Klitschko loss big blow to boxing’s heavyweight division

There was supposed to be a heavyweight title fight Saturday night of some interest. Supposed to be, that is, before Vitali Klitschko hurt his knee and abruptly retired before the anesthesia had even worn off from his surgery.

If you don’t follow boxing closely – and it’s hard to do when four different fighters claim to be heavyweight champion – Klitschko was a pretty good story. The Ukrainian spoke four languages, had an advanced college degree, and hit like a mule.

He was someone, in other words, who had a chance to bring fans back to boxing.

That all vanished when Klitschko limped away from his WBC title defense against Hasim Rahman, deciding his 6-foot-8 body could not stand the rigors of boxing anymore.

Klitschko lost an $8 million payday, but his retirement cost boxing even more. A sport that a generation ago ranked as one of America’s favorites was marginalized even more by its failure to give the public a legitimate heavyweight champion.

“Everybody was looking at Klitschko as the real deal, the top heavyweight in the world,” promoter Bob Arum said. “That’s not going to happen now.”

To understand how far boxing has slipped, the cancellation of the Klitschko-Rahman fight just seven days before it was to take place caused barely a ripple in the sports world.

Indeed, there was more talk during the week about Muhammad Ali’s health than the current state of the heavyweight division.

The old adage in boxing is that, as the heavyweight division goes, so goes boxing. With that in mind, let’s look at the four fighters who currently hold title belts from the various organizations that seem to exist only to fatten the pockets of their officers.

Can’t name the champions? Relax, I’ll do it for you:

Hasim Rahman: Given the WBC title because of Klitschko’s retirement. Rahman’s biggest claim to fame was a one-punch knockout of Lennox Lewis, but he was knocked out by Lewis in the rematch and lost fights to John Ruiz and an aging Evander Holyfield.

Chris Byrd: Last seen sleepwalking through an IBF title defense against DaVarryl Williamson. Byrd is a crafty fighter who has boxing skills, but he can’t break an egg and can’t sell a ticket.

John Ruiz: He lost his last title fight but is still the WBA champion. Confused? Don’t be, he was given the belt back after James Toney tested positive for steroids. Ruiz, the master of the jab-and-grab, might be the most boring heavyweight fighter ever.

Lamon Brewster: Holds the WBO version of the title. Once lost to Clifford Etienne. Enough said.

This group of heavyweights is so motley it’s enough to make the hair on Don King’s head lay down.

So why is the heavyweight division so awful? It’s true that boxing’s cyclical. But, to begin with, the talent pool isn’t what it once was among the big men. Good athletes go into basketball and football these days instead of boxing, and it’s hard to blame them when they can make millions without getting hit in the face.

Those who do take the plunge not only have to fight, but also have to navigate their way through promoters and sanctioning bodies trying to pick their pockets.

Klitschko had made it to the top, but at the age of 34 he felt his body breaking down. He had postponed his fight with Rahman three times before it was finally called off, and he hadn’t fought in nearly a year.

That leaves his younger brother, Wladimir, as perhaps the only heavyweight the casual fan might be interested in seeing. Wladimir’s problem is he can’t stay upright long, but the combination of a heavyweight with a big punch and weak chin has always proved marketable.

The so-called champions, meanwhile, are now all controlled by King, who now has a chance to match them against each other and give the world an undisputed heavyweight champion.

That would make it easier for someone at a party to answer the trivia question of who is the heavyweight champion of the world.

With this sorry group of heavyweights, though, it’s not likely to do much for boxing.