unless the opponent is David Haye or Tomacz Adamek. Previously Greenburg had famously stated that the American public can’t tell which brother is which.

[pcraw]

What a load of crap. The only problem is they don't know how to promote.

They can't generate any interest in an undefeated fighter v a Sister Klit?

Let me promote it. Povetkin will shock the world, I'm tellin' ya'.

I don't know about shocking the world. If you listen to Teddy Atlas when they mention the thought of a fight with Klits, he always seem to want a little more time. He never seems to anxious or interested in discussing it.

[Mean Mister Must...]

I'm pretty sure this upsets them but to what degree? They can still fill in stadiums over in Europe by fighting these guys.

Interesting to see it took HBO this long to officially be off the Klitshko bandwagon.

[KYLE THEEE SPINK...]

Thank god I don't have to sit and watch these two fight again. These two make for extremly boring and un-interesting fights. I'd rather have the HBO dates go for better and more interesting fights. The brothers are so dominant, and you know that they're going to be dominant going into the fight. Good for HBO.

[Jack 1000]

Greenburg added that HBO definitely will not televise Wladimir Klitschko against unbeaten Teddy Atlas-trained Olympic gold medal winner Alexander Povetkin (19-0, 14 KOs), nor Vitali Klitschko’s next fight unless the opponent is David Haye or Tomacz Adamek.

It makes sense to me. The Klitschkos are too boring to watch, and even if they fought each other, it would be a 12-round paddy-cake sparring session with neither wanting to hurt the other.

There is so much more that HBO could be doing with the lighter weight divisions, where the action is.

Jack

[D-MARV]

Good move. Hopefully they can fill those dates with some more exciting fights.

[JD]

They could have turned them into something marketable in the States, but they would have had to continuously had them fight legit opponents at the Garden.

Even then, it is hard to compete with 50 - 60,000 in Europe against anyone.

[Maxy]

So is there still the option for Americans to watch the Klits box should they actually want to, or does this mean you will basically be reading the results of their fights? Not sure how things work over there?

[JD]

I read that SHowtime may pick up Klitschko - Povetkin

[Maxy]

Showtime is PPV too though isn't it?