KLITSCHKO HAS ANOTHER OWWIE!
It is a classic moment in the greatest football movie of all time, TheProgram. The head coach hovers above his new freshman running back whohas just had the wind knocked out of him and asks, Are you hurt or are youinjured? The player asks what the difference is and his coach replies,If youre injured, you cant play. If youre hurt, you can. Thatis the question all of boxing was left with over the weekend with the news that WBC/HBO/RingMagazine but hardly World Heavyweight Champion Vitali Klitschko(35-2, 34 KOS) has again postponed his title defense against former champ HasimRahman (41-5-1, 33 KOS). Is Klitschko hurt or injured? Thereare conflicting reports.
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QUITALI MAKES SURE TO FIND RIGHT MD!
According to various sources, Klitschko manager Bernd Boente is makingthe claim that Klitschko suffered a torn meniscus and bone bruise in one of hisknees as diagnosed by Dr. Bert Mendelbaum on Friday. So what is theconflicting report? According to FightNews on Saturday, Dr. TonyDaly of the LA Sports Medicine Clinic cleared Klitschko to fight, notingthat he had suffered only a sprain and had no ligament tears or fractures in theknee. Klitschko is seeking a third knee specialists opinion on how toproceed, but perhaps it is time that Dr. Ironfist seek out a cardiologistbecause again his heart is in question.
KLITSCHKOS TENUOS POSITION BREAKS FOURTH WALL!
Klitschko has benefited from the support and adulation of boxings mostnotable media staples, HBO and Ring Magazine, ever since he LOST (its easy toforget that with the symbolic fellatio given Klitschko by these institutions) toan out-of-shape Lennox Lewis. In acting, the fourth wall is the invisiblebarrier between the audience and the performers. In boxing, that wall isthe place where the average fan can pretend that money and politics are not moreimportant that the product in the ring. The Klitscko debacle that began thenight HBO and Ring Magazine tried to sell his April 2004 win over CorrieSanders as the coronation of the next REAL heavyweight champion in the wakeof Lewiss retirement has now reached the summit of its stupidity.
THE PUBLIC RELATIONS GAME FOR A CHAMP!
I have always taken to heart something that Larry Merchant said thenight Lennox Lewis stopped Razor Ruddock in 1992. He notedthat one should never overrate a fighter based on how they looked in losses (asRuddock was after his losses to Mike Tyson). Fast forward to today,and that is exactly what has occurred. How did we get to Klitschko-Sanders? Priorto the Lewis fight, Klitschko had never beaten a universally recognized top tencontender. The only time he faced one in 2000, Chris Byrd, he quitwith a huge lead and two rounds to go against a fighter who hasnt knocked outanyone of note EVER. Fast forward to the aftermath of the Lewis-Klitschkobattle. While Byrd faltered to a highly controversial win in a September2003 defense against Fres Oquendo, Klitschko beat a Kirk Johnsonwho was not in the Rings top ten. Byrd though had been the leadingheavyweight contender and had faced and cleanly beaten two top ten heavyweights(Evander Holyfield, David Tua) in the years since the Vitali win whilecompiling an overall record against top ten foes of 4-2 through 2003. Ringmoved Klitschko into their number one contenders spot without the samerigorous tests, proudly declaring him top contender with an 0-1 record againsttheir top ten and a title fight lossoh, and that big win over a Johnson whohad a hall of fame pair of man-tits that night.
BYRD NOT THE ONLY ONE OVERLOOKED!
