Overweight Rahman Does Just Enough to Win
If Rahman (41-6-2) was trying to send a message to the heavyweight division in his first fight back, the message seemed to be "I am not serious about my career and the only sense in which I'm a professional is that I get paid to fight". Well, last night he shouldn't have been paid as he showed up at a career high 261 pounds - down from a reported 306 - and gave a performance that had all the energy and electricity of a sparring session.
Sykes (25-3-1) actually seemed as if he might score the upset until the ninth when he was penalized a point for low blows and then knocked down at the end of the round. Sykes hurt Rahman in the tenth but it was too little, too late as the judges scored the "fight" 99-90, 97-91 and 95-93 -- all for Rahman.
Watching this bout was a painful reminder of one of boxing's fundamental problems: Fighters in the heavyweight division are compensated better and receive more coverage in the media than fighters in any other division. Yet it's only the heavyweights who routinely show up grossly overweight and ill-prepared to perform to the best of their abilities. Honestly, when was the last time you heard of a bout referred to as boring, lacking in action or resembling a sparring session that was not a heavyweight fight?
The NFL would have similar problems if players at football's glamour position - quarterback - tended to be the least disciplined and prepared participants on the field. Could you ever imagine Peyton Manning or Brett Favre showing up for a game as woefully unprepared as Rahman was last night? Of course not . . .
Comments
Excellent article this was! By the way, Joe Mesi already targets Hasim in what you could call a true
invitation to make you give up all the stories people tell you about
logic, time and understandable characters in the Hwt Division. Mesi vs
Rahman is guaranteed to try the patience of most hwt division fans and
would serve up enough irrationally disturbing images of the 100 worst
fights ever in one atmosphere of true metempsychosis… Then and in another bizarre match, Sasha or
Alexander Povetkin is more like a grapefruit not looking too ripe
either so that his people lose their bananas and go from the
overflowingly open Monte Barret to the infuriating impenetrability of
Larry Donald. To end up this, I have to point my finger to the WBC
commission for giving credit to these unwholesome results ( Toney vs
Berchelder in favor of Toney before James took a forced vacation AGAIN), eccentric top contenders and most
recent title fights ( like distressing, interminable bore Toney vs
Rahman) which are everything but a strong case for the so-called Queen
division in boxing, are more like an exercise of self-parody really…
This story typifies much of the lack of interest in boxing in general and the reason why MMA is taking over the fan’s interest in sports combat. Besides most heavyweight fights, most lighter weight fights between skilled, prepared fighters are 2 guys dancing and clinching for 10 rounds and are much less interesting and exciting than most MMA fights.
this is why people long for a burnt out mike tyson to comeback…..because there is no excitement anymore…out of shape heavyweights…rahman,briggs,toney rely on talent and no discilpine for the basic rules of success which is training…and UNtalented fighters with heart gets the praise of fighters of the year…..ALI/FOREMAN/HOLMES and early MIKE TYSON was something to watch friday or saturdays………because they were prepared even against joe nobody…..briggs needs his big 6′6 @$$ kick for sqaundering all his tools to be a pretty boy back in the 90’s……….rahamn………nuff said..i hope oleg unifies and has some a descent run as champion