By Armando Paz: As the sport of boxing evolved there was added a Cruiserweight Division for fighters who were either too big for Light Heavyweight or too small for Heavyweight. It was a logical decision as this closed a gap of 25 pounds where fighters had to fight either at 175 or 200. Historically, it was viewed nearly improbable that a fighter from Light Heavyweight can successfully defeat a natural Heavyweight. When the heavy handed puncher and Light Heavyweight champion Bob Foster tried his hands on the naturally bigger Muhammad Ali in 1972 it seemed a futile affair.
While Foster landed flush hooks and crosses at Ali’s face the amused Ali responded by eating the punches and doing mock wobble dances to pretend he was hurt, the fact was Ali took the best artillery and seemed impervious to being hurt by a Light Heavyweight. It was about a decade later that Michael Spinks would become the first successful Light Heavyweight to win the World Heavyweight title when he beat Larry Holmes in 1985.
The recent dominance of the Klitschko brothers raises the question if boxing should add an additional weight class for fighters who weight more than 240 pounds and classify it as Super Heavyweight? This might be the only way to get more entertaining and intriguing fights in the heavyweight division. Past fighters like Rocky Marciano and even Floyd Patterson would likely be fighting as Cruiserweights or Light Heavyweights in modern times. The fact is that Vitali Klitscho’s most competitive fights were against two big Heavyweights Lennox Lewis and Timo Hoffman. Lewis was 6 feet 5 and Hoffman was nearly 6 feet 8, Lewis severely cut Klitshcko’s eye; while Hoffman was the only contender that took Klitschko the distance until years later Kevin Johnson would accomplish the feat; by being on his bike and trying to survive. I don’t consider the win by Chris Byrd as competitive as Klitshcko retired due to injury. Currently, some boxing fans feel that only two young fighters Tyson Fury (10-0 8 KO’s) and Deontay Wilder (10-0 10 KO’s) can be future contenders simply since both are 6 feet 7 and have a long wingspan that can compete with both of the Klitshcko’s reach. Those two fighters are too much on the green side from being immediate contenders for the Heavyweight title.
David Haye is likely not going to fight Klitshcko’s soon and possibly Tomasz Adamek (41-1 27 KO’s) or Alexander Povetkin (19-0 14 KO’s) are the only viable contenders out there. Adamek the former Light Heavyweight and Cruiserweight champion wants to be the only fighter to be champion in the highest three weight divisions in the sport. Adamek has great footwork, steel chin, and a great jab but the question is still can his size withstand the power of the Klitshcko’s? I always felt David Tua (53-3-1 43 KO’s) had the power to be heavyweight champion but at 5 feet 10 the tall Klitschko’s would use their reach advantage and jab to keep the Tua power at bay like Lennox Lewis did nearly a decade ago.
The heavyweight division use to be the glamour division of the sport, but the lack of great drama with the Kiltschko fights certainly suggest that if there was an additional division it would make the size difference less of an issue. The fact is that the heavyweight division is increasingly being consolidated by bigger fighters. The list of recent towering champions include Riddick Bowe, Lennox Lewis, Frank Bruno, Nicolai Valuev, and the two Klitschko’s. Many fighters who are a little over 200 pounds stick to the Cruiser division where they fair better. Unless they have a sturdy chin as past Cruisers as Evander Holyfield; it’s unlikely they will take the risk against 6 Feet 7 Inch fighters who weigh an excess of 240 pounds.
Of course, some boxing fans see an additional division as unnecessary. They point to the fact that previous Goliaths of the sport have been physically dismantled by smaller heavyweights in the past. Jess Willard known as the “Pottawatomie Giant” who defeated Jack Johnson, would later be severely beaten by the much smaller Jack Dempsey in three brutal rounds. Of course, some will later say that Dempsey had loaded gloves and it explained why despite weighing 60 pounds less he inflicted such a beating. Others will point to how Joe Louis would defeat another heavyweight Giant Primo Carnera. Carnera often weight in excess of 260 pounds and at nearly 6 feet 6 he towered over most of his competition. The height, weight, and reach handicap didn’t prevent fighters as Max Baer and Joe Louis in knocking out Carnera with their great skill and power. As a result, many simply feel that the Klitschko’s dominance is more of an issue of lack of depth in the heavyweight division than simply a size issue in the division. The Klitschko’s are experts in their craft and use those advantages successfully. In addition, many feel with 17 divisions and four major sanctioning belts do we need an additional division with new champions?
I think in the future the sport will look if it is economically feasible to create a new division? A new division may water down the depleting heavyweight division by forcing the bigger heavyweights to move up a division. In reality, we may end up getting two divisions that are more depleted and less competitive. But if we continue getting mismatch fights with fighters giving up 6 inches in height, 10 inches in reach, and 30 pounds in weight than the public may mandate a new Super Heavyweight division. In the meantime, boxing fans can rejoice in the depth of the sport in the lower divisions. As boxing has now evolved from having the biggest stars in the lower divisions compared to the past where the Heavyweight champion reigned as the biggest attraction; the reigns of Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis, Muhammad Ali, and Mike Tyson most recently seem a distant past now. But don’t be surprised if in the future things become full circle again and the Heavyweight champion or possibly a new Super Heavyweight champion will be the biggest star attraction in the sport again.
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