At Least They're Trying

by Kyle Smith, Doberman On The Diamond

It is a well known fact that professional boxing needs a pick-me-up. With the emergence of Mixed Martial Arts and the lack of free T.V. exposure, boxing is at a low point in America.

Part of that problem lies at the hands of the heavyweight division. With Lennox Lewis retired, Evander Holyfield aging quicker than somebody with progeria, and Mike Tyson doing whatever it is insane people do, the most glamorous division in the sport has no true superstar.

So, to try and drum up some interest in the sport, four heavyweights will participate in a tournament for the right to take on current heavyweight champ Wladimir Klitschko. The problem isn't the concept. It's the fighters taking part.

Chris Byrd, Alexander Povetkin, Eddie Chambers and Calvin Brock are the four who will vie for the opportunity to fight Klitschko and become the world champion. So what's the problem with these four? Well, they just aren't tantalizing names.

Only Byrd is ranked in Ring Magazine's current top 10 heavyweight contenders, at number eight. Also, not only is Byrd 37 years old, when he last faced Klitschko in 2006, he got destroyed and lost by TKO.

Chambers is a young up and comer, and probably deserves a look, but he has yet to face any truly formidable competition.

Brock also lost to Klitschko, getting knocked out in the 7th round, in one of the only notable fights of his career.

Povetkin is interesting, as he did win a gold medal in the heavyweight division at the 2004 Olympics. However, he comes from a kickboxing background and only started boxing at age 21.

Boxing has the right idea. They need to do whatever they can to drum up interest. But this division just doesn't have the necessary names.

And though it will never happen, it would be a great idea to do this in a weight class that does have those names, such as Welterweight. That division features fighters like Floyd Mayweather, Shane Mosley, Zab Judah, Kermit Cintron and Miguel Cotto. Or how about Jr. Lightweight? That weight class is made up of people like Manny Pacquiao, Edwin Valero and Juan Manuel Marquez.

And while we may never get those names in a tournament, at least this is a step in the right direction for boxing, and you have to give them some credit for that.