The Sweet Science 03.28.06: The Fall of the Heavyweights
Posted by J. Yayo Hernandez on 03.28.2006
Heavy on Weight, Light on Entertainment.
[Editors Note: This column was written by Michael Nalbach and will be a regular weekly feature going forward.]
Ever since Mike Tyson began his downward spiral into sideshow freak and Lennox Lewis decided to call it quits, boxing's heavyweight division has read like who's who of "who?"'s and major disappointments. Between China doll fragile Klitschko to out-of-shape and overhyped James Toney, it seems every big heavyweight messiah that has come along has fallen flat on their faces. Where did boxing's money division go wrong, and
what can be done to fix the problem?
The main problem as it lies right now is there is little to no credible competition. Hasim Rahman? This dude was perceived as a flash in the pan years ago after getting drummed by Lennox Lewis. Vitali Klitschko cannot seem to keep himself injury free for the amount of time it takes to prepare for a fight. His brother Wladimir's impending fight with Chris Byrd could inject some needed life into the division. Fan interest as there as the fight has already sold out. The powerhouse Nigerian Samuel Peter showed flashes of promise but after a unanimous decision loss to Wladimir he's back to trying to prove his mettle again. With the right training and some good challenges he still has the chance to make some noise.
One of the few heavyweights really drawing attention right now is not even due to his skill, but his size. The seven foot tall "Beast from the East" pounded John Ruiz and captured the WBA Title, becoming the largest world heavyweight champion in history. With the Don King hype machine behind him, Valuev will probably draw in some interested casual fans who want to see how this behemoth performs in the squared circle. Sadly, it won't be for his skills, which are severely sloppy. Speaking of Ruiz, his days of being a factor in the heavyweight division are all but over with, so cross him off the list of potential heavyweight saviors.
As it stands right now, the middleweight and welterweight divisions provide the best pound-for-pound action for anyone's dollar, from the diehard pugilist afficianados to the sports bar cornermen who show up only on big fight nights. There's also some decent competition in the light heavyweight division, courtesy of fighters like Antonio Tarver and Glenn Johnson. If Tarver goes through with his boasts of wanting to move up and dominate the heavies, that could provide a much needed spark of interest. Roy Jones was able to do it succesfully, but his rapid weight gain and loss very well might have played into the crumbling of his career. Tarver could make a name for himself in the heavyweight division, but I would tread lightly.
Danny Williams of the United Kingdom was another I had my eye on as a top prospect in the heavyweight division. After "upsetting" Mike Tyson, he took a rough TKO loss to Vitali Klitschko but has since bounced back, including a victory over Audley Harrison to capture the vacant Commonwealth Heavyweight Championship. He's had back to back wins since then, so Williams is definitely moving in the right direction. I'd like to see him carry that momentum back to the U.S. for some big purse fights.
So what is the current state of the heavyweight division? Not down for the count by any means, but at any moment the ref could stop the fight on account of bleeding. One of the aforementioned fighters, or perhaps an outside darkhorse, needs to step up and prove their dominance. While it sometimes is more fun as a viewer when it's anyone's game as it is now, there needs to be one dominant force in the division that the rest of the challengers chase. Time will ultimately reveal who this will be, but until then the rest of the divisions continue to provide stellar entertainment.
