By David P. Greisman
Evander Holyfield won a bronze medal at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles; Roy Jones Jr. picked up a silver medal in 1988 in Seoul; and Oscar De La Hoya triumphantly earned gold at Barcelona in 1992, completing the spectrum of three amateur competitors that would move on to have excellent professional careers.
It is now 2005, and their days in the limelight are dwindling; each man is far removed from his perch atop the boxing world, and the only color representative of their advancing ages and declining abilities is gray.
In this week’s edition of Fighting Words, I will clarify precisely why three of the past generation’s greatest boxing stars need to hang up their gloves, emphasizing my argument with the underlying mistakes each would be making by participating in their proposed upcoming fights.
The 10 Count is on hiatus, but will return next week.
Oscar De La Hoya: A Winky and a Prayer
Inactive since his knockout loss to Bernard Hopkins nearly a year ago, Oscar De La Hoya announced in June that, with his pregnant wife expecting to deliver their child in December, he would not be fighting in 2005. Later that month, the Golden Boy informed the public of his hit list for 2006, a lucky selection of names that would have the fortune of reaping in the big bucks guaranteed by a De La Hoya pay-per-view.
“I’m fighting in ’06 at 147 or 154,” De La Hoya had told the press assembled in Miami. “I want to fight [Felix] Trinidad, Winky [Wright] or [Fernando] Vargas. Those are the three fights I want for next year.”
Should De La Hoya face off against the man in the middle of his hit list, Winky Wright, he will make a gigantic mistake.
In the past couple years, De La Hoya has shown a tendency to fade down the stretch, negating his early competitiveness with late exhaustion and lowered activity. It hurt him against Shane Mosley in 2003 and again versus Felix Sturm in 2004, and even his backpedaling job in the last three rounds of a dubious 1999 decision loss to Trinidad points to a loss of desire or ability to get down and dirty in a bout that goes the distance.
And against Sturm, a supposedly pedestrian opponent whose job was to be the fall guy and set up an eventual showdown between Oscar and Hopkins, De La Hoya was privy to the jab, out of shape against a larger, natural middleweight, and fortunate to escape with a controversial unanimous decision.
What Winky Wright exhibited in easily shutting out Trinidad in May was that he could control his opponent with a stiff, effective jab over twelve rounds, and that he had the size and strength to make the jump to 160 from junior middleweight.
It is doubtful that De La Hoya could improve over Trinidad’s mark on the scorecards, as Winky would use his long arms to pick off Oscar’s punches and then jab and follow with left crosses and hooks to snap the Golden Boy’s head back and set up a possible knockout.
De La Hoya had spoken years ago about wanting to retire by the time he turned 31, and recently he has seemed much more comfortable in his role as budding promoter.
Then again, it would be an easy win and a wonderful payday for Wright, valuable factors considering how much he has been avoided over the years. And after the win, he could rest assured that, like Hopkins and Mosley, a job would be waiting for him at Golden Boy Promotions.
Roy Jones: He Must’ve Forgot
Like the second track of his debut rap album, Roy Jones Jr. “must’ve forgot” his frightening knockout losses to Antonio Tarver and Glencoffe Johnson last year, with the latter being the most shocking, as Jones lay motionless on the mat for a few minutes.
Since being counted out against Johnson last September, Roy has done a superb job as color commentator on HBO’s broadcast team, using knowledge gleaned from a lengthy career in the sweet science to enhance the viewers’ experience while he rode the fence dividing retirement from a return to the ring.
Rumors had swirled that Jones would face Bernard Hopkins in a mega-rematch of their 1993 bout, the last loss that the now-dethroned middleweight king had before running into Jermain Taylor.
With Hopkins’s loss to Taylor, the Executioner utilized his rematch clause, setting the two up for a December date, which will seemingly be Bernard’s last professional appearance if he follows through on his intentions to retire by the end of January.
This left Jones lacking an opponent, and the man he sought out was Tarver, who since stopping Jones (and thus avenging a decision loss in their first go-around) has split two bouts with Roy’s other conqueror, Johnson.
Now Roy can fool himself all he likes into believing that his being kayoed in the second round by Tarver was the result of a lucky punch, but against Johnson he was outhustled, outworked and unconscious once more.
Tarver outpointed Johnson in June, and by remaining active he would appear to hold a mighty advantage over a Jones that has been on the shelf since being dominated by Johnson. The one hope, and the factor that Tarver is taking into consideration so as to not become overconfident, is that Jones finds the desire that he had claimed to be lacking in his knockout losses, and is able to once more dig deep into the reservoir of talent and heart that was so essential in pulling out the decision in their first fight.
Jones’s speed, which once distanced him far beyond any other competition, has faded, and the last thing he wants is to put himself in a position in which he could end up permanently hurt like his friend Gerald McClellan.
But by continuing his career, Jones is playing with a loaded gun.
Evander Holyfield: Mambo Italiano
The Real Deal’s last fight was a loss in November 2004 to Larry Donald. For all intents and purposes, it could have come against Curb Your Enthusiasm’s Larry David.
As Holyfield nears the age of 43, his skills have deteriorated to the point that since 1999, he has gone 2-5-2. The fact that these bouts came against upper-tier names such as Lennox Lewis, Hasim Rahman and Chris Byrd is more a testament to who Holyfield used to be, rather than what he is now.
What Holyfield has become is a man who cannot even keep up with his dance partner on the television reality show Dancing With the Stars, but still holds the futile hope of once again being undisputed heavyweight champion.
It was the decision of the New York State Athletic Commission to suspend Holyfield out of concern for his health, no matter how many physicals the four-time heavyweight champion can pass. It may be a stretching of the rules, but sometimes adults need to step up and prevent a pugilist from being hurt.
So it saddens me to read a report on another boxing website that Holyfield may embark on a world tour, including a possible September bout in Italy. His proposed opponent is Frank Wood, who for all intents and purposes could be late film director Ed Wood. Either way, he would be facing someone that would do nothing to aid another ascent into title contention.
He is no longer the man who went fifteen rounds with Dwight Qawi, nor the warrior with the memorable trilogy against Riddick Bowe, nor the man who punished the beast in Mike Tyson. He’s not even the guy who went 1-1-1 with John Ruiz, but instead the aged veteran whose body is betraying him.
And as such, Holyfield must not let his mind betray him into thinking that it is still okay to step into the squared circle, or else he may, without the watchful control of cautious athletic commissions, end up without body and mind.
Next Week’s Fighting Words – Lacy vs. Reid, The 10 Count Returns
In next week’s edition of Fighting Words, I will discuss the results and implications of this weekend’s super middleweight title bout between IBF champion Jeff Lacy and challenger Robin Reid. Also, look for The 10 Count to return from its one-week hiatus with a vengeance, as it examines the latest boxing news.
