By John Hively
The heavyweight division is in sad shape nowadays, especially when compared to other eras, or so we have been told repeatedly ever since Lennox Lewis retired a few years back. But every decade or so, fight fans have heard the same thing, more or less.
In 1940, Nat Fleischer, writing in the June issue of the Ring magazine, said of the heavyweight division, “That the field of championship contenders is the weakest in the last fifty years.” But Nat was wrong. Joe Louis, one of the all-time greats, reigned supreme as heavyweight king. Louis had several solid contenders listed in the June edition of Ring magazine: Lou Nova, Bob Pastor, Tony Galento, Arturo Godoy, Nathan Mann, Red Burman, Roscoe Toles and Buddy Walker. Max Baer, Billy Conn, Buddy Baer, Abe Simon and several other solid fighters hovered just outside the top ten, and soon some of them dropped into the party.
Decades later, Fleischer called Max Baer’s right hand one of the best of all time, and he wrote the same of Galento’s left hook. Hmmm, this was a weak crop of heavyweights? The problem was that Louis had already flattened several of them, making them look somewhat soft, mushy and over-ripe in the process.
None of this is to suggest that the contenders of 1940 were the best lot of all time, but there have been several periods in history when the depth of the division was considerably lower.
A weak period came when James Jeffries was the monarch of all that he surveyed from 1899 to 1905. Jeff clobbered several contenders, but few younger fighters developed the skills necessary to take the place of his victims. From 1903 to 1906, there wasn’t much depth to brag about among the heavyweights. Jack Johnson was a formidable force during these years, but aside from him, there really wasn’t much going on in the division. Shortly after Marvin Hart defeated Johnson in 1905, Jeffries retired citing a lack of opposition, and he wasn’t kidding. Such future formidable contenders as Sam McVey and Joe Jeanette were just young prospects during most of these years. Future contender Sam Langford was roughly a junior welterweight in 1905.
After Jeffries retired, Marvin Hart defeated Jack Root for the vacant title. Root had been the first light heavyweight champion for three months during 1903 before losing it to George Gardner. After losing the title, he defeated the young Jim Flynn, as well as Gardner in a rematch. No title was on the line since George also only held the title for a few months before losing it to the aged Bob Fitzsimmons. Before fighting Hart for the vacant title, Root’s post-light heavyweight championship record was two wins by decision, three draws, and a no-decision with Tommy Ryan, the middleweight champion. Root’s credentials to fight for the title were obviously slim. Hart’s claim to fame was that he had received a debated decision over Johnson and earned a draw with the aging contender Gus Ruhlin.
The heavyweights of this era were very weak compared to just about any other period. Following a loss to middleweight contender Jack Twin Sullivan, the unknown Tommy Burns stepped out of the middleweight class in 1906 and claimed the heavyweight title by beating Hart senseless over twenty rounds. Aside from Johnson, Burn’s other top contender was the new light heavyweight champion, 160 pound Jack O’Brien, and he was a very small heavyweight contender even for his day. Think about it; just a few years later in 1909, the middleweight champion, Stanley Ketchel, knocked O’Brien out cold, not once, but twice, although in their first bout he lay unconscious on the canvas and was only saved from suffering a knockout by the clanging of the final bell.
The period 1978-1981 was another weak era. The old guard (Ali, Frazier, Foreman, Norton, Shaver, Quarry, Lyle and several others) was faded or retired during these years, and quality contenders such as Greg Page, Michael Dokes, Pinklon Thomas and Randall Cobb were still prospects. The division was so weak that an eight fight pro named Leon Spinks was able to take the title away from Muhammad Ali without ever having beaten a top ten heavyweight. Likewise, the weakness of the division allowed Gerry Cooney, no more than another prospect at the time, to become the number one contender without ever having beaten a top ten heavyweight.
Like the list of contenders of 1940, the heavyweights of today are a pretty good crop compared to some other eras. It doesn’t look like we have one of the all-time greats fighting in the division right now, but otherwise the division is pretty solid from number one to ten with several rising prospects looking for future championship action.
If James “Lights Out” Toney showed us anything this past March 18th against Hasim Rahman, it is that an out of shape and uninspired Toney is not an elite heavyweight of today. The former cruiserweight champion was extremely lucky to get a draw against the in and out former heavyweight champion.
