You?ve heard it a million times.
The heavyweight division is boring, dying, terminal, dead.
Especially in America, the nation that used to rule boxing?s glamour division, cynical and jaded boxing writers have been pushing this clich?d storyline with mind-numbing consistency over the last decade, which just happens to coincide with the dominance of the Klitschko brothers, Wladimir and Vitali, from Ukraine.
Never mind that we all know, if we are to be honest, that were the Klitschkos named Wally and Victor and hailed from New York rather than Kiev, the storyline would be very different in America. The heavyweight division would be ?alive and well,? and the brothers would be the media stars here that they are in Germany and other parts of Europe.
But even if you detest the classy Klitschkos (and a perusal of Internet boxing forums shows that many do), it seems that the heavyweight division is coming back to life, in spite of the insistence of American boxing media types who rather perversely seem to want it to stay ?dead? and buried.
This summer has seen a renaissance of the heavyweight division, with some very good to excellent fights being made.
OK, so Wladimir Klitschko versus David Haye didn?t live up to expectations, but that?s mainly because those expectations, given Haye?s other lackluster performances at heavyweight and Wladimir?s cautious approach, were exaggerated. The fight turned out to be a highly technical affair, and for those who really appreciate that aspect of boxing, it was a good but not great fight. For those who want every heavyweight contest to be more of a barroom brawl, it was a disappointment.
But the really good thing is that Wlad vs Haye was made. The fight happened and it?s over with. Now the division can move on.
And move on it has. First, British heavyweights Tyson Fury and Dereck ?Del Boy? Chisora put on a very entertaining fight in London, with Fury showing more ring savvy than cynical boxing critics gave him credit for while taking Chisora?s British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles away. A mere babe in today?s heavyweight division at only 23 years of age, Fury looks to have a bright future indeed.
