By Steve Trellert

#20. Henry Akinwande
Akinwande's boxing career has been more of an alchemist's brew than anything else. The brew mix has been a combination of half tragedy and half suicide with enough potency to blow up in Henry's face, and it most certainly did. After making himself a contender with momentum gained in the mid 90's, Henry took some hemlock in choosing to slowdance with Lennox Lewis instead of fight. A second chance arose but was taken away by hepatitis before a fight with Evander Holyfield. A second wind seemed to arrive upon a one round destruction of Mo Harris, but a momentary lack of focus against Oliver McCall took it all away very late in a fight Akinwande was dominating. Henry had advantages denied to many in height, reach, power and decent technical skills in addition to having Don King as a promoter. Unfortunately he also wasted fleeting opportunities and a chance to make his mark. His tendency to ring dullness and past violations have led to little sympathy, if not outright hostility, amongst many, and this has not helped his career either. With time now running out, a sense of urgency is needed for him not only to leave a mark, but also to go out with a certain degree of prestige. The clock is ticking.

#19. Oliver McCall
Captain Inconsistency is most certainly an enigma wrapped inside a riddle. Perhaps never in the history of boxing has a contender's life outside of the ring dominated his performance inside as much as in the case of Oliver McCall. His mental breakdown against Lennox Lewis in the rematch being a case in point. Oliver's rugged chin and brutally powerful right hand brought him a victory over the top twenty Mr. Huggabunch and his current status here, but recent inactivity threatens to move him downward in a career filled with as much limbo as action. Despite advancing age, McCall remains the ever-present lesser version of David Tua in that he also commands attention in every second of every minute of a fight. Unfortunately for Oliver, this also creates a sense that the risks may outweigh the benefits of taking him on. This in addition to his inactivity does not bode well for Oliver's future, which as always remains nebulous.

#18. Michael Moorer
There is no doubt that Michel Moorer's recent loss to David Tua was devastating, both in terms of how it ended and in its quickness. The resulting backlash has also been extreme, but perhaps more so than deserved. It was clear to many before the fight that Moorer was 'made to order' for Tua and a horrible matchup in terms of style. It could almost be said that 'Double M' was doomed. Of greater concern should be his overall performance since returning from virtual retirement. Moorer's previous incarnation reflected significant strengths encircling a pinpoint weakness regarding his chin. The most recent comeback added another vulnerability in stamina. A dichotomy now exists in his ability demonstrated by his victory over Robert Davis. In the first two rounds Moorer looked absolutely spectacular in knocking Davis down twice with powerfully crisp straight combination punching. That Michael Moorer would be an extremely dangerous opponent for any top ten contender. The latter rounds though exposed a frail stamina that made him look perpetually mediocre and even vulnerable. A weak stamina tends to indicate uneven training that itself indicates questionable drive and ambition, something Michael has been plagued with in the past. Michael Moorer on his game can be a top ten fighter, off his game he is a top 40 fighter, the difference is vast. Moorer's future depends on above all things his mind, of that there is no question. Wins over Davis and Terrance Lewis get him here despite the recent loss to Tua. His mind will determine where he goes from here.

#17. Lou Savarese
After retiring, and then coming back to suffer embarrassment before Mike Tyson, nobody would have expected anything other than the end of Lou Savarese as a contender. A mediocre win over David Bostice confirmed Lou's status as a man somewhere between journeyman and contender. Upon facing Tim Witherspoon though Lou turned some heads. Not only did he survive a flush right hand and first round adversity from a man with exceptional power, but he also came back to convincingly win by knockout in what just might be the best performance of his career. Some may claim the victory amounts to little since 'Terrible Tim' was at an advanced age, but tell that to relatively easy and recent victims in David Bostice and Elicier Castillo. Additionally, when was the last time Witherspoon was knocked out? Needless to say, if that Lou shows up against a true contender, that person will have their hands full.

#16. Monte Barrett
Monte Barrett has been one of those fighters easy to define. Quite clearly he is a fighter good enough to consistently defeat opponents outside of the top twenty, while being himself unable to defeat fighters within the top ten. The latter was evidenced in his defeats to Mount Whitaker and Wladimir Klitschko. Those two defeats have been followed up with efficient, yet unspectacular, defeats of Tim Witherspoon and Robert Davis. Surprisingly, this upward momentum has been strangely and inexplicably neglected by Barrett's uncharacteristic inactivity of late, something ill advised. Nevertheless, upon reactivation it seems Monte Barrett may have taken over David Izon's former role as gatekeeper to the elite, something more may be just beyond his abilities, if the past is any indication.

