By David P. Greisman
This past weekend, Lamon Brewster’s fifty-three second knockout of Andrew Golota was a gift to fans of heavyweight boxing, a treat for the obstinate viewers that continued to watch title fights despite the continually dreadful state of affairs.
In this week’s edition of Fighting Words, we shall deliberate over the ramifications of Brewster’s successful defense of his WBO championship, bid a possible farewell to Golota and examine the drama and the dreariness in boxing’s marquee division. Within the often-irreverent confines of The Ten Count, we will scrutinize items such as prison-bound pugilists, momentum-gaining promoters and a certain canceled Mark Burnett reality show.
Brewster Earns Respect, Socks it to Golota
Before Saturday, Lamon Brewster’s nickname, “Relentless,” seemed like an ironic joke, especially considering his two losses in 2000 to Clifford Etienne and Charles Shufford, the drubbing he took before knocking out Wladimir Klitschko and the lackluster performance he turned in for his last outing, a controversial split decision victory over Kali Meehan.
His WBO title belt meant little to the assorted pundits, merely establishing the Indianapolis-born Brewster as the worst entry in heavyweight boxing’s alphabet soup. If he desired paydays and pride instead of languishing on the periphery, then a statement was necessary.
Less than a minute into the main event at the United Center in Chicago, that message rang loud and clear, as Brewster sent Golota to the canvas thrice, startling the Warsaw native with a series of lunging left hooks to the body and chin, silencing the thousands of Polish-Americans present in the arena.
Brewster, 32-2 with 28 knockouts, came out aggressively offensive, leading off with two jabs and a lunging left that staggered Golota backwards, signaling the opportunity to send forth a flurry that culminated in the double left hooks that put his opponent down just ten seconds in.
Golota would rise at the count of five, only to fall victim to the same combination, and with the second knockdown he found himself climbing from outside of the ropes to face a marauding, blood-sniffing foe with plenty of time remaining in the first heat. Again, Golota was up at five, but a third trip to the mat gave referee Geno Rodriguez enough reason to halt the bout.
With his win, Brewster has launched himself triumphantly into the forefront, decreeing with his fists that he is a force to be reckoned with, to be watched and consequently to be paid the big bucks by promoter Don King.
Golota – Over the Hill, Through the Ropes, to Retirement He Goes?
As for Golota, who drops to 38-6-1-1 (31), he has yet to announce his retirement, but he should. He came to the Windy City, his adopted hometown, for his third straight opportunity at a heavyweight belt (and fourth overall), and was absolutely overwhelmed in the ring.
For a man whose talent peaked in the mid-nineties, last year’s disputed draw and decision loss to Chris Byrd and John Ruiz, respectively, redeemed the man who had once shown such promise only to earn disqualifications while twice pummeling Riddick Bowe. Let's not forget that Golota's enigma either froze or quit against Lennox Lewis, Michael Grant and Mike Tyson.
Golota was again a worthy challenger, and the overall betting favorite against Brewster, but being 37 years old often suggests that one is reaching the end of his boxing career. And his lumbering into the ring at 248 pounds, ten more than he had weighed in at against Byrd and Ruiz, might connote just how little energy the Pole committed to being in tip-top shape.
His skills earned him the spotlight, his stubbornness brought about the lowlights, but after thirteen years as a professional, the 1988 Olympic bronze medalist should choose to fade quietly into the twilight.
Heavyweight Boxing – the More Things Change…
A year ago the four heavyweight champions were Vitali Klitschko (WBC), Chris Byrd (IBF), John Ruiz (WBA) and Lamon Brewster (WBO). Aside from the brief period when James Toney outpointed Ruiz, only to forfeit the victory and belt after testing positive for a banned substance, the lineup has not changed.
The hopes for a unification tournament seem dim for the moment. Klitschko is recovering from surgery, leaving Hasim Rahman and Monte Barrett vying for the interim title and a shot at the 6’7” Ukrainian. Should the winner of Rahman/Barrett triumph over Vitali (or if Klitschko’s injury prevents him from defending before the sanctioning body’s deadline), Don King’s stable would hold the full slate of championships.
If that scenario holds true, whether King decides to pit Byrd, Ruiz, Brewster and Rahman/Barrett against each other or just glean any profits from their defenses, the fate of boxing’s marquee division hangs in the balance of the events of the next couple of years. A unified heavyweight champion is a marketable commodity, but only if said champ is able to exhibit entertainment value beyond his inherent skills.
