15.04.04 – By Matthew Hurley – A while back when Evander Holyfield was heavyweight champion of the world he made a prescient remark about the influx of oversized fighters who he would eventually have to face. “These guys can’t fight a full three rounds,” he remarked. “They’re too big and tire quickly.” There are always exceptions to the rule and Riddick Bowe looked like one until he burned out. Only Lennox Lewis was able to understand the limitations of his big body and devised a way to use his reach and a fearsome right hand to stave off swarming smaller fighters like Holyfield. Lewis entrusted his care to the studious Emmanuel Steward and though he was often criticized for being too tactical, even boring, he succeeded.
But the Lennox Lewis’s of the heavyweight boxing scene are few and far between. Time and again we’ve seen big men like Michael Grant, Lance Whitaker, Jameel McCline and now Wladimir Klitschko suffer embarrassing defeats that prove that in a boxing ring size doesn’t always matter. Klitschko, arguably the greatest example of this, is a particular cautionary tale for big men who think their size will simply carry them through to fistic success.
Blessed with unnatural speed and coordination for a big man, he never seemed to be able to relax in the ring. Perhaps the Corrie Sander’s debacle ruined him, but the feeling here is that he was a prime target – and big one at that – to be humbled. There always seemed to be a sense of urgency, a panic ridden sensation that would run through his body, if he didn’t get his opponent out of there in a hurry. It was almost as if he was saying to himself, “I simply can’t go the distance.” Lamon Brewster weathered his early, frenetic storm and then simply knocked him out. Wladimir, he of the questionable chin, really seemed to collapse from exhaustion, much as his past opponent, the nearly six foot eight Jameel McCline had done against him. Swinging those mighty arms and trying to bounce around on those tree trunk legs for three minutes a round simply wasn’t possible. They just wore themselves out and, it seems at least with some of these behemoths, there’s no second wind.
The ability to relax in the ring comes with experience and many of these big guys like McCline or Grant never had any amateur background. The older Klitschko, Vitali, who fights murderous puncher Corrie Sanders on April 24th, may be the real thing. His straight up, herky-jerky style seems to suit his six foot seven frame. With his head held way back and both arms perched out in front of him like the branches of a tree his odd posture and his apparent ability to keep himself composed may serve him well. Still, let’s wait and see what happens when he gets clocked on the chin by the quick southpaw. The fight should be explosive for however long it lasts and the feeling here is that Vitali will pull it out, but I wouldn’t bet on it.
With each concussive loss suffered by many of these highly touted big heavyweights the division simply opens up more and more. It’s a wide landscape and there really doesn’t appear to be a savior on the horizon just yet. Perhaps that’s a good thing. Whoever steps up and replaces the retired Lennox Lewis has his work cut out for him. The only big guy this corner sees as having a chance is the aforementioned Vitali Klitschko. Yet in the face of his brother’s brutal demise one wonders just where Vitali’s head is at. We’ll see when Sanders steps up to the plate and starts throwing bombs.
Maybe Holyfield was right after all. Maybe a really great little/big man like James Toney will simply take all these huge heavyweights to school. And maybe not. Regardless, the division, for all it’s apparent disarray, is producing some pretty damn exciting bouts and that’s good for the boxing fan. The mainstream media won’t come around again until one heavyweight steps up and becomes the beacon for the sport, but do we as boxing fans really care about the mainstream media anymore? I’ve grown tired and, frankly, bored with their condescension. There may not be a flagship fighter in boxing’s glamour division just yet, but lately, it’s been a lot of fun. So enjoy these match-ups until another great heavyweight comes along. And mark my words, they’ll be another one, they’re always is… we just have to be patient and enjoy the ride until we get to that final destination.