#15. Davarryl Williamson
There is little doubt that Williamson is the best new Heavyweight to arrive on the scene in the last year. Good technical ability and a strong right hand have volleyed him up from relative obscurity into a fighter that may have to be reckoned with in the top ten. 'Touch of Sleep' garnered attention by knocking out fighters who have historically been difficult, if not near impossible, to knockout. Dale Crowe always had and extremely tough chin and yet Davarryl knocked him out with ease. Corey Sanders not only had an impressive win streak under his belt but also a 100-pound advantage in weight, and yet he also succumbed to the Sandman. Despite the impression, some concerns with his awkwardness in defense remains, in addition to the fact that he is already firmly in his mid-thirties and may have a short career window. Additionally he has not faced a top-notch boxer as of yet and it would be interesting to see him in against someone with exemplary proficiency in that regard. Davarryl has converted many a fight fan with his explosive power and willingness to fight frequently, something largely devoid of in this day and age. 2003 should be an important year for Williamson, one that will likely see him fight against some of the elite on a major network.

14. Michael Grant
Michael Grant's recent past has been filled with moments of trauma drama. After a string of impressive victories, Grant faced off against the king in Lennox Lewis and chose a gameplan that worked against his own strength. Instead of working behind his jab in a defensive style, he uncharacteristically chose the full-scale attack route and fell on his sword toute de suite. Jameel McCline came next and knocked him down with the first punch of the fight. The result was not only a broken ankle, but also a broken psyche. Since then trainer Teddy Atlas has taken the reigns and chosen to move Michael along cautiously in a set piece fashion. A recent win over Robert Davis impressed most despite moments of awkwardness, as he appeared more fluid and effective than in the recent past. 2003 should see Grant against the top 20 where he should be able to compete effectively despite concerns about his chin. The top ten should be within reach, but is the top five?

#13 Mount Whitaker
Whitaker's career seems to be shifting almost as often as his name. A loss against Lou Savarese seemed to indicate little top ten potential initially, but this turned around with successive wins over Monte Barrett, Robert Davis and Oleg Maskaev. Mount seemed to be finding a way to gain more leverage in his punches and his technical abilities seemed to be improving as well. Then suddenly Whitaker not only succumbed to upstart Jameel McCline, but was also dominated by him. Inexplicable weight gain and a sluggish draw with mediocre Ray Austin followed this. His last fight saw marginal improvement in a victory against Cliff Couser, but was still far off from his previous heights. The previous string of victories got him into the top ten, but the recent loss and draw has brought him closer to the mid teens. A temporary lull or permanent decline?, this is the question to be answered in 2003.

#12. Clifford Etienne
Initial victories over Lamon Brewster and Lawrence Clay-Bey created a stir of interest in Etienne as not only was he an effective fighter, but an exciting one as well. Soon enough the best thing since sliced bread became moldy as the 'Black Rhino' was defeated in an almost embarrassing fashion at the hands of Fres Oquendo. This was followed by an unimpressive win over Terrance Lewis and a draw with Frans Botha. The Rhino appears more and more of a paper tiger in a career that seems to be regressing rather than progressing of late. Positive attributes such as a large heart of determination and a high activity rate has been counterbalanced by a Swiss cheese defense and questionable ring intelligence. Mike Tyson's camp has taken note and intends to use him as roadkill, but if Etienne somehow manages to survive the first few rounds he may find Iron Mike's lack of stamina to his liking. Of course Tyson tends to pick opponents based on their weaknesses rather than strengths, and Etienne has plenty of the former, and that is enough to make Etienne an unlikely future candidate for a top five position.

#11. Fres Oquendo
Some may feel Fres to be underrated here but when one looks more closely at his accomplishments they are not quite as stellar as they first appeared. Wins over Obed Sullivan and a relatively shot David Izon are commendable, but not worth writing home about. That leaves a lopsided victory over Clifford Etienne that in retrospect does not look like the upset it once was. The recent loss to David Tua may have taken the 'O' away from the 'Big O', but it also demonstrated Oquendo is easily competitive amongst the elite and has much to offer the future. Only a momentary lack of discipline cost him a fight he was running away with. Nevertheless, a loss is a loss and it keeps him at the margins of the top ten. Despite that, he has strong technical skills, good ring smarts and one of the best jabs in the division. Clearly he has the talent to get back into the top ten; all he needs now is another name victim to get him back in the title shot mix.

Next time we will take a look at the top ten contenders and the Champion. If you have any comments regarding this article, post them here at Eastsideboxing or email me at Vancanste@aol.com

Top 30 Heavyweight Ranking: Part One