jbrunner3
09-20-2007, 08:33 PM
I can't help thinking of how much better the sport of boxing (especially heavyweight boxing) would be if only the right FIGHTS would be made at the right time. If only the best fighters would fight the other best fighters....looking back on heavyweight history, here's what I believe we missed (and why)
2007- Wladimir Klitschko vs. Ruslan Chagaev (politics)
2006- Wladimir Klitschko vs. Nikolay Valuev (Don King)
2005- Vitali Klitschko vs. Hasim Rahman (Vitali's injuries)
2004- Vitali Klitschko vs. Chris Byrd 2 (Vitali avoiding Byrd)
2003- Lennox Lewis vs. Vitali Klitschko 2 (Lewis retired)
2002- Lennox Lewis vs. Wladimir Klitschko (Lewis went for $ tyson)
2001- Evander Holyfield vs. Mike Tyson 3 (Holyfield busy chasing belts)
2000- Lennox Lewis vs. Ike Ibeabuchi (Ibeabuchi legal trouble)
1999- Lennox Lewis vs. David Tua (Lewis busy w/Holyfield)
1998- Lennox Lewis vs. Evander Holyfield 2 (both wanted easier fights)
1997- Lennox Lewis vs. Riddick Bowe 3 (worth a trilogy)
1996- Mike Tyson vs. Riddick Bowe (both wanted easy fights)
1995- Riddick Bowe vs. Lennox Lewis 2 (Lewis hibernated)
1994- Lennox Lewis vs. Evander Holyfield (would unify the belts)
1993- Riddick Bowe vs. Lennox Lewis (Chicken Bowe, unforgiveable)
1992- George Foreman vs. Larry Holmes (why not bid farewell this way)
1991- Evander Holyfield vs. Mike Tyson (Tyson injury)
1990- Mike Tyson vs. George Foreman (someone ducked someone)
1989- Mike Tyson vs. Michael Spinks 2 (Spinks gave up)
1988- Tyson literally went after everyone
1987- Larry Holmes vs. Michael Spinks 3 (Larry gave up)
1986- Mike Tyson vs. Tim Witherspoon (Tyson went for Berbick)
1985- Larry Holmes vs. Tim Witherspoon 2 (Holmes wanted Spinks)
1984- Larry Holmes vs. Pinklon thomas (Holmes took it easy)
1983- Larry Holmes vs. Michael Dokes (Dokes fought Coetzee)
2007- Wladimir Klitschko vs. Ruslan Chagaev (politics)
2006- Wladimir Klitschko vs. Nikolay Valuev (Don King)
2005- Vitali Klitschko vs. Hasim Rahman (Vitali's injuries)
2004- Vitali Klitschko vs. Chris Byrd 2 (Vitali avoiding Byrd)
2003- Lennox Lewis vs. Vitali Klitschko 2 (Lewis retired)
2002- Lennox Lewis vs. Wladimir Klitschko (Lewis went for $ tyson)
2001- Evander Holyfield vs. Mike Tyson 3 (Holyfield busy chasing belts)
2000- Lennox Lewis vs. Ike Ibeabuchi (Ibeabuchi legal trouble)
1999- Lennox Lewis vs. David Tua (Lewis busy w/Holyfield)
1998- Lennox Lewis vs. Evander Holyfield 2 (both wanted easier fights)
1997- Lennox Lewis vs. Riddick Bowe 3 (worth a trilogy)
1996- Mike Tyson vs. Riddick Bowe (both wanted easy fights)
1995- Riddick Bowe vs. Lennox Lewis 2 (Lewis hibernated)
1994- Lennox Lewis vs. Evander Holyfield (would unify the belts)
1993- Riddick Bowe vs. Lennox Lewis (Chicken Bowe, unforgiveable)
1992- George Foreman vs. Larry Holmes (why not bid farewell this way)
1991- Evander Holyfield vs. Mike Tyson (Tyson injury)
1990- Mike Tyson vs. George Foreman (someone ducked someone)
1989- Mike Tyson vs. Michael Spinks 2 (Spinks gave up)
1988- Tyson literally went after everyone
1987- Larry Holmes vs. Michael Spinks 3 (Larry gave up)
1986- Mike Tyson vs. Tim Witherspoon (Tyson went for Berbick)
1985- Larry Holmes vs. Tim Witherspoon 2 (Holmes wanted Spinks)
1984- Larry Holmes vs. Pinklon thomas (Holmes took it easy)
1983- Larry Holmes vs. Michael Dokes (Dokes fought Coetzee)