Searching for Mike Tyson: Shining a Light on the Heavyweight Debacle
Sam Rossi - 6/1/2005
A few decades ago, a gold-toothed kid with a funny voice blasted onto the boxing scene and single-handedly saved the Heavyweight division. Almost effortlessly, the 20 year old Catskills native snatched up each of the Heavyweight belts to concoct an alphabet soup of his own. He was unbeatable, unstable, feared, and a breath of fresh air for a once prestigious division. Of course, I am speaking of "Iron" Mike Tyson. Fifteen years passed his prime; he remains the most recognized face in the world of boxing. While the jury is still out on what his ultimate legacy shall be his impact on the sport is still felt today. By annihilating alphabet champs such as Trevor Berbick, Tony Tucker, Pinklon Thomas, and James "Bonecrusher" Smith, Tyson brought order to a division in shambles.
Today, we find the Heavyweight division in a similar state of despair. Four champions, few formidable contenders, and no real attempt at unification. Looking at RING Magazine's Top Ten Heavies, one can see that six of the men listed have held at least a piece of the title within the past 5 years. These fighters include current titlists such as Vitali Klitschko, John Ruiz, Chris Byrd, and Lamon Brewster, as well as former title holder Hasim Rahman and abbreviated champ James Toney. So who really is the World Champion?
Without a doubt, Vitali Klitschko should be universally recognized as the Heavyweight Champion of the World. Not only does the elder Klitschko hold the RING Magazine distinction, but also the WBC title, which he won by beating Corrie Sanders last year after the belt was vacated upon Lennox Lewis' retirement.
But it's not that easy.
Instead, supporters of Chris Byrd claim that he is the true champion having held the IBF belt since 2002, while Norman Stone continues to bark up a case supporting John Ruiz's claim as world's champ. Further complicating matters is the enigma known as Don King who is currently promoting a fight between Hasim Rahman and Monte Barrett for the Interim WBC Championship while Klitschko recuperates from back surgery. I won't even try to make sense of the ever-feuding governing councils or how anybody can honestly say Lamon Brewster should be recognized as a legitimate World Champion.
In a perfect world, the following would solve the Heavyweight Dilemma…
Forget the unmarketable Rahman-Barrett bout, and place Byrd and Ruiz in the ring together. Whoever comes out on top fights Klitschko in the most meaningful Heavyweight fight since Lewis-Tyson. From there, the undisputed champion would have his pick between top contenders such as Rahman, Toney, Barrett, and Brewster. Finally, the Heavyweight title would regain its value, and hopefully its prestige.
. . . but this will never occur.
Rather, we are left praying for a miracle - that Mike Tyson will experience a rebirth, a resurrection. That the most marketable fighter in the sport will find his desire to win, and rejuvenate the division once again. I know the odds of this happening are unlikely, but we must remember one important thing. Mike Tyson - no matter how old he has gotten, no matter how many mistakes he has made in his most recent fights - always appears to be one thunderous punch away from regaining his moniker as "the baddest man on the planet."
To say that Iron Mike can save the heavyweight division seems audacious. There is no way he will ever return to being the bruiser that he once was. But hopefully he has enough gas in the tank to get people interested again. A successful string of Tyson fights against formidable foes would spark curiosity in the minds of the casual fight fans. Then, maybe the Klitschkos and Byrds and Samuel Peters will have the opportunity to once again shine a spotlight on boxing's most prestigious division.
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