Are you excited about boxing in 2004?

[Tony Montana]

Okay, this is my last rip on boxing today I swear. I just read this article entitled "Boxing is ready for a cracking year". While reading the article there wasn't one single thing that made me say "wow, I can't wait for that fight". Even the speculated Lewis-Klitschko rematch doesn't do a whole lot for me. Perhaps because I resent the out of the ring behaviour by Lewis so much. Being the heavyweight champion, how can you be allowed to be silent about your future plans for the last 7 months!?!?!? Doesn't the WBO have a rule that you must decide to defend your belt after 6 months? I guess like everything else it doesn't apply when there's big $ involved. Is that anyway for Lennox to treat a sport that has already made him and his future generations wealthy beyond belief? Is that anyway to treat your fans? How can you give a **** about a guy like Lennox when he behaves like this?

The article asks "I wonder what Lennox has been up to"? I'll tell you what he's been up to. Nothing! He's been around the Toronto club scene hanging with his friends for the past 7 months. I've seen him 3 times at downtown bars! And now he wants to return to the ring for 25-30 million? And he'll probably get it too because we as fight fans are that desparate to see a fight that actually means something in the HW division.

Personally the only guy that I look forward to seeing again in boxing is Ricardo Mayorga.

Okay, I'm done with my rant. Here's the article. Tell me what your thoughts are on boxing for 2004.

http://www.eastsideboxing.com/news.php?p=411&more=1

[dogofwar]

Lewis is 39 years old man, he has dedicated his life to boxing he won amatuer titles, an olympic gold medal, and multi-time champion and undisputed champion..

He has been a tribute to the sport. At this latter stages of his career, it's fine that he doesn't fight that often. He has a right to be enjoying himself. Manny Stewert said the last time he saw Lewis in Dec, Lennox was in good shape, Lennox told Manny he has been running and getting into shape. Lewis is one of the good guys. But I think he will return and this time leave no questions on Vitali..

Back to your main topic, "am I excited about boxing in 2004?" Yes! **** Yes! Gatti fights in like 2 weeks, he is Mr Excitement. Tsyzu/Mitchell II, McCline/Toney, Pac Man/Juan Manuel Marquez, Chavez/Morrales, Cotto/Sosa, Casamoyar/Corrales II, Mosley/Winky Wright, and now maybe Lewis/Klitschko II in this is all in the first quarter of the year..

Let's not forget the return of Tito Trinidad may also happen this year.

[Tony Montana]

Once again I am reminded that you dogofwar are a much bigger fan of boxing than myself. I looked at all those matchup and said "who"?

About Lennox I remember when Johnson pulled out of the fight, Lennox was on HBO saying "I'm in the best shape of my life. Me and Emmanuel are looking for another opponent because it would be a shame to let this great conditioning go to waste". One month later he showed up in the ring in the worst shape of his life.

[Lefty]

lennox said what he had to. what should he have said?," i'm a fat **** right now ...." .

there are a few decent fights to look forward to, but unless your a boxing fanatic, they probably wont mean much to the average guy.

gatti rocks! i love any fight he's involved in. greatest "tv" fighter ever. he's one of the few shining spots in boxing. pacman/marquez should be a war along with cassmayor/corrales. i love kostya tyszu, but i hate shrmba mitchel because of his boring "chris byrd" style fighting. i hope tyszu/gatti is made. unless lewis/vitaly or jones/tyson is made, the heavyweight div looks to be in the worst shape ever. hopefully mayweather steps up to the plate and takes on eric morales maybe? there could be some interesting fights in the lower weights.

[Cbear]

Does a mandatory fight frequency even exist anymore such as every 6 months or you forfeit the title? Or is it one of those loose rules of being stripped at commissions descretion? Should the rule be fight every 4 months or lose the belt (barring injury)? Every 6 months? No rule at all?

[themunchies]

Does a mandatory fight frequency even exist anymore such as every 6 months or you forfeit the title? Or is it one of those loose rules of being stripped at commissions descretion? Should the rule be fight every 4 months or lose the belt (barring injury)? Every 6 months? No rule at all?

