HolyField vs Byrd: Chris Byrd’s Lament

Ron DiMichele

11.12 - Saturday night at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Chris Byrd (35-2, 20KO’s ) squares off with Evander Holyfield (38-5-2, 25 KO’s) for the vacant IBF heavyweight title. It’s a compelling match-up, but everyone knows it’s not the fight Chris Byrd really wants. He really wants the brass ring, Lennox Lewis. But at least for now, it doesn’t look like he’s going to get it.

Lennox Lewis elected to relinquish his IBF title belt rather than fight Byrd, and this has raised quite a squawk. Boxing aficionados around the globe have accused Lewis of turning tail and heading for the hills to escape facing the slickster from Flint, Michigan. Byrd himself has described Lewis’ actions as "cowardly." But are there reasons besides Byrd’s appreciable boxing skills that Lennox Lewis would choose not to fight him?

Ask the casual boxing fan if he believes Chris Byrd could dethrone Lennox Lewis. He won’t be able to tell you. Why? He’s never heard of Chris Byrd.

At this stage of his career with the status he has achieved, Lennox Lewis, within reason, should be able to pick and choose his opponents. Chris Byrd is well-known to hard-core boxing fans, but with the general sports fan he is not a marquis name. Do you think the casual fight fan is interested in watching a light-hitting, defensive-specialist heavyweight? Rather watch cement harden. It’s not an electrifying match-up, it’s not a big money fight, and it doesn’t get Lewis excited. Can you blame him?

Don’t knock the alphabet soup on one hand and then criticize Lennox Lewis for ignoring their dictates on the other. Chris Byrd? The #1 contender? Maybe not.

Lennox Lewis has been a solid champion. His three-part farewell series featuring the Klitschko brothers withfading Mike Tyson sandwiched in between is an interest-generating line-up (fact is, Tyson still draws ‘em in). Fight fans should cut him some slack.

None of this is meant to suggest that Chris Byrd can’t fight. He surely can, and he is without question the kind of fighter others avoid. At 6’1" 215lbs, the 31-year old Byrd is small for a heavyweight, but what he lacks in size and power he makes up for with speed, guile and ability. And he’s a southpaw to boot. A talented-counter puncher who throws more angles at you than a geometry professor, Chris Byrd makes opponents look bad. And with 20 KO’s he’s got enough pop to occasionally get your attention. But the focus is on avoiding the big one, not landing it. Nevertheless, with a 12 round decision win over David Tua and a 9th round TKO over Vitali Klitschko, he’s proven he can hold his own with the big boys.

The travails of Chris Byrd are not unique in the world of prizefighting. Few long-time boxing fans can observe him without being reminded of a similar heavyweight from an earlier era. The 1970’s are considered by some the greatest decade of heavyweight talent. Muhammed Ali, Joe Frazier, and George Foreman highlighted a division which included Earnie Shavers, Jerry Quarry, Oscar Bonavena, Ken Norton, Ron Lyle, Jimmy Ellis and George Chuvalo. Added to this rough and tumble mix was the improbable Jimmy Young. A crafty defensive specialist, Young stood 6’2" and his weight hovered around 200 lbs. He was a highly-skilled boxer counter-puncher, very slippery and elusive in arelaxed kind of way, and his speaking voice reflected his boxing style, very laid-back and soft. Young would
take on all comers, but many fighters avoided him. In his career he lost highly controversial decisions to both Ken Norton and Muhammed Ali. In addition to Ali and Norton, Young fought Tony Tucker, Earnie Shavers, Ron Lyle, Michael Dokes, Gerry Cooney, and Greg Page.

Due to his defensive, light-hitting style, Jimmy Young was not always appreciated by fight fans. But one steamy night in San Juan, Puerto Rico, he electrified the crowd and rocked the world.

On March 17, 1977, George Foreman, his eyes on a rematch with Ali, was expected to dispatch of Jimmy Young with a minimum of difficulty. Even after Young got past the first few rounds unscathed, most felt it was still just a matter of time before Big George lowered the boom. But as round after round passed, Young’s deft handling of the heavily-favored Foreman had fight-savvy Puerto Rican boxing fans in a frenzy. The thundering chant of "Jeemee Young! Jeemee Young! Jeemee Young!" shook the arena and billowed out into the tropical night. Young’s exhibition of boxing prowess had proved as gripping as an over-the-top, all-out slugfest. His twelve round victory by decision ushered Foreman into a 10-year hiatus from the sport.

Chris Byrd walks the same rocky road trod by Jimmy Young. The trajectory of a small, slick, light-hitting heavyweight’s career will never parallel that of a hard-punching behemoth. Top fighters will avoid you, casual fans won’t appreciate you, and the big money may allude you. The rewards come slowly. But ring generals tend to take less shots, so they often stick around a little longer.

As in the case of Jimmy Young, sometimes fight fans need to be tricked into appreciating a fighter’s skills. They tune in to see a dominating performance by a big-hitter, or just stop for a moment while flipping through the channels, and then suddenly…unexpectedly…greatness is upon them.

Saturday night’s fight between Byrd and Holyfield could go either way, boring or brilliant. It seems though, to be a good match-up. Hopefully, Chris Byrd can stay on top of his game, let go of any bitterness he may be feeling, and put on a peak performance. His title opportunity should come. Maybe not when or how he would like it, but that’s the lot of the small heavyweight.