Chris Byrd Waiting In The Wings

By Ed Ludwig

24.03 - The deadline is looming and there is still no official confirmation of a Lennox Lewis vs. Mike Tyson showdown. This is one fight that I personally don't care about. Tyson has done nothing to earn a shot whereas many other challengers are clamouring for a shot at Lewis. One of them is Chris Byrd who has been relegated to play the waiting game.

Byrd (34-2 19 KO's) is the number one ranked contender by the IBF. After being dismantled by current WBO champion Wladimir Klitschko Byrd has rebounded nicely scoring impressive victories and near shutouts against Maurice Harris and David Tua. While Lewis and Tyson try to figure out where to stage their battle Byrd has said that he no longer wants to wait while this drags out and who could blame him?

If there is talk of a fight being made between anyone and the loopholes can't be worked out from the start then I say forget about it and move on. Lennox Lewis is not getting any younger and challengers like Byrd, Wladimir Klitschko, Fres Oquendo and Jameel McCline wait patiently in hopes of a shot at Lewis and the payday and exposure that can give a big boost to their respective careers.

Credit should go to these boxers that I have mentioned because they are not sitting on their rankings and they are taking on all comers and the risk that goes along with it. Chris Byrd is doing the right thing by not fighting in the interim. This could be his last crack for a title so in his case it's better to be safe than sorry. The possibility still looms for a Byrd vs. Oquendo IBF title fight should Oquendo get past Tua and if the IBF strips Lewis.

Looking at the big picture today I see Wladimir Klitschko as the biggest threat to Lewis' title reign. Klitschko dispatched of Byrd with relative ease and I can't see Byrd vs. Lewis being any different. The champ is to big and to strong for the mobile yet powerless Byrd. I have mixed feeling about Chris Byrd. You can't deny his talent and awkward style that frustrates most of his opponents.

When he lost to Ike Ibeabuchi and Wladimir Klitschko the excuses were rolling off his tongue. He was defeated convincingly yet he has to complain and make himself look bad. What bothers me is that ESPN2 analyst Max Kellerman seems to be in full support of Byrd and his outlandish claims that we have all heard time and time again. On last nights telecast he compares Klitschko to Diego Corrales based on skills and saying Corrales is better.

First off Max, they are not even in the same league, in weight or skills. Klitschko losing to Ross Puritty when he did was more of a blessing than a setback. He is the consensus number one Heavyweight in the world today. This comes from the people that matter most, the fans and not you. Klitschko learned a lot from the loss and look at where he is today. He is taking on all comers and defending his WBO title successfully each time out. What has Corrales done lately? Oh, how could I forget Max, he is in jail. The comparisons between the two have no substance or merit. For all we know Corrales could crash and burn once he returns to the ring.

I have no problem with Max hyping and making excuses for fighters like Byrd, Zab Judah and Francisco Bojado. He needs to get his facts straight and leave his personal opinions to himself. If I started ranting and raving about certain people and make predictions the backlash towards me would be harsh. It's not very often that I criticize fellow people from the boxing media. Max Kellerman is losing respect at a rapid rate. I suggest that he checks out the message board and read some of the comments that have been left by our readers. Kellerman also states that Klitschko has no heart.

As for Chris Byrd, he should keep a low profile and come next week if the Lewis Tyson issue isn't resolved then he should go make his application to the IBF and court once again if need be. The next few moths will be very interesting as there are some intriguing bouts that should set the picture in the Heavyweight landscape. Pretty soon it will be out with the old and in with the new and I can't wait. I am not one for predictions but if Byrd vs. Lewis does happen then I predict that Byrd will be flying the coup pretty quick.