There should definitely be a rule but I don't think such a rule exists anymore in an era full of prima donnas.

[THKS]

Mosley vs. Wright has gotten me interested to see how effective he is against a defensive south paw.

I agree that Pac Man vs. Marquez is going to be a war!

Many may disregard this fight, but I'm very interested in Calzaghe's move to 175 and his interest in a Gonzales fight. Gonzales can take it and keeps throwing. And when he does get caught clean he recuperates like nothing I've ever seen before. I still can't believe he got up from that punch Letterlough decked him with. Did you see his eyes? He looked like he was flat gone man. But he got up....and won the fight. Also there's a possible meeting between Tarver and Calzaghe or Tarver for Gonzales.

I'd also like to see what Floyd's going to pull off at 140, whomever he fights, then on to De la Hoya if Oscar agrees to it.

Finally, the possible return of Felix Trinidad, hopefully at 154....his best weight. I'm picking him now to KO De la Hoya. Oscar won't run this time...pride won't let 'em, besides he's said he's not letting the fight go the distance this time which mean's he'll have to stand at some point in time to assert himself and get caught by a hard counter from either hand. I've only seen Oscar "buzzed" slightly by Mosley, but never in serious trouble at any other time by anybody and Tito punches like no body else Oscar has faced and if he DOES put Tito down, well, we all know what usually happens when Tito is knocked down. He gets up and finishes his man. If nothing else, 2004 will at least be interesting.

[Tony Montana]

Does a mandatory fight frequency even exist anymore such as every 6 months or you forfeit the title? Or is it one of those loose rules of being stripped at commissions descretion? Should the rule be fight every 4 months or lose the belt (barring injury)? Every 6 months? No rule at all?

From what I've read all 4 sanctioning bodies require that as a champion you must come to terms with whom you are next going to fight within 6 months. But obviously this isn't enforced (ie. Lennox and Roy Jones).

There's also a rule that you must face your #1 mandatory challenger. I believe every year. But I find that hard to believe. Then again each sanctioning body has their own #1 challenger. So perhaps this is being done? Whatever. It's all about what you can market to the public.

[THKS]

Though I'm a hard core fan of boxing, I gotta agree with Tony here. Fighters often start off fighting more then three times a year when they are fighting four to eight round bouts, and maybe this is due to less time in the ring versus a world class fighter fighting ten or twelve (championship fights). But here's my peeve. In debates over the old fighters versus the new fighters and who would have taken who in dream matchups I've heard the argument of todays athelete being superior due to tech advances in training methods and equipment, blah blah blah....you know the spiel. Yet with all of this they still don't fight as long or as often as the old fighters did so in this I am disappointed. I can't remember when the last time Kostya Tszyu fought and what Lewis is doing pisses me off. Either fight or retire. Simple. Stop keeping the division in limbo. Another thing that pisses me off is fighters allowing their titles to dictate who they fight. Throw 'em in the trash and fight the best availible opponents. The fans know, belt or no belt, WHO the real champ is and no sanctioning body is going to tell me other wise.

[dogofwar]

Lewis, Kosta, these are guys at the tail end of their careers. When they were coming up, they fought many times per year. But you have to account for the age and phase of their career. Plus I don't think Kosta planned for the fight to be a year after his last, it was postponed.

[Lefty]

kostya could have been considered fighter of the year in 2002, but took a long well deserved break in 2003. (i heard he has a family now, and lewis just got married). guys like kostya,lewis,hopkins,jones jr,barrera and even oscar are coming to their career ends. (as much as i hate to say it) some may stick around longer than others, but overall they will be headed on their ways out.

as much as i hate to think about it, the new class of boxers seems to be hurting dont they? (i'll start a new thread for this one)

[porkstar]

If I see Jones vs Lewis, Klitschko vs Lewis, or Tyson vs Jones, that's all I would need and I'd be satisfied with pro boxing for the year.