Evander

[AndrewSimonsen]

Does he stand a chance tommorow? Do you guys think that he stands a chance of reclaiming his title in the long run?

[Dennis Monk]

As in Holyfield, he's fighting again?

[AndrewSimonsen]

YEAH!
Holyfield is set to face Jeremy Bates on August 18, 2006 in a 10 Round Bout at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.

[ezzthetic]

He shouldn't have a problem with Bates, who is a top 300 ranked heavyweight at best. Holyfield is ancient at 43, but he's only looked old against pretty tough competition (fighting Lennox Lewis, John Ruiz, Hasim Rahman, Chris Byrd and James Toney since his last truly great victory against Michael Moorer in 1997) though his last opponent, Larry Donald, has only ever been a fringe contender at best. But even Donald has a sterling amateur background, having been a 1992 Olympian. Bates is a complete nobody. Holyfield has been claiming a shoulder injury for a few years that he now says has been resolved through surgery and therapy. This is actually a good step back for him, given that him fighting at all is a bad idea as a whole. He should outbox Bates easily and hopefully KO him in about 8 rounds.

Bottomline, there's no shame in a 40 something heavyweight losing to top fighters in relatively competitive fights and the truth is that Bates wouldn't even have made Evander's sparring partner for those fights. I think he might actually have a chance against Maskaev, though he should stay away from the other, slicker punching heavies and former Soviet behemoths Klitschko and Valuev.

[AndrewSimonsen]

TKO in two, not bad. It would certainly interesting if he reclaimed his crown.

[Dennis Monk]

I actually got to watch it at work. I enjoyed the fight. Evander looked good for his age. Maybe he will have a real comeback. We'll see.

[Eye4NEye]

Good fight. Evander looked like he could pretty much hit that dude at will. Bates seemed like more of a brawler, though. He didn't seem to have any real finesse and reminded me more of an MMA fighter's standup. Especially when he nailed Evander with that one looping overhand right (which I think scared Evander a little and made him back off, else he would have taken Bates out in round 1!!)

[ezzthetic]

Sometimes you get hit by an opponent like that because he's just that BAD. You let your guard down just a little bit. But make no mistake, Bates was a heavy bag waiting to get hit. Heck, actually even heavy bags swing by the chain they're hung from! Bates was a stationary target. This was however a good fight for Holyfield at this point and I hope he does well against Sam.

[GodofGamblers]

Guys, sorry I have to ask this question but is heavyweight boxing dead?

I mean, com'on, Holyfield? I read somewhere that his opponent was an insurance salesman who had to ask his boss to get a few days off to fight Evander... has it really come to this?

Whatever your views of Holyfield are, how is it that a 43 year old can seriously talk about winning a title? The fact that George did it doesn't disprove what I'm saying, it only strengthens it, by the way! Is pro boxing dead?

I don't follow these things too closely but let me guess: Don King promoted this fight and represents both these guys... right?

With multi million dollar purses up for grabs, I can't believe that there is so little talent out there.... anywhere in the world? Maybe we have to wait for Cuba to open up to see some real fights.

Sorry for my rant... I love boxing, but I feel that the state of the sport is in the doldroms and has been for some time.

[Dennis Monk]

You were actually wrong on every point you tried to make there.

[GodofGamblers]

Sorry, Denis. It happens to the best of us sometimes he he.

But com'on, are you saying that boxing is full of talented, dynamic fighters now? They don't look so hot to me: Rahman, Toney, Holyfield, and the whole lot of them are second string. The only one that is interesting to watch is Klitschko, the Ukrainian.

If we're not in the doldrums now, I fear to think what the doldrums may be like then!

[AllanJGAnderson]

Personally I think that Evander is just past his prime. Title shot? Not a chance, would it be cool? Absolutly! But I just think that he's past his prime, happens to the best of 'em (us).

[ezzthetic]

The only one that is interesting to watch is Klitschko, the Ukrainian.

Yep, interesting to see whether he'll get knocked out this time or not. :D Wait, did I hear glass breaking somewhere?

No, the heavyweights are indeed in a sad state. O underrated generation of Holyfield, Lewis, Moorer, Morrison, Tyson, Mercer, Bowe, Golota (etc) whither hast thou gone?

If Toney gets in shape again I'll get excited though.

[GodofGamblers]

Lewis, Tyson and Holyfield, in their day, were excellent. But no one seems to have stepped up to replace them.

Bowe? Don't get me started... and Golota? He is an embarrassment to the sport.

I wonder if it is because of Don King, though I don't know anything about the inner workings of boxing as a business. Whoever controls the heavyweights controls boxing and Don King seems to be the man. Is he shutting out talented fighters? Is he killing the sport?

Almost every fighter that has had contact with him hates him and says they were ripped off by him, yet most admit that they wouldn't have got the paydays they did were it not for King.

I wonder if he has a few fighters he is 'grooming', waiting to explode on the scene...

Do you know anything about this, Dadi?

[ezzthetic]

Lewis, Tyson and Holyfield, in their day, were excellent. But no one seems to have stepped up to replace them.

Bowe? Don't get me started... and Golota? He is an embarrassment to the sport.

I wonder if it is because of Don King, though I don't know anything about the inner workings of boxing as a business. Whoever controls the heavyweights controls boxing and Don King seems to be the man. Is he shutting out talented fighters? Is he killing the sport?

Almost every fighter that has had contact with him hates him and says they were ripped off by him, yet most admit that they wouldn't have got the paydays they did were it not for King.

I wonder if he has a few fighters he is 'grooming', waiting to explode on the scene...

Do you know anything about this, Dadi?

The fighters I mentioned are for better or worse part of that generation's top crop. Bowe could fight and on his lucid days, so could Golota (certainly more than the majority of today's pretenders, which was my point).

Don King's grip on the heavyweight titles has loosened considerably recently and even though he wears it on his sleeve more than others, he is not the evil Dark Lord of boxing as presented to all. He is just one of many.

There are no heavyweight saviors waiting in the wings, unless you count Ike "The President" Ibeabuchi, a psychotic undefeated brute who hasn't fought since 1999. He was everything we needed in a heavyweight champ: chin, punch, boxing skills and heart. Too bad he makes Mike Tyson look like an enlightened ascetic monk compared to him. His trainer said he was utterly "crazy" about 30% of the time.

Today, Don King grooms the John Ruiz-es of the world. Such is boxing right now.