By Tom Donelson
Sometimes a negative event can clarify a picture and easily turn it into a positive. When Toney and Rahman fought to a draw, this went a long way to clarify the heavyweight picture, albeit in a negative way. Since neither man came out a winner, both eliminated their own claim to being the true heavyweight champion. Yes, Rahman is still the WBC champion but does anyone truly believe that he is the man after his performance against Toney?
Rahman fought a smart fight and mostly likely won in the ring but he was not dominating against an older and smaller foe. Toney showed that he does not possess the power to knock out a heavyweight as he continuously nailed Rahman with right hand after right hand but failed to shake the Rock. (And Rahman has a reputation for having a vulnerable chin when hit on the button.)
The Rahman- Toney fight showed that neither fighter could claim to be the man of the division. On April Fools, Lamon Brewster stepped into the middle of the ring to claim his place at the top of the heavyweight division. Since taking the WBO title from Wladimir Klitschko, Brewster was one of the heavyweight division’s brightest lights. What seemed to make Brewster special was that he could be well behind on cards as he was with Klitschko or Luan Krasniqi, and then come back to win in spectacular fashion. The only close call since claiming the WBO title was his close controversial decision win over Kali Meehan.
Brewster is one of those fighters with a left hook that could erase any mistakes or points lead by his opponent. If nothing else, Brewster showed an ability to absorb punishment and is often out boxed by any fighter with technical skill. What he had going for him was a relentless style that allowed him to keep coming forward through a hale of punches before landing his own left hook. Who could forget his fight with Klitschko, when Wladimir hit Brewster with every punch he threw and yet Brewster came back to snatch victory from the proverbial jaws of defeat. After losing the first 14 minutes and 30 seconds of the fight, a Brewster left hook sent Klitschko into the corner and the rest is history.
Brewster’s opponent last Saturday, was Sergei Liakhovich, whose previous biggest victory was over Dominick Guinn. Coming into this big fight, Liakhovich had not fought in almost two years or since his victory over Guinn. With a victory over Klitschko on his resume, a victory over Liakhovich would have propelled him as the true challenger for the king of the Heavyweights.
There was a serious danger to Brewster since Liakhovich was a good boxer and good boxers seem to give Brewster trouble. Brewster couldn't overlook Liakhovich or take him for granted, since a defeat would set Brewster back. Either way, the Heavyweight picture would become clearer.
The fifth round showed why Lamon Brewster was the heavyweight division’s most exciting fighter as he nailed Liakhovich and had him in trouble. From this point on, it was a toe-toe battle but throughout the second half of the fight, it was Liakhovich’s superior boxing skills that turn the tide. Surviving a knockdown in the seventh, Liakhovich’s hand speed and power proved to be the decisive factors. The end result was Brewster taking a set backward and Liakhovich became a legitimate contender to the “man” status.
Why is the Byrd-Klitschko rematch a big event in the Heavyweight division? Byrd has held his version of the title the longest and fought most of the best heavyweights over the last few years. Only the much-derided John Ruiz can match Byrd’s own record for fighting leading Heavyweight contenders. Wladimir Klitschko has both boxing skills and power to be a champion but was cursed with a suspect chin. Knockout losses to Corrie Sanders and Brewster nearly derailed the Wladimir express at a time when everyone thought he was the inheritor of Lennox Lewis’s crown. With his escape over Samuel Peter, Klitschko put himself back in the picture. Despite being knockdown three times, Klitschko’s superior boxing skills saved him. And Klitschko has one victory over Byrd to his credit.
So here is the bottom line. When Rahman and Toney fought to a draw, they took a couple of steps back. Brewster’s loss also ended his claim to the being the man in the division for the moment. The winner of the upcoming Byrd-Klitschko should be considered the man of the Heavyweight division. Also, the winner of that fight still has some good competition to fight. Fighters like Liakhovich, Brewster, Rahman or even Toney, who all showed that they have the ability to beat any fighter on any given night. The heavyweight division has now become a bit clearer.