The Fall of the Heavyweights

In the advent of the recent World heavyweight title fight between Vitali Klitschko and Samuel Peters, a laboured, at times turgid fight between an ageing veteran and a technically flawed champion, it is difficult not to reflect on the current standard of the heavyweight division. Whisper it quietly, but there is a strange synchronicity between the demise of boxing’s glamour division and the demise of it’s most infamous son, a certain Mike Tyson.

Cast yourselves back to the mid 1980’s. The heavyweight division then was suffering from a hangover from the glorious 70’s era of Foreman, Ali, Frazier and Norton. Skilled but flawed fighters plied their trade, seemingly undermined by glass chins, ponderous feet, poor motivation or a combination of all of the above. Then, from the Catskill camp of Cus D’Amato we were presented with Mike Tyson, a ferocious, perpetual motion fighting machine nurtured with care, attention and imbued with a strong work ethic. A closely guarded secret at first, he soon became the worst kept secret in heavyweight history.

On July 21st, 1988 he became unified heavyweight champion with a frightening, 91 second demolition of the technically excellent Michael Spinks before a spellbound world audience. Gone were the paper titles and plastic champions, and a genuine king sat at the head of the pugilistic table. Once more the sport was a world wide event, and title defences as far as Tokyo spread the legend. It seemed that, even as his personal life began to spiral out of control, he would remain dominant for a lengthy period to come.

It was not to be but such was his presence that he inspired some more than passable contenders into the early nineties, who battled for supremacy during Tyson’s first incarceration. Riddick Bowe, the hungry Evander Holyfield and a young Lennox Lewis all emerged during this time, though there was always the feeling that they were keeping the seat warm until Tyson’s return. That return, however, saw a slower, less durable Tyson, though he still packed a ruthless punch. However, the dearth of genuine quality during the close of the century was masked by the hype and box office that surrounded the man, rather as the man’s declining ability was distorted by his power and reputation.

And how sad that, in his final professional fight in late 2005, the once mighty Tyson quit in sheer frustration after round 6 of his bout with Kevin McBride, the cumbersome, lumbering Irish champion. A tangible sense of change hung in the air after the fight, and everyone present knew that it was finally the end of the Tyson era. The name that had been synonymous with the division for nearly 20 years was no longer relevant, the skills and aura of invincibility long since diminished. And, since that winters night, it could almost be said that a portion of the sport perished along with Tyson himself.

So, the parallels are there. Certainly some of these are pure coincidence, and some due to the overwhelming impact that Tyson had on the boxing scene, but the connection is undeniable. Yet whilst the question is clear, the answer is not. Tyson is unlikely to redeem the fortunes of the heavyweight division, as he will have a tough enough task redeeming himself. So it appears the long sought “saviour” of the heavyweight division will need to be found elsewhere.

However, one thing to note on this point – the unrest and disillusion with the current heavy weight crop is mostly evident in Britain and the states, each of which is without a current world class claimant. to the title. This insular attitude is unlikely to be shared elsewhere though, as the sport has never being more popular parts of the world. Russia and the Ukraine in particular, due mostly to the impact of the nearly all conquering Klitschko brothers, are producing more and more contenders and inspiring the next generation of youthful fighters. Africa, Mexico and Asia area also rapidly evolving as pugilistic nations, and the suggestion is that it must only be a matter of time before the next truly great World Champion graces the heavyweight scene.

Or better yet, even a crop of truly great champions.