Boxing is a sport that has its share of good guys, but very few get any recognition unless you're a true fight fan or have an understanding of boxing. To the common outsider boxing is a sport predicated on violence, the objective is to hurt one another, the sooner the better. That does sound quite brutal...

As a former fighter I can say boxing is a job. It's a means to a better life for some, a way out of poverty;  for some a challenge of will, and to others a challenge of skills. Yet, in order to be successful you have to have a mindset that can go from nice guy to killer-instinct pretty damned quick, because if you can't make that adjustment fast enough sometimes, it can be over even before it appears to have started.

Such was the case for Mr. Andrew Golota. He has always been a hard guy to gauge, you never know which guy is going to show up. Andrew Golota  has had more title shots than any fighter I know of. However, he has never become a World Champion, although in two of the tries his own lack of self control cost him one of the most coveted prizes in all sports, the Heavyweight Championship. Since that time, he has had four more tries...

Third try vs Lennox Lewis. Golota fell apart and got destroyed.

Number four vs Chris Byrd. Golota gave a good account of himself and even created an argument in his favor that he very well could have been granted the decision.

Number five vs John Ruiz. In this fight Golota came even closer to winning. In my opinion he did, but I'm not a judge; yet, he still walked away a Bridesmaid.

What ever happened to three strikes and you're out?  Golota has gotten two turns at bat and struck out both times, when so many others fighters will never even see one swing, let alone six.

The sixth -and hopefully- final try against Lamon Brewster was a complete set up for Golota to win. The fight would take place in his adopted hometown, Chicago, and he would be going against a fighter who had shown great will, determination, great chin resiliency and tenacity. While Brewster had never shown his complete skill level, he had  always shown that he can punch. 

This time around, Lamon Brewster would leave no doubts about his punching power or his place in the division. He annihilated Golota in a very brief 53 seconds, making himself a major player in the Heavyweight division.

Brewer has shot to the forefront in my eyes. And when it comes to trying to clear up the Heavyweight picture,  although at this point I would say that Vitali Klitschko ranks number one, Brewster may only be one punch away from Heavyweight Supremacy.

Byrd struggled with Golota; Ruiz actually lost to Golota.  Brewster destroyed Golota like no one else has.  There is a legitimate storyline here. Lamon Brewster knocked out Vitali's brother Wladimir. Become your brother's keeper and avenge that defeat as Wladimir did after Byrd emerged victorious against Vitali. 

Follwoing a lackluster performance against Kali Maheen, Brewster still had so much to prove, but the Golota fight has put him deep in the game and ahead of the pack for a unification bout with Vitali Klitschko.

The fight that put Brewster on the map was the major upset he pulled over Vladimir Klitschko. After taking a resounding beating early on in the fight, his heart, will and determination allowed him to not only overcome the adversity he was facing, but to go on to knock out the highly favored younger Klitschko.

For me, the best part of the fight came at the end, during the post fight interview.  It was a display of the realness and the genuine heart of Mr. Lamon Brewster, not only as a fighter but as a man. He gave all the praise to his former trainer Bill Slayton, who had passed away and unfortunately wasn't able to share in Brewster's finest moment. Lamon took time to acknowledge Slayton's importance to him, not only as a trainer, but as a man.

I already knew Lamon Brewster. I had met him through a friend and we had hit it off really well. I found him to be extremely nice and cordial from the day I met him. He is one of the guys I want to root for because of his character outside of the ring.

I wish Lamon Brewster nothing but the best. In a sport that has many characters, good and bad or indifferent,  Brewster is definitely one of the good guys.

5-27-2005