Sports

Tuesday January 31, 2006

Boxing luminaries debate need for creating super heavyweight division

CANCUN, Mexico: When the 2.13-meter (7-foot), 148-kilo (327-pound) Nikolay Valuev won the heavyweight crown over the 1.88-meter (6-foot-2), 109-kilo (238-pound) John Ruiz, many wondered whether the Russian was fighting a rival from a lesser division.

Standing side by side, Ruiz was dwarfed by his much-bigger opponent, who became the tallest and heaviest heavyweight boxing champion in history.

Some think the time has come to tinker with the heavyweight division to accommodate the super-sized fighters.

"I think they may as well try and squeeze in a super heavyweight division, as they had in the amateurs at one time,'' said Michael Spinks, who was the first light heavyweight champion to win the heavyweight crown.

Spinks' comments came at the World Boxing Council Night of Champions event in this Mexican resort town.

In the 1930's, Joe Louis weighed 90 kilos (200 pounds) and was 1.88 meters (6-foot-2).

Four decades later, Muhammad Ali topped the bill at 1.91 meters (6-feet-3) and 98 kilos (215 pounds).

And by the 1990's, Lennox Lewis was ruling the division at 1.96 meters (6-feet-5) and 109 kilos (240 pounds).

George Foreman last won a major heavyweight belt in 1995, tipping the scales at 116 kilos (256 pounds).

Rex Walker, president of the North American Boxing Federation, said creating a super heavyweight division is not a current issue.

"A good heavyweight doesn't need to be a giant, fat or large,'' he said.

"I don't think there's enough quality fighters in this large size that would make it worthwhile. Just being a giant doesn't make you a good boxer.''

But that won't stop some from suggesting the idea.

Ken Norton, who defeated Muhammad Ali in 1973 and fought at as high as 102 kilos (225 pounds) late in his career, favors a super heavyweight division.

"Muhammad Ali could have faked out a guy like Valuev... probably. But then again, Ali was one of the greats. To fight a man with a 300-pound (136-kilo) punch is devastating,'' he said.

But not everybody favors the idea, and many agree that bigger does not necessarily mean better in boxing.

"For a guy who weighs over 230 pounds (104 kilos), in 12 rounds he's using up a lot of energy,'' Lewis said.

"And there may be an opponent out there that weighs under this that can probably beat you, but he definitely is at a big disadvantage weight and height-wise.''

Heavyweight contender Shannon Briggs, a big man himself at 1.93 meters (6-feet-4) and 113 kilos (250 pounds), agrees.

"The big guys have never been the great fighters. Besides Lennox Lewis, there's never been a guy over 6-feet-4-inches tall that's been a great champion. You know, I think we'll be able to handle it,'' Briggs said.

"Big guys can't punch.

"Jack Dempsey fought Jess Willard and he was outweighed by a hundred or more pounds, and look what Dempsey did! He was a great champion.''

Dempsey weighed 85 kilos (187 pounds) for the 1919 world title bout, knocking down Willard, who weighed 111 kilos (245 pounds), seven times in the first round and won when the referee stopped the fight in the third. - AP


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