“Randy’s Ringside” on Ringside Report
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By Randy “The Commish” Gordon
Ya’ gotta’ love what’s going on in the heavyweight division. After Mike Tyson’s meteor burned out, along came the vastly-talented, dominant, hard-hitting Klitschkos, Vitali and his younger brother, Wladimir. After a terrific battle against Lennox Lewis in 2003 for Lewis’ WBC title—a bout won by Lewis on a sixth-round TKO via a severe gash over Klitschko’s left eye—Lewis hung up his gloves. For good.
No matter how much Klitschko…and promoters…and the media…and fans…begged Lewis to give Klitschko a rematch, Lewis said he was through. He meant it. Klitschko won Lewis’ vacated title 10 months later, and continued to box until 2012. From the time he fought Lewis, Klitschko fought 13 times, winning each of them, 10 by knockout. As he pounded out challengers, little brother Wladimir had won all the belts of all the other alphabet organizations and was doing his own demolition job on the division. Talented contenders fell short—or simply fell—when they faced Wladimir’s heavy hands.
As the Klitschko’s wrecking ball fists were putting opponents—as well as fans—to sleep, a slew of young hopefuls were making their way up through the ranks. There was 2008 U.S. Olympic Bronze Medal winner Deontay Wilder. There was 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist Anthony Joshua. There was Tyson Fury. There was Mexican-American Andy Ruiz, JR.
After a yawn-inducing decision win against Bryant Jennings in April 2015, Wladimir was in the midst of an 11-year, 22-fight winning streak. Despite his dominance, which is sure to make him a first-ballot selection for induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, his fights were less-than-captivating. They were like bullfights, and he was the matador. The matador always wins.
Then came 2015. That was the year the heavyweight division took on an entirely new look.
First came the coronation of the 32-0, 32 KO’s Deontay Wilder, when he won a 12-round decision—the only decision on his record to date—against Bermane Stiverne. Stiverne had captured the vacant WBC title seven months earlier, when he won Vitali Klitschko’s vacated title with a stoppage of Chris Arreola.
Then came November 28, 2015. Remember the date. That was the day the heavyweight division took on an entirely new look.
In front of a capacity crowd of over 55,000 in the ESPRIT Arena in Dusseldorf, Germany, and a worldwide audience watching on HBO, Tyson Fury completely befuddled, confused, de-fused and outpointed Klitschko over 12 rounds to capture Klitschko’s WBA, WBO, IBF and IBO belts.
The Klitschko Era was over!
Following Fury ascending to the top of the heavyweight mountain, Fury fell from his perch. Hard!
He went from world champion to a complete and total wreck. There was an indulgence in food, alcohol and drugs, plus a myriad of mental problems. Fury’s weight ballooned from his title-winning weight of 247 to well over 350 pounds. Some say he was carrying almost 400 pounds on his 6’9” frame. In that same amazing year of 2015, Anthony Joshua stepped into the spotlight. He beat Dillian Whyte inside seven fast-paced rounds, making him.
When the IBF stripped Fury of their title late in 2015, the organization ordered Charles Martin and Vyacheslav Glazkov to fight for the vacant crown. On January 16, 2016, Martin stopped Glazkov in the second round to claim the IBF belt.
Less than three months later, an underprepared Martin took his title to London to face Anthony Joshua. Joshua stopped Martin at 1:32 of the second round.
After defenses against Dominic Breazeale and Eric Molina, Joshua put his title on the line against former champ Wladimir Klitschko on April 29, 2017. The title was not just for Joshua’s IBF belt, but for the WBA and IBO titles, which Fury had removed because of his post-Klitschko meltdown. In 2017’s “Fight of the Year,” Joshua outpunched Klitschko, stopping him in the 11th round, sending the Ukrainian legend into retirement. Joshua finished the year with a 10th round knockout of Carlos Takam.
Meanwhile, Wilder was crushing opponents. In 2016, he knocked out challengers Artur Szpilka and Chris Arreola. In 2017, Gerald Washington and Bermane Stiverne were knocked out. Stiverne, at a press conference three days before the fight, had promised to regain his title from Wilder. He was never in the fight, stopped by Wilder in 2:59 of the opening round.
Then came 2018.
Joshua outpointed Joseph Parker and stopped former champion Alexander Povetkin, Wilder stopped Cuba’s Luis Ortiz in a slugfest on March 3, and the talk was on. Wilder Vs Joshua has to happen.
They negotiated, but both sides made it seem as if the other didn’t want the fight.
As they talked and ripped each other on social media, Fury, who had gotten his act back together, launched a comeback. He stooped Sefer Seferi in his June 2018 comeback, then outpointed Francesco Pianeta in August. Incredibly, he then signed to face Deontay Wilder on December 1.
At the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Wilder knocked Fury down twice, but had to settle for a draw. To this day, both camps claim they won. The fight was highlighted by a crushing, left hook knockdown of Fury in the 12th round, a knockdown he not only arose from, but came back later in the round to give Wilder problems.
Following the fight, Fury and his promoter, Frank Warren, signed a co-promotional deal with boxing’s biggest promoter, Top Rank. Fury fought and beat previously unbeaten and tall Tom Schwarz in June and previously unbeaten and tall Otto Wallin in September.
In May, Wilder need a single right hand to knock out Dominic Breazeale in the first round. Two weeks later, at Madison Square Garden, in one of the shockers of 2019, Andy Ruiz, JR. picked himself off the floor in the third round to come back and stop Joshua in round 7. Their rematch is scheduled on December 7 in Saudi Arabia. As for Wilder, he will be facing Ortiz in a rematch on November 23 in Las Vegas.
In his fight against Wallin, Fury suffered two cuts—one above his right eye brow and the other on his right eyelid, and is relegated to “fighting” in the WWE—for tons of money—in a scripted “bout” against Braun Strowman later in October.
In addition to those heavyweight stars, four more are poised for big fights—maybe even title shots, in 2020. They are Daniel Dubois, Tony Yoka, Joe Joyce and Efe Ajagba.
I’ll be taking a look at the heavyweight you can expect to hear from in 2020, in my next column.
As I said earlier, “Ya’ gotta love what’s going on in the heavyweight division.”
Oh, let’s not forget the Superfight this weekend: Regis Prograis Vs Josh Taylor in the WBSS 140lb finals.
Can you say “Fight of the Year” candidate!
Randy “The Commish” Gordon is the Author of the hit book, “Glove Affair”. Order your copy by clicking HERE.
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