Continued...

The puzzle only gets more jumbled as time goes on. King and Byrd gave up and called it quits. The split was reached amicably and Chris has now secured a rematch with Wladimir Klitschko in, of all places…you guessed it…Germany. To say that most were shocked upon hearing this news would be an understatement.

Most boxing fanatics have seen the first fight between Byrd and Wlad Klitschko which took place back in 2000, just six months after Byrd had stopped Wlad’s elder brother Vitali in Germany. While Byrd had put up a fairly competitive fight for the first four or five rounds, he was dropped in the ninth and eleventh rounds and decisively beaten. To say that Wlad out boxed Byrd is hard to believe, but it’s the truth. It was amazing that Byrd actually came out for the final round. It was truly a showing by both fighters, but the better man won and you have to question why Byrd would risk the title that he has so desperately clung to since 2002 by going to Germany again.

Quite often, when searching most boxing sites today, you will read the statement “the horrible state of the heavyweight division”. Actually, any article that is in regard to a heavyweight match since Lennox Lewis left the game is riddled with that phrase. I’ve been guilty of using the very phrase myself, but are the heavyweights really that bad? Apparently so if we are actually seeing this bout materialize. Three or four years ago, the idea of a rematch between Byrd and the younger Klitschko brother was laughable. After being so clearly overmatched one would have to wonder once again…why Byrd would risk the title that he so desperately holds and why take a chance at another beating of the first battle’s magnitude?

And will the fans care about this fight? Does Wlad Klitschko deserve another run at the title after getting destroyed by journeyman and semipro golfer Corrie Sanders? Not to mention blowing his shot at the WBA International title with an embarrassing knockout loss to Lamon Brewster. Of late the prospects of the once future but twice removed heir to Lewis’s throne have been rather bleak and the skepticism surrounding his place in the division seem to be clouding every move that the former WBO Champion makes.

One would have to think that the statement “the horrible state of the heavyweight division” just garnered some merit off of this bout, but then again, things are not as cut and dry as they always seem. The winner of Byrd - W. Klitschko 2 is surely going to be on track to face WBC Champion Hasim Rahman, thus unifying two of the major alphabet belts and bringing more clarity to the division.

A showdown with James Toney is also most likely around the corner and that very well could be the shot in the arm that the division rightfully needs. Fans are clamoring to see Toney match his counterpunching skills against Wladimir, if only to see if the former middleweight can take the Ukrainian’s “steelhammer” power punches. On the flip side of that coin, many are also holding their breath for a thinking man’s fight…the battle of the two little big men from Michigan, Byrd vs. Toney.

With this sixth defense of his IBF heavyweight title, it’s quite possible that Chris Byrd is staring the opportunity of a lifetime right in the face. Byrd has everything to gain and everything to lose, just as Wladimir Klitschko does. Then again, Chris Byrd may see something in Wlad that a few others do as well. Is it such an impossibility that Byrd might win? It’s highly likely that Byrd believes Wlad is not the same man that he used to be and defeating the younger of the two Klitschko brothers is more a reality than a dream.

If Byrd were to defeat Wladimir in Germany, one could argue that the skies are the limit for the rapid firing Michigan Southpaw. Then again, maybe Byrd is so disenchanted with boxing that he sees this as his last chance to make that big payday, one that he will make nowhere else. The worst case scenario is that Byrd loses his title and makes a cool million or two in the meantime. It’s not hard to see that the loser of this fight will drift off into a sea of heavyweight obscurity.

One thing is for sure…all questions will be answered on April 22, 2006 in the ring of the SAP Arena, of Mannheim, Germany. May the best man win.

Sorry that was so long peeps...let's discuss.