Who's got Knuckle Game? by Corey D.


I don't know about you but I am sick and tired of all these big Pay Per View
fights turning into nothing but a cheap version of a WWF show. Wait...that might
be a bad comparison cause the WWF shows actually last as long as they are
suppose to. The boxing Pay Per Views almost always end up being a bust. For the
first hour or two you watch two guys that you have never heard of dance around
the ring and fill time before the main event. During the whole show you are
stuck listening to two guys, one of which is usually a punch drunk former champ,
try to explain what is going on and take wild stabs at who won the last round.
Then if your are lucky, extremely lucky, both men are left standing in the last
round of the main event. If you actually get a full match of main event boxing,
its a miracle! But then comes the final travesty. You see if both men are left
standing at the end of the match the outcome is decided by the judges. Lets talk
about this. Here we are at the climax of a great match between two warriors and
the people that are going to proclaim one a winner and send the other packing
are about as consistent as a pubescent teenager's emotions. The sport of boxing
has been humiliated on more then one occasion by these "judges". Personal, I
don't think some of these clowns are qualified to judge a wet tee shirt contest.
But the sport of Boxing has a chance to redeem itself with the much anticipated
bout pitting World Champion Lennox Lewis against the big man with the little
voice, "Iron" Mike Tyson.

Both of these men bring to the ring incredible firepower and records.
Combined the two have fought 91 bouts with a record of 86 wins (80 by Knock
Out), 4 losses, and one "no contest". Both these men know how to bring it. But
will this match fall short of the hype and expectations like so many matches
before? Its hard to say. I honestly hope not though. Lennox Lewis has incredible
boxing skill and good punching power scoring 29 knock outs in his 40 bouts. Mike
Tyson on the other hand brings what some consider the most furious untapped
power in the sport of boxing and his bad boy reputation. Tyson has fought 11
more times then Lewis and of his 51 bouts he has left 42 of his opponents
sucking wind face up catching a ten count. Pretty impressive. Matter of fact,
most fans believe that if "Iron" Mike had been able to keep his cool and hadn't
gotten caught up with the wrong people he could have been one of the most
destructive forces in the sport. Unfortunately, he will most likely go down in
history as the guy that bite off Evander Holyfield's ear.

The sport of boxing has lost a lot of creditability with its big pay outs,
questionable decisions, and big top show style in recent years but this match
could be its salvation. If this match lives up to even half of its potential
there is a good chance that there will be a rebirth in the popularity of boxing.
Lets just hope that Tyson doesn't blow it. Remember we are talking about a guy
that said his last fight was his last, bite off Holyfield's ear, is currently
suspended for testing positive for marijuana, and was convicted of rape. And
that's only what I can pull off the top of my head. The typical posturing is
already starting to take place as Mike Tyson says he wants to fight as soon as
July but that is highly unlikely. If this fight is really going to go down then
there are a lot of factors that could push that date back. First off, Lewis is
expected to fight Hasim Rahman on April 21 in Johannesburg, South Africa at the
invitation of its former President Nelson Mandela. Then there is the possibility
of Tyson fighting either David Izon or Shannon Briggs in March or April. But the
real hold up is with the Showtime and HBO for broadcasting rights. Now there is
a fight they should put on Pay Per View! Unfortunately this is already starting
to look like a typical Boxing event. All bark and no bite.

I grew up watching great matches were the focus was on strategies and
punching power not pay outs and broadcasting rights. This sports has been turned
into nothing short of a freak show. What happen to the days where a boxer was
more worried about his opponent then this pay check. When a boxer would was
fighting for more then money. That was when they would throw down some serious
knuckle game. I can only hope that this match lives up to the expectations cause
in the end if you cut through all the song and dance I really only want to know
one simple thing....Who's got the best knuckle game.



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Corey Dragge runs www.surepick.com where you can find all the sports
handicapping information that you could ever need including FREE picks.
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