The Heavyweight Mess

17.03.04 – By Matthew Hurley – So where do we go from here? Who is the flagship fighter in the heavyweight division? I could probably end this article with the last sentence because I really have no idea. And to be honest I’m not too sure that a wide open heavyweight division is good for boxing. I would hate to revisit the early eighties when underachievers like Greg Page and Tony Tubbs somehow found the wherewithal to strap belts around their fat bellies. Quite frankly, the heavyweight division is a mess. And when there isn’t a prominent heavyweight champion guiding the way, boxing suffers. That’s not just cynicism, it’s a fact.

So who do we turn to? Who will step up and become the next big name in heavyweight boxing? The sad fact is, the heavyweight division is really lacking in talent. What we saw this past weekend was indicative of that. If Joe Mesi, a highly touted prospect, can be dropped three times by a cruiserweight what options are left us? My attention is drawn to Vitali Klitschko whose spirited effort against Lennox Lewis left me smiling.

It was a fun fight to watch but it was also sloppy and somehow unprofessional. Lennox looked old and the big Ukrainian just looked awkward, which may be to his benefit in the long run. Vitali’s follow up fight against the grossly overweight and unmotivated Kirk Johnson proved nothing. Thankfully Klitschko destroyed the beached whale of a fighter in less than two rounds. But again, nothing but questions were left in the wake of the fight.

Dominik Guinn, a young up and comer, might be the sun coming up on the horizon but I’ll withhold any criticism until he’s really tested against a seasoned professional. Vitali’s brother, Wladimir, he of the china chin and straight up European style, is a knockout victim waiting to happen. It happened once against Corrie Sanders, a guy who hadn’t fought in years and who only seems to want to improve his golf game, and it will happen again… mark my words.

And then we have the invaders, as I’ve come to call them – James Toney, Vassily Jirov, Roy Jones et. All. I’m not even going to mention John Ruiz because just the thought of watching another one of his so-called “fights” is enough to make me want to put a bullet in my brain. Oh, should I bring up David Tua? A guy who can hit like a ton of bricks but apparently doesn’t really want to. Sure he knocked out the glass jawed Michael Moorer but who didn’t see that coming. Tua defines the word “sloth” and I’m annoyed just talking about him. And don’t get me started on Tyson and Holyfield. Tyson simply doesn’t care anymore and I wish Holyfield felt the same way. Evander is a walking heart-break story. But this corner is sick of feeling sorry for him. Sure I love and respect him but I’m done worrying. If he wants to turn himself into an incoherent mess there’s nothing I can do about it. Retire all ready Evander and quit wasting our time! We’re all sick of worrying about you.

Yeah, I know, I should cut some of these guys some slack but you know what? I’m not going to do it. I hope Vitali Klitschko becomes the next big thing in the heavyweight division. I really do. He seems to be a good guy and despite his goofy, herky-jerky style he’s easy to root for. But the cynic in me keeps hollering out that we’re a long way from a truly great heavyweight champ. I don’t see him anywhere and I’m getting tired of looking.