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My list of omissions has bigger names and potentially better champions, but this is how I feel I must rank the current "Top 10" heavyweights.
1. John Ruiz - through process of elimination. I put the three champs against each other, and Ruiz is the guy I think might survive a tournament. His recent opponents and "performances" though boring as hell are the most impressive of the three and I see him frustrating the other two like crazy. Plus, he seems to have a decent chin since his 1996 disaster. The guy dominated Rahman, TKO'd Oquendo; after Golota, he needs to try to schedule an opponent that will be more fan-friendly.
2. Chris Byrd - These rankings are based on results on paper; I think Chris lost his last 2 decisions, but if he won them, as he officially did, he deserves this spot. He's fought good competition, he owns a "win" over Vitali, he hasn't lost in ages. He will make McCline look ****** and that'll make some critics forget about Oquendo dominating him.
3. Vitali Klitschko - The recognized champ by Ring magazine, he has a weak resume. His most 2 impressive fights were technically losses. If Byrd benefits from "official wins", Vitali suffers from them. His post-fight Lewis opponents were a fat, out of shape Johnson and a fat, out of shape Sanders. A win over Danny Williams doesn't prove much more - Vitali needs to fight one of the other champs or someone else ranked in my Top 6 or so to gain some credibilility.
4. Joe Mesi - It's funny how I'm listing the top heavyweights, and what I'm doing is listing excuses for how I feel I have to rank guys. I'm not sold on Mesi, either, and his medical condition is scary, his stamina's in question - but the guy's undefeated - he destroyed Williamson and beat Barrett and Jirov. And that's enough to have enough momentum to be in this situation. Is lightyears ahead of fellow unbeatens Sam Peter and Gerald Nobles.
5. Dominick Guinn - The heavyweights aren't so blessed with talent that a bad loss ruins one's career right now. The top 2 guys have them and many others on the list, too. Guinn has maybe the greatest upside of all these guys because of his skills and talent and age. He's got a shot at being a longer champion than Vitali. He needs another big fight but ought to be a champion by 2006.
6. Hasim Rahman - Suffered a string of bad recent luck. Should have got a decision vs. Tua, but then lost to Ruiz and fought some bums to pad his record and get his confidence back. After he beats Meehan, he'll get another shot at Ruiz or maybe fights Byrd.
7. Monte Barrett - Benefitting from momentum right now. May get a shot at Vitali after defeating Owen Beck Nov. 13.
8. Andrew Golota - Back from the dead, he probably beat Byrd and has a shot at beating Ruiz. Still has been destroyed by Tyson and Lewis and self-destructed against Bowe. Needs to put together a string of impressive heavyweight wins to change how history will view him.
9. Jameel McCline - he gave Cedric Boswell his first 'L', destroyed Lance Whitaker, but McCline still has big questions and may be schooled by Byrd. His winning streak comes at the right time to be placed on this list.
10. James Toney - yeah, he's a heavyweight now. He knocked out a shot legend and beat an undefeated kid on TV, officially. 2 fights into his heavyweight career, we're not sure when he fights again or in what condition. But these heavyweights all come with baggage.
Omissions: They've all got big enough punching power to potentially be exciting champs, but big big question marks about inactivity, heart, diminishing skills and conditioning all keep David Tua, Mike Tyson and Wladimir Klitschko off the list. No fights to legitimize their records on the elite level keep off Nicolay Valuev, Audley Harrison, Juan Carlos Gomez, Gerald Nobles,and Sam Peter. I know too little of Owen Beck, Luan Krasniqi or Oleg Maskaev. Lamon Brewster has done too little to warrant a Top 10; he just happened to not be KO'd on the night Wlad self-destructed, then lost 7 or 8 rounds to sparring partner Kali Meehan. Even with the official "win", his lack of quality wins keeps him off the list. Meehan might jump into the Top 10 with a win over Rahman, but that's a big if. Evander Holyfield seems to not win more than he wins lately, but a win over Larry Donald could set up the old man with Brewster and could actually make Holyfield a champ again in 2005. Lance Whitaker shouldn't still be hanging around, but hey, it's a depleted division. That's why would-be prospects Sinan Samil Sam and DaVarryl Williamson haven't been completely written off. Bruce Seldon, Oliver McCall, Michael Moorer and Rid**** Bowe are just old names still in the division. Vassily Jirov still doesn't have a heavyweight win, does he? Roy Jones Jr ought not to fight at this weight (or probably any weight) again.
