Stocking Stuffers for Heavyweight Fans

By Wes Moore

04.12 - The holiday season is upon us and the year is closing out within the heavyweight division. It is time to start thinking about the great fights of the past year and the fighters who have emerged or faded. The year will close out with a couple of important fights: Klitschko vs. McCline and Byrd vs. Holyfield. The schedule also sees several interesting comeback fights as Jimmy Thunder, Jose Ribalta, Fres Oquendo, and Oleg Maskaev are all returning from layoffs. This is also the time of the year when I wish for what might occur in the next calendar year. In reality, we rarely get exactly what we want, but sometimes we do.

Wish: Lennox Lewis will follow his plan of fighting Vitali Klitschko, Mike Tyson, and Wlademir Klitschko (pending McCline result) in succession and then walk away.

Wish: Corrie Sanders vs. Corey Sanders

Wish: Shannon Briggs vs. Jameel McCline II

Wish: Another Fistful of Dollars without

1. Bad rappers
2. Shannon Briggs on commentary

With

1. No music
2. Shannon Briggs in the ring

Wish: Chris Byrd will finally gain the respect he deserves as a quality heavyweight.

Wish: John Ruiz vs. Roy Jones Jr.

Wish: Continued progression for prospects such as Audley Harrison, Calvin Brock, and Dominick Guinn.

Wish: Clifford Etienne has a serious sparring partner to prepare him for Mike Tyson.

Wish: David Tua finds a good fight versus Hasim Rahman.

Wish: Michael Grant finally ends the rehab portion of his comeback and faces a top ten opponent.

Wish: Mount Whitaker doesn't revert back to the Goofi moniker.

Wish: Touch of Sleep to continue his incredible fight rate and step ups in opposition.

Wish: Some of our favorite fighters will finally hang up the gloves and pass on the knowledge- while they still have it to pass on.

There are of course many within this list that are simply for fun but we as heavyweight fans should all hope for a successful and safe 2003 within the heavyweight division. I am thankful to have a place to share my thoughts on the heavyweight scene here at East Side Boxing. I hope that I have provided some quality reading material for all the readers and want to finish this year out strong. Next week, I will provide my report card for 100 of the world's top heavyweights for 2002. In 3 weeks, I will hand out hardware for the past year. I would like for these to be a reader's choice so I am asking for you to submit a vote for the below categories.

Please send votes to me at largedog@bellsouth.net

Heavyweight Fight of the Year:

Heavyweight Comeback of the Year:

Most Improved Heavyweight Fighter of the Year:

Worst heavyweight fight of the year:

Heavyweight Fighter of the year:

Please feel free to add any comments about this article or any of your choices. Until next time watch out for the uppercut behind the jab and please send votes to largedog@bellsouth.net

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Season's Greetings: The Fight Fans Wish List

By Don Deane

24.11 - Tis the season to be jolly, and spend insane amounts of money on gifts for people you see once a year. Just kidding, I'm not that cynical. But the point of gift giving is putting our thoughts into material items to show people how much we care. So this is the fight fans wish list. Now all you promoters, managers, TV network executives and fighters listen up and take notes. And since I am assuming that the aforementioned people really do care about giving gifts and showing they care, here is what we want to see in 2003.

Heavyweight

Lennox Lewis vs Vladimir Klitschko - This one is a no brainer. Two giants, with great boxing skills, slugging it out for the highly coveted REAL Heavyweight championship of the world.

John Ruiz vs Roy Jones JR - This is good because it is just a funny fight. Heavyweights are too damn big now for light-heavys to move up and challenge. This size disadvantage will probably be enough to shut Roy Jones' more ignorant critics up if he wins. But a few good shots by Ruiz could end our beloved Roy's career.

Cruiserweight

Vassily Jirov vs James Toney - Pretty much the only fight at cruiser worth making. With Juan Gomez gone to chase larger game, these are the only two established and known fighters in the division besides Virgil Hill.

Wayne Braithwaite vs Jean-Marc Mormeck - Not too meaningful now, but I think Braithwaite is a rising star and if he is parading around with two title belts people will notice. Mormeck is the softest of the champions at 190.

