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From SeeingBlack.com Sports/Gaming
You might wonder what’s my point? My question is, what happened to the American and, in particular, the African American presence that use to dominate the heavyweight boxing division? Are we out of the loop? Have we missed a step? Are we punch drunk? Where are the up and coming Alis, Fraziers Tysons, Foremans and Holyfields (younger version please…more on him later) of the world? Do you mean to tell me that the Soviet Bloc Crew has taken over the most prized and coveted boxing division? I would have to say emphatically yes! We are currently at the heavy-wait and see stage when it comes to the heavyweight division. This America disappearing act appears to be a common phenomenon in these. Basketball, baseball, golf, tennis and track, all once dominated by the US of A, are now taking a back seat to the rest of the world. I’m still trying to figure out the basketball thing but that’s another discussion. Throughout the recent history of heavyweight boxing there has been an African-American holding one these coveted championship belts but currently we’ve reached a code orange stage and possibly code red if someone doesn’t step up and challenge the former Iron Curtain. Instead of reading like a Who’s Who, the list of brothers in this division reads more like list of Who’s Not when it comes to name recognition. So here goes it, you tell me if you’re familiar with these household names: Shannon Briggs, James Toney, Lamon Brewster, Hasim Rahman, Chris Byrd, Calvin Brock and believe or not Evander Holyfield. Whoa! I’m afraid of them just like those comrades that hold all the significant championship belts. I know… I know Shannon Briggs holds the insignificant, I mean somewhat significant, WBO belt and won with a TKO on Nov. 4 against another Vodkaville compatriot, Sergio Liakhovich. The fight was so bad it should have been TKO’ed. Here’s how the rest of our other American hopefuls has stacked up against their Eastern Bloc counterparts. I’ll try not to confuse you. Chris Byrd flew a little too low and lost to Wladimir Klitschko by way of TKO in the seventh round. Hasim Rahman was almost knocked out of the ring in the 12th round by Oleg Maskaev after talking so much smack prior to the fight. Calvin Brock, alias the “Boxing Banker,” looked more like the Pillsbury Dough Boy when he took off his robe. He was knocked out and crashed to the canvas like a big bag of one dollar bills in the seventh round with his fight against Wladimir Klitschko. Lamon Brewster had some success when he knocked out Klitschko to take the WBO title but lost it earlier this year to Sergio Liakhovich. Is it me or do we see a very distinctive pattern developing here? The rest of the bunch is just plain bad including Two Grumpy Old Men, James Toney at 38 and Evander—Give it up my brother, please—Holyfield at 44. The both of them need to step awaaay from the boxing ring. From what I can see and, I could be wrong, but the home team appears to be down for the count. Without a Black up-and-coming heavyweight boxer waiting in the wings, it gives a whole new meaning to “The Great White Hope.” Maybe that should be changed to “The Great Black Hope”. And that’s my point of view…. © Copyright by SeeingBlack.com |
