Since Epix took off, I could consider it, the White Heavyweight Network. I love their broadcasting team of Rafael, Debeilla and some other guy. Calling the action without castespeak. Refreshing and groudbreaking!!!
Yes, I agree that mentality and confidence goes a long way in explaining performance in sports.
One more comment to you: Ive been watching boxing for about 15 years religiously. I would say that a staredown usually means NOTHING towards a fight. Its to entertain and hype a fight, that's all. These guys are professionals, and it's not good to read into "body language" of a staredown or weighin.
I remember when Joe Calzaghe dominated hyped up Negro Jeff Lacy. Calzaghe looked horrible at the staredown and weighin, but when it came fight time, he was superb. Ive seen this often times. Similarily, Ive seen guys look super confident at the weighin, only to get destroyed in the fight (Ricky Hatton against Floyd Mayweather comes to mind, Dereck Chisora losing to Vitali also comes to mind).
Dont read a lot into body language at a staredown, it means nothing.
What was to "castespeak"? Both fighters were white. Those announcers annoyed me too. They said Wlad and Wach both looked soft. They said Wlad "is definitely a top ten" all time heavyweight now - behind their ******* "superheroes", of course. Top ten my foot. They are clearly 1 & 2.
But Wlad could have been in trouble if that one big punch of Wach landed earlier in the round!
Wach did everything he could and then some. Compare that with Haye's cowardly effort, spent mostly falling down on his knees, and culminating with him whining and showing off his ugly foot!
Then the black factor: A black may tend to be "larger" in these stare downs but I would contend that, in some instances, a careful reading can sift false bravado from genuine confidence. Vladimir's bravado in this particular stare down struck me as "credible". Wach's anxiety also struck me as "credible". Does it predict unequivocally the outcome of the fight? Obviously not.
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yes the stare down is a black thing. Intimidation is their biggest weapon (for most of them) and with the black supremacy myth it works quite a bit in all sports, more so at the lower levels. Behind the intimidation of a black person is usually a scared ****less little boy inside. But I say usually, from experience. Once you start winning they give up, but this is usually. I have fought many blacks growing up street fights and a local boxing gym, and this one time this guy wasn't kidding and I was confident before fighting him and I was seeing flashes of white every time he landed a punch. Oh well, you win some you lose some. Found out his mom just died of cancer and his dad was doing life in Angola.Good points Boxing Specialist2.
And any sort of statistical analysis of success in the ring versus "success" during the stare down would be fraught with problems. Point scoring a fight is subjective enough. Point scoring a stare down?
Then the black factor: A black may tend to be "larger" in these stare downs but I would contend that, in some instances, a careful reading can sift false bravado from genuine confidence. Vladimir's bravado in this particular stare down struck me as "credible". Wach's anxiety also struck me as "credible". Does it predict unequivocally the outcome of the fight? Obviously not.
I would also add generally that part of all of us may be inclined to pull for the guy who seems less like a c*cky, bully and more like the unassuming guy who laughs off the ritual or even feels uncomfortable with it, then methodically knocks the bully's teeth in.
I have fought many blacks growing up street fights and a local boxing gym, and this one time this guy wasn't kidding and I was confident before fighting him and I was seeing flashes of white every time he landed a punch. Oh well, you win some you lose some. Found out his mom just died of cancer and his dad was doing life in Angola.
I recall champagne bubbles when I got butted in football or horsing around with my friends...It's a tough sport and a tougher life, my friend.
I recall champagne bubbles when I got butted in football or horsing around with my friends...
Wach's Glove Was Missing Padding & Vitali Caught It
Here's video of Vitali in Wach's dressing room before the fight checking the gloves. Vitali finds that the right glove is missing padding near the knuckle area. The guys from the commission check it, agree and force Wach to get a new right glove.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_WNLP83ZiD8#!
Wach's Glove Was Missing Padding & Vitali Caught It
Here's video of Vitali in Wach's dressing room before the fight checking the gloves. Vitali finds that the right glove is missing padding near the knuckle area. The guys from the commission check it, agree and force Wach to get a new right glove.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_WNLP83ZiD8#!
lol, Oh man, thats hilarious!
But honestly now, what a bunch of cheaters, they tried to pull a Margarito.
It wouldn't shock me if he had anabolic help. Not this his body screamed roids ie Shannon Briggs or "Roid" Jones Jr at his lone heavyweight fight. I will have to look up who was Wach's strength and conditioning coach. That's the true villian in this story.I had watched a couple earlier Wach fights and felt he was just too skinny to take Vlad's power. Then he shows up for their fight much sturdier looking. I figured maybe he had just filled out, but looks like he had some help.
This little turn of events also adds a little perspective to Wach's suspicious boxing gloves that Vitali had questions about.