THE SEARCH FOR HEAVYWEIGHT SUPREMACY CONTINUES: YOUNG GUNS AND O.P.'S (PART II)

By Stephen Jones

 

 

There was a time when you had no need to think about who the best heavyweight in the world was, the answer came instantaneously, like Tuesday follows Monday. Muhammad Ali! George Foreman! Mike Tyson!...  But in the present state of play such a question presents us with a long pause, and a choice that  sends a zillion names dashing through our opinionated minds.  

To convince the public that you may be the chosen one you need to capture their imagination, be it in nostalgic fashion, reminding them of a former great, or bringing them something fresh and new. One year can be very damaging to a fighter. Twelve months ago I was very excited about the cast of performers on Buffalo New York's 'Night of the Young Heavyweights.'

The players were starting on the road to being groomed as future crown bearers. Three feature fights, six multi national performers (a Nigerian, a Cuban, a Turk and three Americans) and a massive live TV audience to show everyone how bad you want it.  Guinn vs Dokiwari was the show stealer for me; compelling action, two lively young prospects having a very high tempo shoot 'em up.  Guinn got the nod yet Dokiwari showed even in defeat that he was capable of being in quality company.

Mesi vs Williamson was The main feature and Mesi delivered,  conclusively and quickly, against the usually defiant Williamson who unfortunately pressed the wrong buttons on that night.  Joe, in his hometown, had a point to prove and in high octane style he fueled his hometown fans with enough ammunition to set the Mesi Mania Monster truck skyward. 

Bout three was the least lively. Juan Carlos Gomez, the ex WBC Cruiserweight champion put paid to Turkish European champion Sinan Samil San's hopes of a Championship future by shutting him down in a one sided and hard to watch bout.

Here is my real point, twelve months have passed, and every one of the six cast has fallen by the wayside in one way or another. 

  • Mesi has Issues Period!

  • Davarryll Williamson lost yet again last week, this time unfortunately to Wlad Klitschko on points.

  • Guinn and Dokiwari met their Waterloo too, Dominick lost in his own Arkansas homecoming to Monte Barrett and Duncan lost only last week in a very embarrassing and uncharacteristic first round stoppage to little known Stacey Frazier.

  • Gomez and Samil San too bear battle scars. San losing to Luan Krasniqui in Europe while Gomez lost shockingly, in Dokiwari fashion, to little known Vegas based Cuban, Yamplier  Azcuy.

One year on and our 2003 young guns are damaged firearms with about as much solid ammunition to see off a Thanksgiving turkey.

Where do I look now for my new revolutionary Heavyweight savior? Mike Tyson is out of our immediate picture following his recent KO loss to a motivated Danny Williams, who has booked himself a place  amongst the major players; a #7 ranking and a shot at WBC holder Vitali Klitschko are the trappings of such a high profile home run.

Our answer may lie in the OP category, "Other Possibilities." Heading this list is an established championship performer albeit in lower weight categories. James Toney has a very big mouth! He shoots first and thinks later, mostly from the lip, but in his last three outings he has beaten a quality Cruiserweight champion, a legendary former heavyweight champion, and recently an unbeaten heavyweight who was considered on the up (Rydell Booker).

On current form James has shown me in three fights as a heavyweight that when he is injury free, there is no reason why he can't out slick any of the current crop of pretenders out there and be the dominant Champion that we are praying for. My only fear is that James may not quite have the size to manhandle the tribe of super sized fighters roaming the heavyweight wastelands, the Jameel McClines and  Vitali Klitschkos, who at 250 lbs + may not have half of JT's talent but may just be too genetically massive for the Michigan man to handle in a physical bout. If James was naturally 240 cut pounds he would run Byrd, Ruiz, Vitali, etc. out of town by scientifically breaking them down in the same fashion he did Holyfield last October.

James Toney is no Saint, but a Savior?  Talk the talk and walk the walk,  James does both equally well. It depends on whether size really does matter.

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Questions? Comments? Write Stephen Jones

10-07-2004

 

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