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On Saturday Showtime launches an unprecedented boxing experiment in a division that has been out of synch with American boxers and interests until now. The super middleweight division has never had a unified champion, and is so full of talent that this tourney will not be able to crown one either. The closest anyone came is when Joe Calzaghe held all but the IBF title (which he had won, but shock of all shocks was stripped of). Calzaghe is also the best boxer to ever reign over the 168 pound weight class, tied with Sven Ottke for consecutive title defenses at 21. As a whole the division is one of the most exciting in boxing, it is also one of the few that has the combination of depth and intriguing personalities to pull off a ‘Super-six’ type of round-robin tourney.
The super middleweight division was established in 1984, by the IBF (whose president Bob Lee was later jailed for racketeering after an FBI sting) as way for the new sanctioning body to make more money. The WBA followed suit in 1987, ironically IBF champion Chong-Pal Park gave up his IBF bauble to fight for the WBA version, and the WBC got into the mix in 1988. However, to be fair, it’s the one extra weight class outside of cruiserweight, and the original eight, for whose existence a valid argument can be made. Consider it one of the few times that greed has worked in boxing’s favor, since the weight class was legitimately needed given the 15 pound gap between middleweight and light-heavyweight. It remains one of the few divisions in which American’s have not enjoyed an historical domination. Especially over the last two decades, where only Roy Jones and James Toney have managed to make significant impact.
Statistically it amazing how dominant non-Americans (more specifically, Europeans) have been at 168 pounds, and the only explanation I can come up with is that the median weight for European’s is 168 pounds. For more strangeness, you only have to look to the second super middleweight champion, who hailed from Korea. It is an oddity to see quality boxers from Asia above the lightweight limit, but one of the best 168 pounders of all-time was Korean Chong-Pal Park. Want more international flavor? The first champion the weight class produced was Canadian Murray Sutherland, and eight American challengers were defeated before Thomas Hearns won the vacant WBO version of the title in 1988. Of the ten super middleweight champion with the most title defenses only two are Americans., Frankie Liles with seven and Roy Jones with five, and Roy Jones could be pushed from the list by the end of the super-six tourney.
The divide between 160 and 175 was too large to ignore, unlike some of the other junior divisions where only three or four pounds separate them. This assured that the division would not become a resting place for obese middleweights, or bulimic light heavies. It quickly became apparent that quality fights were to be had at the weight, with Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn engaging in two bloody battles. More recently Carl Froch’s last second come from behind victory over Jermain Taylor had many recalling the Julio Cesar Chavez – Meldrick Taylor classic for comparative purposes. Sven Ottke did the same to Anthony Mundine, scoring a rare one punch kayo to pull out a fight he was losing on the scorecards. Tragedy can be found as well, with talented brawlers Gerald McClellan and Michael Watson suffering permanent brain damage in all out wars with Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank. Given the relative youth of the division, it has delivered beguiling story lines.
It is hard to argue against elevating future Hall of Famer Joe Calzaghe to the top of the list when placing all 168 pounders in an historical context. The Welshman made 21 defenses of his titles, holding all four alphabet belts at one time or another, and lorded over challengers for nine uninterrupted years. At the same time Calzaghe was making his run of title defenses, German Sven Ottke was matching Calzaghe (also making 21 title defenses) fight for fight across the English Channel. However, Calzaghe’s level of opposition was better, and Calzaghe was not awarded as many controversial decisions as Ottke. Calzaghe was never in a close fight when a bout went to the scorecards, with only Robin Reid given the benefit of a winning scorecard (roundly criticized by all who witnessed it) over Calzaghe. Otherwise, only David Starie and Mikkel Kessler came within three points of the Welsh wizard. If there is a bad thing to be said of the division, it is that the arguably best two fighters (who competed at the same time period) never faced one another.
Some, mostly Americans, believe that Roy Jones despite losing to Joe Calzaghe at 175 pounds is the best to ever put on a pair of gloves at 168 pounds. The argument is that that his two years as IBF champion contained a Jones who was at his physical peak. Also in Jones favor is that he won the title by soundly defeating an equally respected James Toney. However, title defenses over the likes of Vinny Pazienza, Antoine Byrd, Eric Lucas, and Bryant Brannon are not the stuff of legend. A refusal to travel to or engage European challengers, where much of the talent resided, also hurts Jones standing. Toney will also get some votes, but the loss to Jones was so complete it makes the opinion hard to defend on merit or logic. American’s Michael Nunn and Frankie Liles had good title runs, but never captured the imaginations of fans or television executive on either side of the Atlantic.
Perhaps the most unique super middleweight champion was Korean Chong-Pal Park, who is one of only two Asian boxers (the other is fellow super middleweight champion In-Chul Baek) to ever hold a world title above middleweight. He was the first dominant champion at the new weight. A good boxer/puncher Park could mix it up if he had to, but preferred to box from the outside whenever given the opportunity. Made eight defenses of the IBF title, and then dropped the title in order to fight for and capture the WBA belt. Park defended the WBA title once before hard hitting Venezuelan Fulgencio Obelmejias took his title by decision. One of the few Koreans to venture to America, for a fight with Vinnie Curto in Los Angles, and escape with the title around his waist. Since Park and Baek, who lost their titles in 1988 and 1990, no Asian boxer has competed for a title at 168 pounds.
The super middleweight title has always had an international flair when it comes to the venues and countries that have hosted it. The first title fight took place in Atlantic City, and promptly moved to a more unusual local when Seoul hosted the second title bout. From those two diverse points it traveled to places like Dusseldorf, Pusan, Berlin, Las Vegas, Lyon, Seattle, Monte Carlo, Madrid, Paris, Glasgow, London, Mexico City, Memphis, Belfast, Sun City, Quito, Dublin, Bayamon, Montreal, Milan, and Philadelphia. An international itinerary that few weight classes can contend with, and the scope of title challengers range from a perennially talent rich America to traditional boxing backwaters like Sweden, Togo, and Paraguay. From the exotic to the mundane, the super middleweights have provided it all.
Currently the super middleweights are as an international a bunch as ever. Five Europeans, three Americans, one Mexican and an African fighting out of Australia make up The Ring magazines top ten poll. The weight class is so deep that the super-six could easily be expanded to a super-eight, with the addition of IBF champion Lucien Bute and Librado Andrade(who fight each other next), without the quality of the talent pool diminishing. I’m not sure if the IBF’s recent history of stripping champions for not fighting their top rated challengers played into their absence, but it certainly could not have helped matters. At the end of the tourney whoever holds the IBF belt should be a legitimate challenger. But make no mistake, that is what they will be seen as…., a challenger to a new King that the super-six tourney crowns.
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