Corrie Sanders had done a number in 2003 on the number one contender of thattime, Wladimir Klitschko, in securing his FIRST win over a legitimate topten contender and had emerged as the number three contender at Ring ahead of JohnRuiz. At first, that seemed acceptable. Ruiz had just lost to RoyJones. However, as Sanders spent a year on the shelf negotiatingfights, Ruiz got back in the ring and won two bouts against top ten foes (Rahmanand Oquendo). Yes, both fights sucked but a win is a win and Ruiz hadwracked up four wins against men in the Ring Magazine top ten from 2001 to 2004. Sandershad the Wlad Klitschko win and a loss to Rahman. Ring chose not to adjusttheir rankings with only a week to go between Ruiz-Oquendo and THEIR title fightbetween a number one and number three contender (a rule that they have alwaysdeclared conditional but never treated as such). At Ring Magazine, it isTWO that is seemingly the loneliest number. As a personal note, Ring is onmy list now not only for their stupid 1 versus 3 rule but also for making medefend Ruiz. Thats just an awful thing for anyone to have to do. WhenSanders and his second place to Johnson man-tits were knocked out by big Vitali,the game was afoot.
POLLS & BELTS MEAN NOTHING WITHOUT FIGHTS!
HBO went so far as to have a poll to ask fans whom they thought was the realchamp. Vitali won. Ring has written numerous editorials declaringthemselves and their title policy damn near next to Jesus as regards Vitali. Andthat is where the fourth wall has crumbled. Its really very simple. Ifyou have to argue for YOUR champion, then you are in no better position than theGod-awful sanctioning bodies that already deplete the sports credibility. Klitschkosposition was awarded him with buzzwords like charisma (hes white),marketability (hes white) and knockout puncher (he hits hard andhes white). It sure as hell wasnt based on actual wins against topheavyweights. As regards Boxings most important division, polls, networkinterests, squabbles with the promoter who is in control of most of the division(Don King) and magazine sales should never trump real fights. Andnow here we all are with HBO and Ring again trying to explain what makes VitaliTHE MAN and why we should give a damn during his umpteenth postponement of theyear.
VITALI ONLY A SYMPTOM OF REAL PROBLEM!
I cant say whether Vitali is hurt or injured. His past track recordsays it could be either. It doesnt really matter. This would all be moreexcusable if it werent for the items outlined above. Boxing fans are notstupid people and yet they have been treated that way by those who are supposedto present the sport in its best light. HBO and Ring are for many the faceof the game and they have arguably tried to manipulate that face rather than dowhat they are best at. HBO should show good fights and Ring should writeabout them and if they are going to declare champions again (and traditiondictates that this is not all bad) then they should do it correctly. Thesales pitch for this fight was more manipulation, with the company line beingthat this was the best match in the division, skipping over the fact that Rahmanhimself has only one win against a top ten heavyweight in the last four years. Still,its not too hard to see through the smoke to the only facts that matter: Itsgoing on three years since Lewis last fought. We still have no champion atheavyweight. And the only definitely injured party is the sport of Boxing. Thoseare the facts. Get ready to enjoy the spin.
24-KARAT NOTEBOOK
IBF 168 lb. king Jeff Lacy may be hitting his prime already. Therecomes a point when a fighter regularly begins to dispatch mid-level contenderswith ease that marks that he has truly arrived. Lacy, in obliterating ScottPemberton Saturday, had his third such performance of the year. Itremains to be seen whether he can now move into the upper echelon with a fightagainst Joe Calzaghe or Antonio TarverPlease note that Lacycalled out everyone BUT WBA 168 king Mikkel Kessler. Theother fights may make him a star but Kessler will be the man who defines LacyRafaelMarquez-Silence Mabuza seemed on the verge of being a great fight when cutshalted the affair. Both fighters left the ring with their stock raised andthe whisper of Marquez-Oscar Larios should make all fights fans shoutwith joyHey Jaidon Codrington, John Ruiz called to remind you that thedream is still alive. 18 second knockout losses rarely tell a true storySechewPowell may still have a suspect chin but the rest of him is a completefighter. He is technically as good or better now than Lacy or JermainTaylor were at the seventeen fight mark.
Cliff Rold
Note: 24-Karat Rold is not just the best young boxing writer onthe planet. He is also an award winning poet and recently received hisMasters degree in US Foreign Policy at the American University in Washington DC. Hecan be reached with your comments at [email protected]