Light Heavyweight

Roy Jones JR vs Antonio Tarver - This scenario works perfectly if Jones beats Ruiz and Tarver beats Montell Griffin. Basically Roy beats a guy 70 pounds bigger than him, and then comes back down to his own division to claim back what is rightfully his. How is that for cementing one's legacy.

Roy Jones JR vs Dariusz Michalczewski - Nothing new here, Roy goes down in history if he fights this guy in addition to Ruiz and Tarver.

Super Middleweight

Eric Lucas vs Byron Mitchell - North American leg of my proposed 168 pound tournament. Basically, the winner fights the winner of the European leg to become undisputed 168 pound champ.

Sven Ottke vs Joe Calzaghe - European leg of the unification tourney. Undisputed champ status opens doors to either Roy Jones or Bernard Hopkins. I guess I have pretty big ideas for Roy Jones.

Middleweight

Bernard Hopkins vs undisputed super middleweight champ - Nothing left for him at 160. He should drop everything and take over 168.

William Joppy vs Harry Simon - This fight would determine the new king if Hopkins moves up or retires. Compatible styles and skill levels would make this a good fight.

Junior Middleweight

Oscar De La Hoya vs Vernon Forrest - This would be an awesome fight. Vernon is the bigger man, but Oscar has a different style than Shane Mosley. An intriguing possibility.

Shane Mosley vs Fernando Vargas - Assuming Mosley does make his intended trip up to 154. This fight would have to be late in the year to give Mosley time to adjust. Vargas also needs to build a defense for speedier opponents.

Welterweight

No Forrest and no Mosley makes this division suck. Even if they were to stay there isn't anybody to fight.

Ricardo Mayorga vs Thomas Damgaard - Nicaraguan slugger against European boxer-puncher. Works for me. Even better Damgaard is undefeated and WBA International and IBC world champ. This could conceivably happen.

Junior Welterweight

Kostya Tszyu vs Zab Judah - This would have to happen later in the year because of Judah's long lay off and Tszyu's upcoming title defense. I don't think Zab will be so easily beaten in a rematch.

Sharmba Mitchell vs DeMarcus Corley - Mitchell proved that he has a little left in the tank and would be a good opponent for Corley. Corley has looked good so far, but Ener Julio and Felix Flores aren't exactly top notch competition.

Lightweight

Paul Spadafora vs Floyd Mayweather - This could happen if Mayweather can take Castillo "again". I use the term again loosely because I don't think I am the only guy who thought Castillo won. If Castillo wins then he can take on Spadafora, I'm easy to please.

Artur Grigorian vs Raul Balbi - I know, who cares about this. These undefeated European champions just don't sit well with me. Grigorian beat Balbi 5 years ago, but I want to see them do it again.

Junior Lightweight

Acelino Freitas vs Jesus Chavez - If Freitas doesn't move up to 135 then this is it. Chavez has the style to force Freitas back into a sluggers' mentality. If things go that way we could be in for another Ward-Gatti.

Phillip Ndou vs Joel Casamayor - This would be cool if that "winner takes most" contract is signed. I like that idea.

Featherweight

Erik Morales vs Naseem Hamed - Hopefully Hamed finds motivation to get back in the ring because this would be good. If Hamed wins he could get a rematch with his lone conqueror.

Derrick Gainer vs Marco Antonio Barrera - Pretty lopsided, but Gainer is a tough guy and a bit bigger than Barrera and he is also the only top featherweight Barrera hasn't fought yet.

Junior Featherweight

Paulie Ayala vs Manny Pacquaio - THE fight at 122. Paulie is too small for 126. But there are plenty of good guys a few pounds lighter.

Joan Guzman vs Agapito Sanchez - Guzman is going to be great. I like him a lot. An all Dominican title fight against the dirty veteran Sanchez would show how much guts Guzman has.

Bantamweight

Tim Austin vs Veerapol Sahaprom - Veerapol is the only guy who stands a chance of beating Austin until Austin moves up.

Super Flyweight

Don't really care

Flyweight

Eric Morel vs Pongsaklek Wonjongkam - For added affect stage the Austin-Sahaprom fight on the same card. Maybe that would get people to check out the smaller guys.

Junior Flyweight / Straweight

These classes are ridiculous. There should only be one Flyweight class. That is the only way good enough fights will happen. I would be content to see 105 eliminated and combined with 108. Everybody at 112 would be more logical.