12/21/24
June 18, 2003
Saturday brings us the best available Heavyweight Title fight. Ouch. Scuttlebutt is that the next fight after Lewis/Klitchko will be Lewis/Roy Jones Jr. Then what? Am I going to have to keep watching my Ali-Frazier archives over and over? Please! Somebody save boxing!
Best fight I've seen in a while has been Johnny Knoxville vs. Butterbean.
posted by Samsonov14 at 03:15 PM on June 18, 2003
Yes, boxing needs some desperate help. I think the sport needs to get back on primetime network television. I have such fond memories of watching Ali (and hearing Cosell) on television with my dad. This PPV and cable route is killing the sport. (Not to mention the fragmentation of boxing, Don King, and the lack of talent and charisma.)
posted by jacknose at 03:18 PM on June 18, 2003
I remember people swearing up and down that the Klitchko brothers were going to save the heavyweight division. One of them getting pummelled by a journeyman boxer sure does take that shine off real quick. What the heavyweight division needs is either 2 or 3 GOOD boxers that have earned the right to call themselves champ and keep facing each other every 6 months (like in the Ali/Frazier/Foreman days) , or one monster that romps through the division from the bottom up to claim the title (like Tyson).
posted by grum@work at 03:26 PM on June 18, 2003
You American types just want a yank as champ! There have been loads of articles on Hamed since his beating by Barerra, and most of them suggest he just doesn't fancy it anymore. Keep an eye out for Ricky Hatton, he is dynamite.
posted by Fat Buddha at 06:13 PM on June 18, 2003
I don't think I've ever seen a heavyweight title fight in my life. Never had cable growing up, and never want to pay for a fight now, none of them are intriguing enough.
posted by corpse at 11:32 AM on June 19, 2003
When's the next Summer Olympics, 2004? I remember growing up, it was the gold and silver medal winners in the Olympics that went on to be big stars in Boxing. I first saw Evander Holyfield, Pernell Whitaker, Oscar De La Hoya, Riddick Bowe, Mark Breland, Lennox Lewis all box in the Olympics. Maybe after the next games there will be some good fighters who can bring some credibility to the sport. I wish Fidel would let some Cuban fighters come to the States. Also corpse...what you got to do is get like ten friends. Big fights are events! Barbecue, potluck, BYOB, everybody kicks in $5 for the PPV and you get to watch three fights, and nowadays one of the undercard fights is always a chick fight. The Lewis/Tyson fight was so worth it. The three Bowe/Holyfield fights were all classics. It's only expensive if you can't share the cost.
posted by vito90 at 11:57 AM on June 19, 2003
Typically biased but well written report here, neither of these brave warriors can fight, apparently.
posted by Fat Buddha at 02:01 PM on June 22, 2003
seems like all the right stuff happened to be able to sell this fight again. what do people want to see now? Lewis-Klitschko II or Lewis-Roy Jones Jr? I think if Lewis goes to Jones then there will be the unanswered questions/unfinished business relating to Klitschko. Such as can Lewis beat him on points or a TKO rather than an unfortunate medial call? As much as Lewis can just point to the result saying that he won it sounds like the people have other thoughts and the best thing for him might be to answer those questions directly eg more fists to Klitschko's face. Is Lewis smarter to take his one last fight (assuming he's going to take only one more fight) with Klitschko and try and win that versus taking on Jones? Stuff I've been reading about the fight has been mentioning Lewis being rusty and slow. I don't think rusty and slow would help him much against Jones and the last thing he'd want to do is potentially lose his final match against the smaller guy.
posted by gspm at 04:26 AM on June 23, 2003
Lewis has a bit of a history of complacency, but equally he has a history of dealing severely with those who have embarrassed him. I reckon he will go for Klitchko again, train like a bastard and knock7 bells out of him. If he has any sense he will then retire.
posted by Fat Buddha at 07:15 AM on June 23, 2003
Buddha, thanks for the Boston link, that was a good synopsis. I think the next fight should be Roy Jones, because that is where the money is, and Jones has at least as much shot to beat Lewis as Klitchko does. After that Lewis should retire. I still think the most compelling fight out there would be Roy Jones v. Mike Tyson.
posted by vito90 at 08:05 AM on June 23, 2003
i hear the non heavyweight classes have some good matchups. save the heavyweights. no good rivalries, and reheated tyson & holyfield appearances. blah. better yet, bring back PRINCE NASEEM HAMID! I don't watch boxing at all, but i love that guy. (I realize he isn't fighting 'cause he neither needs to or care to so the one that would be responsible for bringing him back is himself).