“Light’s Out” has some of finest skills in boxing, regardless of weight, and he is a future Hall of Fame inductee. Perhaps if the 37 year old Toney can once again become inspired and show up for his fights in better shape, he may yet prove to be a threat to the top fighters in the division, but a fat out-of-shape Toney falls a little short, but not by much.
Rahman, a powerful puncher, has one of the best jabs in the division, and he used it effectively against Toney. “Lights Out” threw wild shots, and after missing, his swings occasionally caused him to stumble around the ring like a person who had just awakened from a deep eight hour sleep at the end of a seven day drunk. Worse yet, although Toney landed solid punches throughout the contest, he was unable to visibly hurt a man who had been flattened three times during his career.
Pity poor Toney should he climb into the ring with Wladimir Klitschko. Wladimir arguably possesses a faster, more thudding, jab than Rahman, and it is not difficult to imagine a 237 pound Toney taking quite a beating at the hands of the very skilled, but stamina challenged, Ukrainian. Some have suggested Klitschko’s confidence is shot after suffering two unexpected losses by KO. However, a cure for that emotional malady is coming in the form of Chris Byrd. They will fight in April. Klitschko handily defeated his opponent six years ago, and Wlad will likely beat Byrd silly just as easily this time.
Lamon Brewster might possibly lose several rounds against the slick Toney if these two were ever matched, but as long as he used a jab and went heavy to the ample midriff of the 237 pounder, it’s difficult to imagine “Lights Out” lasting the distance against the most exciting heavyweight in the game today. Brewster often falls behind on points against his opponents, but then has rallied to defeat them. He has also flattened Klitschko. Brewster still has room for improvement, and he could be the savior of the division.
“Lights Out” could possibly defeat Chris Byrd, but it is highly unlikely Byrd will successfully defend his alphabet title against Klitschko, and that may ruin any fan appeal for a fight between the two. Byrd came up from the middleweight division, and using a variety of defensive skills, long ago established himself as a force to be reckoned with. He’s not a heavyweight hitter, but he takes a really good shot and knows how to adeptly avoid one.
John Ruiz has also been a contender for several years, and he has held portions of the heavyweight title. He may not have the hardest punch or the fastest hands in the division, but he has experience, a good chin, a fine left jab, a solid right hand, and he has defeated a number of top contenders, including Rahman.
Calvin Brock entered the ranks of the real contenders many months ago with his victory over Jameel McCline, but he hasn’t really done much since. Nonetheless, he rates as a solid contender.
The jury is still out on Nikolay Valuev. At seven feet in height and 325 pounds, this contender is the biggest title holder of all time, but there are doubts about his true ability. He does hold a win over Ruiz, but the verdict was debatable. Nonetheless, he still rates as a real contender.
Likewise, the jury is still out on Samuel Peter. The Nigerian is a powerful puncher, and takes a wonderful shot, but as shown in his bout with Klitschko, he seems vulnerable to faster, more skillful opponents. He has yet to defeat a legitimate contender. For that reason, it is difficult to consider him a threat to the title just yet, but it should only be a matter of time.
There are a number of strong prospects nearly ready to test their skills in combat with the top dogs of the division: Sultan and Timur Ibragimov, Sergei Lyakhovich, Ruslan Chagaev, and Valdimir Vichis hover just outside the top ten and are ready to take over some of those spots in the ratings. Despite a loss to trial horse Danny Williams, Audley Harrison still rates as a prospect. Luan Krasniqui, despite his loss to Lamon Brewster, may also still be considered a prospect. There are a number of other young heavyweights working their way toward being contenders not far behind those listed above.
We can’t forget that there are a number of veterans who are trying to reclaim contender status. The power hitter David Tua was a solid competitor until contract difficulties forced him to lay off for two years. Fres Oquendo, a good boxer who once defeated Byrd but did not receive the decision, is also on the comeback trail. Although he has yet to defeat a legitimate contender, the undefeated Joe Mesi is coming back from a medical suspension, and he may yet make himself into a solid contender.
Outside of Shannon Briggs incredibly bad decision over George Foreman many years ago, veteran trial horses Briggs, Monte Barrett, Dominic Guinn and DaVarryl Williamson have yet to record a win over a single legitimate contender, but they have proven to be stern opposition for some of the top guys. Any of them could still reach legitimate contender status.
All of this suggests that the current crop of heavyweights is deep and solid. No, this isn’t the best lot of contenders in the history of the heavyweight division, but like the crop of contenders from 1940, it isn’t the weakest in the history of mankind either, as some experts would have us believe.