Heavyweight Picture Circa June 2002

Stumbled over it by sheer chance … more like bad luck … was a listing of the current heavyweight standings … as in Council, Association, Federation, Organization … and, alas … web site Fightnews top twelve tossed in as a bonus.

No arguments here over the title holders: WBC and IBF has Lewis at the top while WBA has Ruiz and WBO Wlad Klitschko … Fightnews hangs with Lewis.

Problem is not with who the champions are but rather who them alleged top ten rated contenders are … would be much less of an argument were it one champion with ten top contenders as it was in them glory days of pro fisticuffs.

Scanning the respective standings, along with the usual suspects, I counted not one, nor two … but no less than three masked men … four if we count the IBF #2 slot … someone with the name "Not Rated."

Amazing, that IBF group - has Lewis champ and Chris Byrd at number one and then the brains froze like my sometimes untrustworthy H/P - nobody rated second, who is quickly followed by Tua, Rahman, Holyfield at 3-4-5.

Yes, that is the same Holyfield at #5 below the guy he spanked in Rahman who somehow is listed in 4th slot. But what about them masked men I spoke of?

WBA gives us one Nicolay Valuev as its #5 … not bad for a mystery man being ranked a rung below Tyson and above some assorted names of yesterday such as Oliver (leaky lachrymal) McCall, Larry (tee-hee legend) Donald, Jameel (late starter) McCline, Rahman and Tua. Masked man or not, guess here is all those below him would likely be charged with assault were they to share the same ring.

And then the WBO - not one to be outdone - has Wladimir Klitschko wearing the crown which is fair enough since he won it in the ring - but them masked men are another story - bad enuf the #5 slot is awarded to one Danny Williams - and number eight position has a Luan Krasniqi but Fres Oquendo and Ray Mercer below him at nine and ten? And did I fail to mention Lance (the goof) Whitaker nestled in seventh spot?

And the WBC standings you ask? Better than the others but I might question its awarding Oliver McCall #5, over and above Juan Carlos Gomez, Tua, Oquendo, Byrd - while #10 McCline is a coin-flip. And let's not neglect the Fightnews.com entry … made for better reading since they plucked a couple here - a couple there and surprise - they end with a very respectable listing.

In closing, this: if your bag is heavyweights then maybe you should dart out for a June 14 (Friday) issue of USA Today and peruse the full page layout of both overall standings and its "Heavyweights of the new era."

Other tidbit tossed in is its (USA Today) top six Pound for Pounders - ready or not: Jones, Hopkins, Barrera, Mayweather, Forrest, Tszyu … ahem, reason for Tszyu placed at bottom is :0) :o) :0) - he cannot sell tickets here in USA. And just what does that have in common with fistic abilities I ask?

What else can I say but vaudeville is alive and well in today's media circus.

Geo El

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