Light heavyweight to heavyweight debate

Natural weight jump for many...   Natural weight drop for few..

 Chris Byrd signs with Banner Promotions, Will Campaign at 175 lbs..

Throughout history it has been the traditional pattern for light heavyweight greats to attempt that leap of faith towards becoming heavyweight champion. Although many have tried, few succeeded. Michael Spinks did, Archie Moore didn't, Mike Moorer did, Bob Foster didn't, 

Roy Jones did, James Toney (came razor close) but unfortunately like most others he didn't.

The favoured route was often fuelled by the authority driven aura that Thee Heavyweight Champion of the world was, as the great John L Sullivan put it, "the strongest male fighting  figure in the world, coming only second in the respect stakes to Presidents and Monarchs."

Money and respect I suppose are great reasons to make the move up, but how often have we seen ex-heavyweight champs move down? We have had a few slide down to cruiserweight to attempt to fit in with the smaller division's finest and theoretically bring heavyweight strength with them to gain a powerful advantage, Herbie Hide is a great example (now contending with Arena Boxing as a Cruiserweight) but Heavyweight to light heavyweight..??

This week former WBO and IBF heavyweight champion Chris Byrd signed with Art Pelullo's Banner boxing promotions, to box as a 175 pounder. Chris was an Olympian at Super middleweight and turned pro at 168 lbs., moved slowly through light heavyweight then cruiserweight finally finding his optimum at heavyweight winning two versions of the championship (WBO and IBF) avoiding absolutely nobody. Chris faced both Klitschkos, beating one and losing to the other, beating Evander Holyfield for his IBF title and being the final night's work of one Ike Ibeabuchi in 1999. Chris is proving that it's not all about the money but his boxing legacy. Chris is unique in dropping weight and is confident that he can definitely pick up a portion of that world championship. Chris, like so many, views the Heavyweight picture as currently designed for men of super structure, and for most of his time as a heavyweight campaigner was frowned upon as "too small" naturally to be a serious threat. How wrong they were... 

In the next two weeks we have a fabulous array of light heavyweight activity and it is very probable that Chris sees himself as a major player amongst that elite bunch of very high profile VIP's.  Tarver, Woods, Dawson, Johnson, Hopkins and Calzaghe are a list that makes the mouth water and they feature in what seems to be heading down the road towards unification in the next 14 days and it makes light heavyweight a hot place to be right now. Chris has seen the possibilities and thinks that he could be missing out amongst name fighters. Could we see a Hopkins or Calzaghe v Byrd match in 2009? It is very possible.  

Innovative, yet unorthodox move for many, but Chris Byrd isn't your ordinary fighter. I wish him well, there is no reason why he can't succeed. He beat the odds at heavyweight, can he do it in reverse?