Lennox Lewis: announces retirement ... good ... 41-2-1, 32 KOs is a nice read on a plaque at upstate Canastota N.Y. .. never grabbed the fans ala Dempsey, Louis, Marciano, Frazier, Holmes, Ali in the drama-excitement department - much too cautious at times for that - but used the size advantage to the letter. And the two KO's at hands of Oliver McCall and Hasim Rahman were not due to a chin bought somewhere in the Orient ... was more about  carelessness. Lewis reversed the script in both returns ... and the crockery held up in meetings with notables such as Tyson, Holyfield, Tua, Mercer and others. Hopefully the promised goodbye sticks.

Oscar De La Hoya:  Woulda been nice had the recent promises, threats, riddles nonsense had also included retirement ... have already seen all there is to see of the former golden one. Excellent in winning Olympic gold ... looked flashy and explosive in early pro days against the usual suspects ... later losses to Trinidad and Mosley ~ and the book says the clout failed to accompany him once moving up in weight. Most recent riddle has Oscar starting with Fraudulent Fernando, then Tito, and closing with Hopkins ... and then goodbye. A regular comedy act this guy ... says here such a scenario plays out with a win over the manufactured Vargas ... period ... wise move after that is full time promoter.

R. Jones Jr. : Dr. Strangeglove guy with the glittering 49-1, 38 KO's and a mirror, mirror on the wall personality, has to have tired of slapping around hapless light heavies  ~ best ever '75 pounder? Doubt it, but I'm not into comparing fighters and fights that can't be made ~ Harold Johnson, Ol' Archie, Mike Spinks are just a few that may have bested babied Roy. Still, Jones has proven to be tops of today sad collection faking it at his weight. Maybe time to run off somewhere with a round ball.

Post-Lewis heavyweight division ... terrific viewer pairings if somehow the big three or four recognized sanctioning bodies sit down and get it together ... each body offering up its top three for an elimination series to a uno heavy champ finis. Between the already recognized names toss in the less familiar hopefuls like Mesi, Guinn, Gomez, etc to round the tourney out.

And if it works we could have the makings of a whole new song ... as in ditto at the lighter divisions with mucho talent waiting in the wings for better pay days.

GEL