The Heavyweight State of Affairs

By Ivan Ivanov - 08/04/2013 - Comments

By Ivan Ivanov: The heavyweight division today is almost riding into the sunset as far as casual fan interest and mainstream media coverage is concerned. The Klitshkos were dropped from the pay-per-view circuits and even if the move was justified, no one has filled the void. I am not complaining, we get to see heavyweight championship fights for free in real time.

Most of the respected boxing analysts have lamented over the years that the heavy weight division is weak and soft and choke with emotion over the memories of Ali, Frazier, Foreman and the “golden era” of heavyweight boxing. Foreman came back later and they did not seem to notice. Whether they are nostalgic about the sport or about their own youth, I beg to differ.

The heavyweights today are bigger and stronger than ever and most have modern styles and updated technique. There seems to be a whole new division above heavyweight and the 200 lbs limit may have to be revised at some point. As far as the fighting spirit is concerned, the old-timers have the upper hand and the older generation has a point there.

Boxing is not just a sport; it’s a sport-based show business. The Klitschkos are treating boxing purely as a sport, they have a scientific approach to their game and won’t be distracted with any sort of “nonsense” that fascinates the casual fan. They are so clean-cut and well-behaved that they have never been in a scandal, there is no drama or controversy that entertains the public between fights.

Can you imagine for example Mike Tyson being slapped or spat on live on TV? The German market requires the Klitschkos to come across as firm but fair, brave but reasonable, honest and hard-working. Their persona tells a story that can put you sleep.

The so called “golden era” consisted of Ali, Frazier and Foreman who are famous for mainly fighting each other. There were other fine pugilists at the time but the hype put these three on top. One big problem in that era was the iron curtain that kept the USSR, the Eastern bloc and Cuba out of the picture. Teofilo Stevenson would have been an era of his own; I rank him as the best heavyweight and perhaps the best boxer of all time. He wasn’t invincible even in his hay day; there was a Russian boxer no one has heard of by the name of Igor Vysotsky who beat him twice, the second time by KO. The same Vysotsky who beat up Ali in an exhibition match (it’s on You Tube), and Igor became a champion of the USSR only once in his career, the competition was that fierce. I guess they had a golden era of their own.

Mike Tyson was the last heavyweight to ignite the fans because he gave them all the drama and excitement they wanted. He wasn’t exactly championship material as he lost all of his big fights, but I always rooted for him and still would today. Fans would love a “Rocky” who wins a bloody war and who hates the jab but loves to take two punches in order to land one of his own.

The problem with real life “Rockies” is they could have slurred speech at 30 and no memory of where they money went. The Klitschkos are the opposite of a “Rocky” but they would put Rocky in the hospital anyway. They would have put Mike Tyson in the hospital if you ask me. The problem is US TV doesn’t want to show them do it because they don’t believe the viewers would. If the Klitschkos were American however, they would have been hyped up to legendary status already, the Great White Hope in double issue and so on.

Professional boxing today depends on the Latino fans and Mexicans in the first place. They are the most loyal and passionate fans who spend money on boxing. If they can come up with a Mexican heavyweight star (better than Arreola), a king-size Canelo, the glamor division will be saved.



Comments are closed.