by Fox Doucette Welcome to Part 3 of the What If Klitschko Special, where we conclude our look at the amateur fate of the Klitschko brothers whilst setting the stage for a wild final part in the pro ranks. But first, the dream of the Nineties is alive in Moscow: When last we left our pugilistic defenders of the honor of the Motherland, Vitali Klitschko had just won Olympic … [Read more...]
What If Klitschko Special Part 2: Remember To Always Be Calling It Research
by Fox Doucette Welcome to Part 2 of the What If Klitschko Special, examining a world where the Soviet Union never falls and the best Eastern Bloc heavyweights never turn pro, starring the Klitschko brothers, with special guest star Nikolai Ivanovich Lobachevsky: In Kazakhstan, where Vladimir Rodionovich Klitschko, his wife, and his two sons were exiled following the coup … [Read more...]
PBC: Possible Business Catastrophe: The Southpaw
by Fox Doucette Well, the initial fight card for Al Haymon's Premier Boxing Champions has come and gone, and...meh. Sure, it drew three million viewers, but then again, it was advertised to hell and back---even the local Top 40 station here in Seattle ran ads for it during the break in its drive-time show in the morning. You could get 3.4 million people to watch just about … [Read more...]
What If Klitschko Special: Back in the USSR, Part 1
by Fox Doucette Welcome to another What If special series, this time asking the question “What if the Cold War never ended and the Klitschko brothers never turned pro?” We're going heavy on the history in the first installment---the fights get more of a focus next week. Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko get their share of criticism for fighting in a heavyweight era where nobody … [Read more...]
More Mismatches Than An Online Dating Site: ESPN Friday Night Fights Recap
by Fox Doucette Some nights of boxing absolutely confound analysis and render any attempt at gleaning lessons completely moot. We got one of those kinds of nights tonight from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on ESPN2 Friday Night Fights. In the main event, Tony Harrison (20-0, 17 KOs) stopped a completely shot, overmatched, “what was he doing fighting?” Antwone Smith (23-6-1, 12 … [Read more...]