James
Staff member
Pro Ryan Villopoto Announces Retirement
- Thread starter James
- Start date
gonna miss seeing RV2 stomp the competition, id being lying if I said I wasn't sad. Ultimately its his decision and I think he made the right one. Go out on top and being remembered for the Championships and titles, not for trying to hang on and becoming a joke. Time to join the ranks of RC and MC, I don't care what anyone says.
Don't think he made the ranks of the GOAT, but he will be remembered as a great champion in my book.
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Wasn't charismatic enough. Look at Windham. He is a memorable fella and one of the greats but no 450 titles. Way more memorable than RV.
I can't speak for others who as superficial it may be, judge a champion by such things. I will remember not only his wins and titles, but also his classiness on and off the track. I don't think Villopoto could have won a championship against RC if they were both in the prime of their careers. Talent wise there wasn't much of a gap, but Ricky's fierce aggressiveness on the track would found him a way to win.
I was expecting it. way different personality and more troubled.
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No bullshit no excuses. He was real. Not a fake personality
I didn't follow him until the famous showing at MXDN. In my opinion he is the best racer from this time period, maybe not as spirited as say Chad Reed or Kevin Windham, or as talented as James Stewart, he treated riding like it was a job, and he had the work ethic to make sure he was damn good at his job.
I think he IS the racer who had the most potential of any of them when you added up all the "takes". Windham was a little bit different in his first go round. The way he raced, and the way he left racing only to find that being a work a day sort with the other skills he had was not AT ALL like he was expecting. Chad Reed is like lots of pro athletes who have convinced themselves that their undertaking is the single most important thing for them and anyone around them. They see little else. It's called being fully focused, and is necessary for lots of people.
Bob Hannah may be the closest in motivation to Ryan Villopoto that I can think of. You could say both came from complicated family situations and that may have contributed to some of the similarities.
Bob Hannah may be the closest in motivation to Ryan Villopoto that I can think of. You could say both came from complicated family situations and that may have contributed to some of the similarities.