I know no one cares about boxing...

[GonzoStyle]

This past saturday there was a horrible PPV set up by Don King to showcase his title holders. King owns two of the three heavyweight "champions". So he set up a night of heavyweights with both "champs" fighting and 2 other heavyweight bouts. The fights were horrible, it was even comical and sad. Sad was the opening fight with Evander Holyfield at 42 years old losing a shut out to a guy who isnt even ranked by anyone and is also in his 40's. Holyfield got beat up and beat often. In his last 9 fights holyfield has won only 2. One win was against John Ruiz which was very close, the other was a technical win over Rahman after a headbutt, Rahmans head grew another head.

People have been begging Holyfield to retire for years now, he's obviously slurring his speech now, and is just not as sharp as he used to be,it's really sad especially someone who did so much for the sport and who had such an amazing career.

Holyfield said he would continue to fight and finally after years of begging the NYS athelitc commision is making the decision for him and has barred him from boxing in NY and every other commision in the states has said they would honor NY's decision and also bar Holyfield from getting a license in any state.

Ofcourse he can go overseas and fight but maybe this will convince him to finally just retire. Ofcourse he said he will find a way to continue even after this, it's just pathetic and sad to have seen a legend fall like that and not wanna give up.

[IrishAlkey]

I watched this.

It sucked.

Ruiz is a dreadful bore.

[Gooch]

they are replaying it on Sat night....on HBO. Also on Sat eve, though I will miss it...the REMATCH of Winky Wright vs. Sugar Shane Mosely

[GonzoStyle]

I watched this.

It sucked.

Ruiz is a dreadful bore.

I don't understand how he won the fight, Golota is no better but I never want to see Ruiz fight, ever again. How this talentless hack, ever got a title again after getting embarassed by Jones only further explains why Boxing has fallen as far as it has.

Also how much of a hold King has over the sanctioning bodies. Plus all that bullshit of unification bouts is pointless to me to be honest. The 3 belts even when combined and one man is crowned like Lennox Lewis was when he beat Holyfield, never lasts. Because eventually somehow the belts get stripped from their rightful owner. Either they come up with some technicality like "super champion" or they make them fight mandatory fights which they refuse cause its either embarassing, or they wanna fight someone better and they get stripped.

Perfect example is the upcoming fight between Antonio Tarver and Glen Johnson. These are the two men who knocked out Roy Jones this year, Tarver earlier this year and Johnson last month.

Both men had a belt, they could have unified the belts and it is also the best possible fight at light heavyweight. YET the two sanctioning bodies that each man represents in their infinite glory said that both men had to fight mandatory challangers which are not only not the best fighters, or the fight the fans want to see. It's not the best fight, so ofcourse both men were stripped of their titles and now this fight is for no title, that makes sense right?

Thats the equivalent of have the red sox play st louis for the world series but MLB says that st louis has to play tampa bay or they can play the sox but the winner doesnt get the series trophy.

It's so disgusting, confusing, corrupt, and ridiculous that it's amazing it's any wonder why boxings viewership has been so shaky over the years. Especially since the heavyweight division has been so devoid of talent for years.

[GonzoStyle]

they are replaying it on Sat night....on HBO. Also on Sat eve, though I will miss it...the REMATCH of Winky Wright vs. Sugar Shane Mosely

All the fights sucked, rahmans fight was ok but who was he facing? no one. We all knew Rahman was good but he's rarely good when it counts, except one off night when he got to Lewis.

Chris Byrd is probably the most talented of the 3 champions and that speaks volumes.

Ike Ibeabuchi was supposed to be the second coming, the power of tyson with the style of frazier. One of the most amazing fights with David Tua, still the record holder for most punches in a heavyweight fight. Then the destruction of Chris Byrd when he nearly decapitated him when he ko'ed byrd in the 5th round. Ibeabuchi was a beast and unfortunatly he simply went insane and has been locked away in a prison for almost 5 years now, basically hidden from everyone. He was not yet 30 when he koed Byrd and was 20 wins with no losses and the Byrd fight was his last. So fuckin sad.

But theres actually a bunch of fights coming up over the next few weeks.

This is from a list I keep for myself.

Winky Wright Vs. Shane Mosley
(WBC & WBA Jr. Middleweight Titles)
11/20/2004 HBO

Erik Morales Vs. Marco A. Barrera
(WBC and IBF Jr. Lightweight belts)
11/27/2004 HBO PPV

Jose Luis Castillo Vs. Joel Casamayor
(WBC Lightweight Title)
Jeff Lacy Vs. Omar Sheika
(IBF Super Middlweight Title)
12/04/04 Showtime Championship Boxing

Jermain Taylor Vs. William Joppy
12/04/2004 HBO Boxing After Dark

Michael Moorer Vs. Vassiliy Jirov
12/09/04 Fox Sports Net

Vitali Klitschko Vs. Danny Williams
(WBC Heavyweight Title/Ring Magazine Title)
12/11/04 HBO PPV

Antonio Tarver Vs. Glen Johnson
(Ring Magazine Lt. Hvyweight Title)
12/18/2004 HBO Boxing After Dark

[Gooch]

Dude...thanks so much for that list. you should have your own show.

i'm looking forward to the Tarver fight. Jirov will beat Moorer. Klitschko will beat Williams.

[Danked]

I know no one cares about boxing...

Well, with that attitude, why should I?

Jerkface.

[GonzoStyle]

Dude...thanks so much for that list. you should have your own show.

i'm looking forward to the Tarver fight. Jirov will beat Moorer. Klitschko will beat Williams.

Yeah I keep a list for myself just as a reminder.

As far as Klitschko goes, he's among the best available and thats speaking volumes of whats available. It's basically Klitschko and Byrd as the only legit people available. I have no clue where the fuck David Tua disappeared to. Rahman is very iffy. Danny Williams in all honesty did what no one else ever did even lennox. He stood toe to toe with Tyson and took all his punches and then KO'ed him, he didnt tie him up or run he fought him center of the ring. Sure it's over the hill tyson... waaaay over the hill but still, the punch is the last thing to go. But from what I have heard about williams he honestly sounds like a Buster Douglas, he's very emotional in and out of the ring and has always been questioned as far as his determination. Ofcourse Klitschko is not Holyfield of 1992.

My point is Klitschko is a textbook european styled fighter, he is very straight up, very straight forward, not much head or body movement and very stiff. He's ready made to be beaten by someone who could stand up to his power and trade with him, lennox didnt have it anymore or didnt care anymore. Williams has the chance after what he did to Mike and took from Mike.

The Tarver fight is just a disgrace, instead of it being a unification bout of two champs with one dominant champ being decided, they get stripped of their titles cause they wanna put on the best fight available. Though as a consolation the winner will be given the Ring Magazine title which is starting to gain momentum from other fighters like Hopkins who are starting to hold it in a higher regard than the other belts cause the Ring criteria make sense and its one belt. Ring is trying to take down the commisions but with the money involved and the corruption, its an uphill battle.

[diceisgod]

I'm on the Tito bandwagon after that last fight. He's the man.

[GonzoStyle]

Trinidad has been the man for a decade, up until the Hopkins fight he was one of the most destructive fighters ever. He not only beat people, he ruined them mentally. Look what he did to Vargas, vargas has not been the same and never will be. The most graphic and tragic was David Reid, he completely ruined his career.

But he's not a heavyweight, the middle and lower weight classes are now dominant, thats where all the action is from 160 and down is where the meat of the talent is.

I still gotta back Hopkins against Trinidad though.