Is Showtime Sports general manager Ken Hershman currently working on putting together a Heavy Six Heavyweight tournament? If he’s not, he certainly should think about it. Given the attention that the network’s Super Six World Boxing Classic tournament has brought to the 168-pound division, one has to wonder if Showtime is also contemplating a heavyweight tournament to add some much needed excitement to a division that’s quickly being forgotten about. In fact, if I may be so bold, I’d like to suggest to Mr. Hershman the following candidates to participate in said tournament: Antonio Tarver, James Toney, David Tua, Hasim Rahman, Shannon Briggs and Tomasz Adamek.
With the recent announcement that commentator and former light heavyweight champion Antonio Tarver is returning to the ring as a heavyweight, not to mention a number of former top heavyweight contenders all looking to make another run for the titles, now is the perfect time for Showtime to get back into the business of heavyweight boxing, particularly when rival network HBO has made the decision to forego televising the most recent title defenses of champions Wladimir Klitschko, Vitali Klitschko and David Haye. When it comes to the heavyweight division, the depth of talent is thin to say the least. That being said, Showtime’s tournament style format, along with the attitude and punching power of the six aforementioned fighters, is sure to bring fireworks to a division that has been lacking excitement for quite some time.
Obviously, I’d love to see a younger fighter like Chris Arreola participating in the tournament, but much like the exclusion of IBF super middleweight champion Lucian Bute from the Super Six tournament, there are extenuating circumstances, namely Arreola’s close ties with HBO, which will prevent him from signing on to a tournament televised by Showtime. Likewise, if the goal is to bring excitement back to a lackluster division, certain fighters, like Eddie Chambers, Fres Oquendo, Tony Thompson and Johnathon Banks, will just simply have to be left out. No disrespect to any of those guys, but none of them exactly have the type of style that will produce fireworks. That being said, any of the fighters that I did mention can easily be replaced should it become difficult to finalize negotiations for the tournament with any of them. If Adamek’s promoter, Main Events, is reluctant to participate, perhaps Top Rank would be willing to offer up the services of Sam Peter. The point is, with the names already mentioned, there’s enough intriguing style matchups, bad blood and unfinished business to create a heavyweight tournament that’s sure to get boxing’s glamour division back on television and fans interested in watching the big boys once more.
So with that, I present to you my proposal for Showtime’s Heavy Six World Classic Boxing Tournament:
FIGHTERS
Antonio Tarver David Tua Hasim Rahman James Toney Shannon Briggs Tomasz Adamek
* Alternate: Sam Peter GROUP STAGE 1
James Toney vs. Antonio Tarver St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Florida
Hasim Rahman vs. David Tua Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey
Tomasz Adamek vs. Shannon Briggs The United Center in Chicago, Illinois GROUP STAGE 2
James Toney vs. Hasim Rahman Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan
David Tua vs. Shannon Briggs Madison Square Garden in New York, New York
Antonio Tarver vs. Tomasz Adamek The Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey GROUP STAGE 3
James Toney vs. David Tua Staples Center in Los Angeles, California
Antonio Tarver vs. Shannon Briggs Foxwoods Resort in Mashantucket, Connecticut
Hasim Rahman vs. Tomasz Adamek Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey Okay, so it may not be the perfect plan, but it’s a start. I know for a fact that FightHype.com could easily get 3 out of the 6 names to verbally commit within a week, and given the fact that most of them are all eager to step back into the ring, money should not be an issue. At the very least, there’s a number of interesting bouts that should give fans something to look forward to. A draw and a no contest against Rahman has Toney itching for a third bout. Likewise, a draw and a 10th round TKO loss to Tua should have Rahman looking for some payback. A battle between two former light heavyweight champions in Antonio Tarver and Tomasz Adamek is an interesting matchup at heavyweight. And David Tua against anyone is sure to have several moments of excitement.
Contrary to popular belief, no matter what combination of names you come up with, there actually are quite a few entertaining heavyweight bouts that can be made with the tournament format that Showtime has created. The key is to find hungry fighters who are eager to prove that they still have what it takes to get themselves back to the top of the division. All they need is the right opportunity and, in my opinion, Showtime is the network that can give them that platform to shine once more and resurrect a division that’s currently on life support.