1. John Ruiz - through process of elimination. I put the three champs against each other, and Ruiz is the guy I think might survive a tournament. His recent opponents and "performances" though boring as hell are the most impressive of the three and I see him frustrating the other two like crazy. Plus, he seems to have a decent chin since his 1996 disaster. The guy dominated Rahman, TKO'd Oquendo; after Golota, he needs to try to schedule an opponent that will be more fan-friendly.
2. Chris Byrd - These rankings are based on results on paper; I think Chris lost his last 2 decisions, but if he won them, as he officially did, he deserves this spot. He's fought good competition, he owns a "win" over Vitali, he hasn't lost in ages. He will make McCline look ****** and that'll make some critics forget about Oquendo dominating him.
3. Vitali Klitschko - The recognized champ by Ring magazine, he has a weak resume. His most 2 impressive fights were technically losses. If Byrd benefits from "official wins", Vitali suffers from them. His post-fight Lewis opponents were a fat, out of shape Johnson and a fat, out of shape Sanders. A win over Danny Williams doesn't prove much more - Vitali needs to fight one of the other champs or someone else ranked in my Top 6 or so to gain some credibilility.
4. Joe Mesi - It's funny how I'm listing the top heavyweights, and what I'm doing is listing excuses for how I feel I have to rank guys. I'm not sold on Mesi, either, and his medical condition is scary, his stamina's in question - but the guy's undefeated - he destroyed Williamson and beat Barrett and Jirov. And that's enough to have enough momentum to be in this situation. Is lightyears ahead of fellow unbeatens Sam Peter and Gerald Nobles.
5. Dominick Guinn - The heavyweights aren't so blessed with talent that a bad loss ruins one's career right now. The top 2 guys have them and many others on the list, too. Guinn has maybe the greatest upside of all these guys because of his skills and talent and age. He's got a shot at being a longer champion than Vitali. He needs another big fight but ought to be a champion by 2006.
6. Hasim Rahman - Suffered a string of bad recent luck. Should have got a decision vs. Tua, but then lost to Ruiz and fought some bums to pad his record and get his confidence back. After he beats Meehan, he'll get another shot at Ruiz or maybe fights Byrd.
7. Monte Barrett - Benefitting from momentum right now. May get a shot at Vitali after defeating Owen Beck Nov. 13.
8. Andrew Golota - Back from the dead, he probably beat Byrd and has a shot at beating Ruiz. Still has been destroyed by Tyson and Lewis and self-destructed against Bowe. Needs to put together a string of impressive heavyweight wins to change how history will view him.
9. Jameel McCline - he gave Cedric Boswell his first 'L', destroyed Lance Whitaker, but McCline still has big questions and may be schooled by Byrd. His winning streak comes at the right time to be placed on this list.
10. James Toney - yeah, he's a heavyweight now. He knocked out a shot legend and beat an undefeated kid on TV, officially. 2 fights into his heavyweight career, we're not sure when he fights again or in what condition. But these heavyweights all come with baggage.
Omissions: They've all got big enough punching power to potentially be exciting champs, but big big question marks about inactivity, heart, diminishing skills and conditioning all keep David Tua, Mike Tyson and Wladimir Klitschko off the list. No fights to legitimize their records on the elite level keep off Nicolay Valuev, Audley Harrison, Juan Carlos Gomez, Gerald Nobles,and Sam Peter. I know too little of Owen Beck, Luan Krasniqi or Oleg Maskaev. Lamon Brewster has done too little to warrant a Top 10; he just happened to not be KO'd on the night Wlad self-destructed, then lost 7 or 8 rounds to sparring partner Kali Meehan. Even with the official "win", his lack of quality wins keeps him off the list. Meehan might jump into the Top 10 with a win over Rahman, but that's a big if. Evander Holyfield seems to not win more than he wins lately, but a win over Larry Donald could set up the old man with Brewster and could actually make Holyfield a champ again in 2005. Lance Whitaker shouldn't still be hanging around, but hey, it's a depleted division. That's why would-be prospects Sinan Samil Sam and DaVarryl Williamson haven't been completely written off. Bruce Seldon, Oliver McCall, Michael Moorer and Rid**** Bowe are just old names still in the division. Vassily Jirov still doesn't have a heavyweight win, does he? Roy Jones Jr ought not to fight at this weight (or probably any weight) again.
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