The Ten Count
1. Ricardo Williams Jr. had the future ahead of him, he won a silver medal at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney and signed a $1.4 million dollar contract upon turning professional. The first bump in the road was a February 2003 loss to journeyman Juan “Pollo” Valenzuela, but sadly, it all came crashing down for the Cincinnati welterweight this past week, when a federal judge sentenced the 23 year old to three years in prison for his part in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine. While Williams intends to use his time in prison to stay prepared for an eventual return to the ring, his journey may be more difficult than ones taken by champions Diego Corrales and Bernard Hopkins.
2. Even with Felix “Tito” Trinidad’s dismal loss to Ronald “Winky” Wright, promoter Don King has built up a terrific amount of momentum in recent months. Besides controlling three-quarters of the heavyweight division, the fantastically coifed King has held well-attended shows in unusual places like the Savvis Center in St. Louis (for Cory Spinks/Zab Judah) and the United Center in Chicago (Brewster/Golota), sold over half a million pay-per-view buys for Wright/Trinidad and is planning another PPV spectacular for July 23.
3. The featherweight title match between WBC beltholder In Jin Chi and Rocky Juarez has been pushed back to August 20, where it will be featured on the undercard of Fernando Vargas against an as-yet unnamed foe.
4. Oscar De La Hoya has penciled himself in for a return on September 17, a probable PPV that will be shared with his Golden Boy Promotions stablemate/employee, Marco Antonio Barrera. De La Hoya has not stepped in the ring since September 2004, when he was knocked out by a Bernard Hopkins body shot. While the 32 year-old Californian was rumored to be returning to his old welterweight stomping grounds, there has been no official announcement of precisely what division he will be fighting in.
5. With Tito Trinidad’s retirement, Bernard Hopkins’s exit strategy may have been lessened by one fight. The Executioner had hoped to end his career with his July defense against Jermain Taylor, followed by fights with Trinidad and the winner of the light heavyweight rematch between Antonio Tarver and Glencoffe Johnson. Unfortunately, this seems to discount the possibility that Hopkins and Winky Wright could meet in a showdown of boxing masters.
6. Two nominees for “Fight of the Year” so far: Erik Morales UD12 Manny Pacquiao and Diego Corrales TKO10 Jose Luis Castillo. From what I’ve read, I’d like to add Katsushige Kawashima SD12 Jose Navarro, but I’ve yet to see the controversial super flyweight battle that took place in Tokyo in January.
7. In case you didn’t catch it, that was Riddick Bowe in the corner congratulating Lamon Brewster after Saturday’s title fight. My only thoughts upon seeing him? “Big Daddy” is a brave man for standing in the vicinity of Andrew Golota without the luxury of a protective cup.
8. The Contender Update, Part One: NBC has declined to pick up the show for a second season, so unless a cable network steps in, the series will be over following Tuesday’s finale. Fortunately for fifteen of the sixteen contestants (the sixteenth, Najai Turpin, took his own life earlier in the year), Mark Burnett’s reality show will play a major role in providing opportunities and furthering their pugilistic careers. Name recognition is vital in selling boxing, and any publicity generated over the past two and a half months is priceless.
9. The Contender Update, Part Two: After tonight’s episode, the million-dollar finale is set, and it will feature Peter Manfredo Jr. and Sergio Mora. The only fighter on the show to never have to “hang up his gloves” (think the snuffing of the torch on Survivor), Mora earned a unanimous seven-round decision over Jesse Brinkley to seal his chances at the grand prize, which, shall he win, he plans to use to buy his mother a house. The finale will air live from Caesars Palace in Las Vegas on Tuesday, May 24.
10. The Contender Update, Part Three: On the undercard of the Manfredo/Mora finale will be three matches, chosen by viewers voting their “fan favorites”. The three fights will be streamed live at http://contender.yahoo.com/ on May 24, beginning at 1 PM Eastern Time/10 AM Pacific. The pairings are Brent Cooper vs. Ishe Smith, Anthony Bonsante vs. Jeff Fraza and Jimmy Lange vs. Tarick Salmaci.
Next Week’s Fighting Words
Next week’s edition of Fighting Words will preview the major fights in June, as we ramp up for a month full of exciting and intriguing matches.
Fighting Words is featured every Monday.