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By Cliff Rold - Magazine covers, a couch spot places like the Tonight Show…these are just some of the things that seemingly have been the purview of the king of boxing over the years. From November 11, 1997 to March 28, 1998, it should have been the purview of Shannon Briggs. Those were the dates during which he, and he alone, was the true World heavyweight champion and yet when he walks into a room today not enough call him champ.
As Brooklyn’s Briggs (48-4-1, 42 KO) prepares to defend his WBO belt against Sultan Ibragimov (20-0-1, 17 KO) of Russia this Saturday night in Atlantic City, the dozens of features and columns (some at this site) leading up their pay-per-view showdown are remarkable for the few times Briggs’ former position is made clear. One notable writer recently stated a case for the significance of the lineal heavyweight crown and skipped from Foreman to Lewis, willfully leaving Briggs out.
It’s a discredit to those who refuse to note Briggs place in history and it’s disrespectful to Briggs. Briggs reign was not memorable but it did occur and the words “former World heavyweight champion” belong next to his name. Whether one agrees with the decision that gave him the crown or not, it was his moment and it’s long past time he get his just due.
The man he defeated that autumn evening in 1997, George Foreman, had recaptured the lineal crown (and two alphabet belts: WBA & IBF) and the public imagination at age 45 only two years earlier with a 10th round knockout of reigning king Michael Moorer. His actions following that win sent the division into disarray. Foreman was almost immediately stripped by the WBA; they filled that vacancy with a bout between Bruce Seldon and Tony Tucker. The IBF would suddenly vault Axel Schultz, an unknown from Germany into their mandatory spot. [details]
As Brooklyn’s Briggs (48-4-1, 42 KO) prepares to defend his WBO belt against Sultan Ibragimov (20-0-1, 17 KO) of Russia this Saturday night in Atlantic City, the dozens of features and columns (some at this site) leading up their pay-per-view showdown are remarkable for the few times Briggs’ former position is made clear. One notable writer recently stated a case for the significance of the lineal heavyweight crown and skipped from Foreman to Lewis, willfully leaving Briggs out.
It’s a discredit to those who refuse to note Briggs place in history and it’s disrespectful to Briggs. Briggs reign was not memorable but it did occur and the words “former World heavyweight champion” belong next to his name. Whether one agrees with the decision that gave him the crown or not, it was his moment and it’s long past time he get his just due.
The man he defeated that autumn evening in 1997, George Foreman, had recaptured the lineal crown (and two alphabet belts: WBA & IBF) and the public imagination at age 45 only two years earlier with a 10th round knockout of reigning king Michael Moorer. His actions following that win sent the division into disarray. Foreman was almost immediately stripped by the WBA; they filled that vacancy with a bout between Bruce Seldon and Tony Tucker. The IBF would suddenly vault Axel Schultz, an unknown from Germany into their mandatory spot. [details]
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