By Ted Sares: Faruq “The Dream” Saleem is a 6’7’’ 250 pound heavyweight out of Newark, NJ who sports a 37 (KO 23) – 0 record. He started his career in 1998 by icing James Holly 4-49 with all of Holly’s losses coming by way of KO. He followed this up with a KO of one Orion Sistrunk, ostensibly from Mars. Orion is now 5-22-1. His most recent win was a MD against game Road Warrior Sedreck “Big Buck” Fields at the Blue Horizon in Philadelphia in October 2007..
In between, he did “battle” with Doug “Dig-Èm-Up” Davis, 8-34, Frankie Hines, 14-94-5 coming in, Kenneth “Rocky” Bentley, 9-95-1, Caseny K.C. Truesdale 6-29-1, Max Key, 9-27, and David Smith, 6-15-1. He then stepped up his level of opponent meeting 4-4 Rodney Phillips, Ron “Sting Ray” McCarthy, 8-17-1, Mike Robinson 8-30-1, and rounding out the year met Frankie Hines again who by then had dropped to 14-98-5. He also beat Danny Wofford, 17-95-2, in Leesburg, Virginia in 2002.
“The Dream” doss not fight dream competition and one might well conclude his record has been padded with easy wins. After all, the combined win-loss-draw records of his opponents stand at an eye popping 391-852-41
He is promoted by the duo of Butch Lewis and Michael Spinks.
“Big Sky”
Tye “Big Sky” Fields sports an imposing 40 (KO 36)-1 (KO 1) slate and tends to outwork his opponents with a slapping and busy style. Standing at 6’ 9’’, the southpaw is huge at 275lbs He has no amatuer experience.
Out of the unlikely spot of Missoula, MT, he too holds a decision over Sedreck Fields, 21-24-1 coming in (no relation). However, he has fought slightly better, but only slightly better all-around competition including the likes of a shot Ed “The Hammer” Mahone, come backing and grossly overweight Bruce Seldon, chinny Maurice “Mo Bettah” Harris, Brian Sargent (who Tony Tubbs KOd at age 46) and Sherman “Tank” Williams. His latest fight in December 2007 was a quick first round destruction of overmatched Chris Koval whose main claim to fame is that he is from Youngstown, Ohio.
Tye’s sole defeat was a first round KO loss at the hands of unknown fisted Jeff “Big Diesel” Ford in 2001 shortly after which he knocked out Undra Hawkins, 0-9, to get his confidence back. Big Sky avenged the KO defeat with a first round icing of his own seven months later. Thus, like “The Dream,” he has beaten every man he has faced (knocking out his first 14 opponents in the first round), though many came in with losing records or where on the downside of their careers.
On March 13, he is expected to meet Roderick “Lord of the Rings” Willis, 14-2. I expect him to knock out the Lord early. If so, it’s high time to “step up.”
Let’s get it on
A fight with The Dream begs for a match up. Both are unusually tall; both sport imposing records; both have fought limited competition; and both are highly suspect. Against a common opponent, both struggled to a decision win. As well, both expect, albeit delusionally, to advance the American effort in boxing’s top division and become a key player in the title picture.
It’s time to stop the nonsense, step up, and meet at the crossroads. Borrowing from Field’s fight against the 7’1’’ Juulias Long, let’s call it the “Clash of the Giants.” Let’s just do it!
Ted Sares is the author of Boxing is my Sanctuary. Visit his site at ww.tedsares.com