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Not-so-Heavyweights
By Steve Kim (December 16, 2002)
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As of right now Lennox Lewis, who was vulnerable in his prime and winding down his career, is the game's premiere heavyweight. John Ruiz, Wladimir Klitschko and Chris Byrd, who hold titles are a notch below him. And then? Well, there isn't much. In fact, looking at the heavyweight rankings is like
looking at the standings in the NBA's eastern conference. Yeah, some teams are in the playoff hunt, but the point is moot. Mediocrity abounds.
Just look at my personal top 10 heavyweight rankings:
1- Lennox Lewis: An easy choice. This guy may have not sealed his rep with his easy win over Mike Tyson (after all, how do you seal your legacy fighting a guy ten years past his prime?) but throughout his underappreciated career, outside of two blips against the likes of Oliver McCall and Hasim Rahman (both avenged) he has handled everyone else put in his way.
But in reality he is really here for past accomplishments and by default. While he still possesses a big right hand and has a definitive size advantage over almost everyone he meets, he is past his prime, always prone to fall to complacency --sources tell me that he isn't in the best of shape right now -- and his chin has always been questionable. And I also wonder just how much is left in his legs. But 'till he's downed, he's on top of the heavyweight throne.
2- Wladimir Klitschko: It's obvious this big Ukranian has the physical tools but I still need to see him get tested by a heavyweight who won't freeze up like Frosty the Snowman. Jameel McClie was thought to be the guy that would exorcise the demons of Ross Puritty but 'Big Time' showed all the life of a cadaver last weekend.
Klitschko could be the future -- but it isn't now. The few times (and I do mean few), that McCline actually threw his punches in anger, Klitschko retreated like France. I want to see what happens when someone gets inside his stiff jab, get's inside his chest and backs him up consistently. It's hard to teach the tangibles that Klitschko has: the size, the speed, the power and strength. But it's the intangibles like grit, toughness and moxie, that seperates the good fighters from the great ones.
We'll find out if he's the real thing.
3- Chris Byrd: Is he the virtuouso that Max Kellerman thinks he is or the stinker that Larry Merchant absolutely detests? The truth is somewhere in the middle, while he'll never have a crowd pleasing style, you really can't fault him for fighting in the manner he does. I mean, how else would you fight men who are that much bigger and stronger than you are?
And he has faced the likes of the Klitschko brothers, Ike Ibeabuchi, David Tua and Evander Holyfield in the last few years. And in those five bouts, he's come away victorious in three of them (Vitaly Klitschko, Tua and now Holyfield). And guess what? Against Tua and Holyfield, his fights didn't put anyone to sleep. No, they weren't Gatti-Ward, but they weren't Virgil Hill-esque either. While Byrd is a crafty boxer, he doesn't put on flat out track meets (like Floyd Mayweather did the second time against Jose Luis Castillo), against Tua and Holyfield he seemed to stand right in front of his opponent and simply make himself invisible, all the while throwing pitty-pat
shots to his bewildered opponents.
He may not be exciting, but he is effective.
4- David Tua: 'the Tuaman' has been the beneficiary of some of the worst managerial moves in recent memory. You gotta give his manager Kevin Barry credit for somehow enticing the likes of Fres Oquendo (who was ranked number one in the WBO when they faced each other) and the china-chinned Michael Moorer into facing the hard-punching Samoan when there was really no reason to. Predictably, Tua would stop both Oquendo and Moorer and all of a sudden Tua is back in the picture after his two dissapointing losses to Lewis and Byrd.
If there is a definition of a one-trick pony, it had to have been Tua, with his insistence on just winging his left hook time and time again. But in his last two wins he has used his right hand effectively to set up his knockouts. Tua, will always be a crowd pleaser with his hard-punching attack, but as was shown against Lewis, taller heavyweights who can stick a jab in his face will always give him fits and Byrd's style will always befuddle him.
Unless Barry can find another soft spot (i.e.- sucker) it may be awhile before Tua wins a heavyweight title.
5- John Ruiz: Yes, I'm giving 'the Quiet Man' some respect. But I've always done that, I've never thought he was a great natural talent but there is something to be said about overachievers that get the most out of their natural ability. But Ruiz is really a testament to the managerial skills of Norman Stone and the promotional clout of Don King who have guided Ruiz
deftly.
But he is a survivor, having gone 36 tough rounds with Holyfield and holding off the challenge of the favored Kirk Johnson this past July. He's got decent size, a good jab, a sharp right hand and he is tough. Which compensates for his lack of quickness and akwardness that makes him look like he's got two left feet.
The fact he's rated so highly show's just how mediocre this division really is. And before all Ruiz's fans email me in anger (both of you) let me ask you this: if he was that good, why would Roy Jones take him on as a heavyweight?
Enough said.
6- Vitaly Klitschko- Known as 'the other' Klitschko, but I don't think this is Hank Aaron to Tommy Aaron. This Klitschko, while not as talented as his brother does have some physical talent and is awaiting a shot at Lewis.
And while Lewis seems to be waffling on his next move, it says here that Vitaly has more than a punches chance against Lewis for one simple reason. If McCall and Rahman can get lucky, why not him? And Lewis isn't getting any younger and you figure that if he does fight him before proposed bouts against Tyson (in a rematch) and his brother Wlad, that could be his biggest asset. Think about it, Lewis has been prone to get caught looking ahead before, it could happen again.
7 through 10- Vacant.
Yup, you read that correctly. I don't think anyone is really worthy right now of this distinction. That's how thin and depleted this heavyweight division is right now. Yeah, I could have put names like Mike Tyson (who will always be a player because of his economic clout), Hasim Rahman, Kirk Johnson, Jameel McCline, Fres Oquendo and Holyfield down but seriously they remind me of the Detriot Pistons, the Orlando Magic, the Atlanta Hawks, and the Milwaukee Bucks. Yeah, they may qualify for the eastern conference playoffs, but where are they really going?
THE KING
I've been told that there was a lot of intrigue last night ringside in Atlantic City where Don King and Lennox Lewis were a bit chummy to each other. It's no secret that for years King has courted Lewis, going as far as being nice to Lennox' mum. As of right now, I don't even think Lewis knows what his next plan of action is. Does he go through with his mandatory defense against Vitaly Klitschko or does he bypass that to go straight to his rematch with Tyson?
Or does King somehow influence Lewis to do something else?
I have a feeling there could be a big tug-of-war between King and HBO over what direction Lewis goes.
BYRD
Is it just me, or does anyone else think that with Byrd's win over Holyfield on Saturday night that there is no way Roy Jones goes through with the second half of King's heavyweight tourney if he beats Ruiz on March 1st?
FINAL FLURRIES
I think that the exchange between Merchant and King at the end of the night was the best fight of the night on HBO... I get the sneaking suspicion that Holyfield will now be propped up as an opponent for Wlad Klitschko in the near future. Just my opinion... Are Joe Calzaghe and Ricky Hatton ever going to fight some 'live' opposition? It's time Frank Warren took the kid gloves off... HBO's February 15th show featuring Tim Austin could be heading to Caesers Palace in Las Vegas. Austin is scheduled to take on his IBF mandatory, the dangerous, hard-punching Rafael Marquez and on the undercard Ricardo Williams could be facing Juan Carlos Rubio.
For Questions or Comments
E-Mail Steve Kim at k9kim@maxboxing.com
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