Boxing is on life support
Feb 08, 2004
JAMES BAKAMA<br><b>I Say So</b><br><br>Lennox Lewis might have failed to match legends like Joe Louis and Muhammad Ali in many ways, but his decision to quit the ring has dealt the Sweet Science yet another blow.
JAMES BAKAMA
I Say So
Lennox Lewis might have failed to match legends like Joe Louis and Muhammad Ali in many ways, but his decision to quit the ring has dealt the Sweet Science yet another blow.
Just like when the focus shifted from the heavyweight to the middles when Ali called it quits, Lewis’ departure has left the already shaky top division further depleted.
Fight pundit Ben Dirs aptly describes the post-Lennox Lewis landscape as a desolate one, littered with one-time prospects and raiders from lower weights.
This spells doom in a sport where the heavyweight largely dictates trends.
It is in the heavyweight division that the sport generates the bulk of its revenue, and being world champion in this category eclipses those with titles in lighter weights in terms of prestige and attention.
But the fact that veterans like Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and Lewis have commanded the heavyweight spotlight well into their late thirties , says a lot about the state of the sport.
It is this lack of quality heavyweights that has prompted middleweights like Roy Jones and James Toney to hastily add some kilos and take advantage of the easily accessible easy heavyweight pie.
So, who are some of the heavyweights who have failed to exude the class required of the top division?
Vitali Klitschko is one of them. Klitschko, who to some was seen as the great ‘white hope’, gave Lewis a scare. He was ahead on points before being stopped after a cut.
You are easily duped into believing Klitschko is the new star until you are awakened to the fact that at the time of his fight with the 250-pound Lewis, the Briton was clearly not at his best.
Vitali’s brother Vladmir, a WBA top contender, David Tua and Hasim Rahman are some of the other fighters charged with the seemingly impossible task of making up for Lewis’ absence.
Imagine where the attention would be if a Klitschko v Tua fight were to be staged concurrently with one between Shane Mosley v Oscar De La Hoya.
So, if the heavyweight is the best test of the health of boxing, isn’t it right to say that the sport is on life support?
jbakama@newvision.co.ug
I Say So
Lennox Lewis might have failed to match legends like Joe Louis and Muhammad Ali in many ways, but his decision to quit the ring has dealt the Sweet Science yet another blow.
Just like when the focus shifted from the heavyweight to the middles when Ali called it quits, Lewis’ departure has left the already shaky top division further depleted.
Fight pundit Ben Dirs aptly describes the post-Lennox Lewis landscape as a desolate one, littered with one-time prospects and raiders from lower weights.
This spells doom in a sport where the heavyweight largely dictates trends.
It is in the heavyweight division that the sport generates the bulk of its revenue, and being world champion in this category eclipses those with titles in lighter weights in terms of prestige and attention.
But the fact that veterans like Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and Lewis have commanded the heavyweight spotlight well into their late thirties , says a lot about the state of the sport.
It is this lack of quality heavyweights that has prompted middleweights like Roy Jones and James Toney to hastily add some kilos and take advantage of the easily accessible easy heavyweight pie.
So, who are some of the heavyweights who have failed to exude the class required of the top division?
Vitali Klitschko is one of them. Klitschko, who to some was seen as the great ‘white hope’, gave Lewis a scare. He was ahead on points before being stopped after a cut.
You are easily duped into believing Klitschko is the new star until you are awakened to the fact that at the time of his fight with the 250-pound Lewis, the Briton was clearly not at his best.
Vitali’s brother Vladmir, a WBA top contender, David Tua and Hasim Rahman are some of the other fighters charged with the seemingly impossible task of making up for Lewis’ absence.
Imagine where the attention would be if a Klitschko v Tua fight were to be staged concurrently with one between Shane Mosley v Oscar De La Hoya.
So, if the heavyweight is the best test of the health of boxing, isn’t it right to say that the sport is on life support?
jbakama@newvision.co.ug