What Happened To The Heavies?

Pick a decade and most people can name the heavyweight champion from that era, at least most boxing fans can. Even non fans and the casual observer could name the heavyweight champion. This is the most prestigious title in all of sports. This is not something just the fans of the sport are expected to know… this is the heavyweight championship of the world, man! There is nothing that matters more!

Throughout history we have had great, and I repeat great, not just good fighters to hold that crown. There was John L Sullivan, the “Boston strong man”, “Gentleman” Jim Corbett, Jack Johnson, Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis, Ezzard Charles, “The Rock” Rocky Marciano, Floyd Patterson, Sonny Liston and there are a few fighters in there that were not so great but still within every ten year period there has always been a champion who was beyond good, or a rising contender, who resurrected the title.

The 1970’s had Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Ken Norton and also Larry Holmes, who fought well into the 80’s. In the 80’s we had Michael Spinks and maybe the most feared fighter to ever hold the title, Mike Tyson. In the 90’s we had Evander Holyfield,, who was always a fighting champion. Then Lennox Lewis who may have been the best heavyweight since Larry Holmes.

Then there is today. November 2005. Not that I’m trying to say that we don’t have some decent fighters, but no there are greats. And no promising greats. No one who even causes a buzz and with so many titles out now, there is even less excitement for the champion.

We have the WBC,IBF,WBA,WBO,IBU,IBO and not to mention linear titles…Kind of takes away from the prestige of the belt a little, no?. Vitali Klitschko may be the best of the bunch right now and don’t get me wrong, he is a good fighter and is a nice guy, but he isn’t great.
Today he announced his retirement following knee surgery and if that holds, the division will suffer even more.

Mention Vitali’s name and many casual fans will say “Now which one of the brothers is that again?” Chris Byrd? Well, Chris is crafty but any other time in the history of the division he isn’t even in the top five, maybe not even the top ten with the exception of maybe the middle 1980’s. Plus, his fights are so boring many prefer infommercials.

John Ruiz? Well, I wont comment on that because I’m one of his biggest detractors and I’ll just go off on a tangent. Samuel Peter lost some of his charisma as a prospect with his loss to Wladimir Klitschko. Jameel McCline is a “Big Time” disappointment. It’s sad when the best fighter, as far as skills are concerned, in the division is a former super middleweight; James Toney. Not to take anything away from James but he is not a genuine heavyweight.

These big men used to be what boxing was all about, not that other divisions are any less exciting or any less important. My favorite fighter of all time, Thomas Hearns, was a welterweight and middleweight but that doesn’t matter, the heavyweights are what always counted most. I just don’t know what happened. Are they not getting paid as well? Is there a dry spell of big men in the world? Has the fitness craze become so widespread that everyone with talent worth the millions they are being paid to refuse to exceed 200 lbs? I wish someone would let me know.

Ask your average housewife in 1986 who the heavyweight champion of the world was and I bet that seventy five percent would have said Mike Tyson. Who didn’t know who Lennox Lewis or Evander Holyfield was? Ali was and is an Icon. Even to this day, most people know who Marciano and Louis were. Ask the average fan even the serious fan of boxing to name the heavyweight top ten; I’d wager ten dollars to donuts that the majority can’t. But I bet they can name the top ten in the 140 to 160 lb divisions and with relative ease.

I don’t know what has happened to the big men of the sport, though I wish I did. I feel for the guys in the division who are worth the time to watch but due to the lackluster talent that surrounds them, go unnoticed because the division is starting to go unnoticed.

I promise nobody is paying $49.95 to watch Klitschko – Byrd or Byrd – Brewster. I’m sure no one will watch Ruiz – Byrd, even if you offered them $49.95. ( okay I’m sorry, I should be fair and unbiased but I can’t help myself when it comes to Ruiz). I just hope that another great comes along soon and revives the division.

The heavies have been the staple of boxing for as long as boxing has been around. There is nothing more exciting than watching two big men battle it out for supremacy as long as the two big men fighting have something worth fighting for. Right now the heavyweight world title doesn’t mean much to anyone except the guy who is holding it.