BOXING: Chris Byrd def Evander Holyfield

[Guest Youth N Asia]

Chris Byrd should have already have fought Lewis by now. Stop ducking the man, Lennox.

 

I just stole this from boxing.com you can go there and read the rest of it.

 

Associated Press - December 15, 2002

 

 

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) - Chris Byrd exposed Evander Holyfield and embarrassed him.

 

About the only thing Byrd didn't do Saturday night was make Holyfield quit.

 

In a fight that showed just how far Holyfield has slipped at the age of 40, Byrd won the vacant IBF heavyweight title with a lopsided unanimous decision that kept Holyfield from being a heavyweight champion for the fifth time.

 

Byrd made Holyfield look like an amateur at times, hitting him with flurries and then moving quickly away and leaving Holyfield to take wild swings that hit nothing but air.

 

``Now the world sees I can stay in there with the great heavyweights because I just beat one of them,'' Byrd said.

 

Holyfield may have once been a great heavyweight, but he has won only twice in seven fights and is now even further from his improbable goal of winning the undisputed heavyweight title again.

 

Holyfield blamed an injured left shoulder for some of his problems and said he would not stop fighting.

 

``It's still there and my goal is still to be the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world,'' Holyfield said.

 

Byrd resisted Holyfield's efforts to turn the fight into a brawl, making him miss wildly throughout the fight.

 

Even in the late rounds, Holyfield was game as desperation took hold and he threw big punches at Byrd in an effort to knock him out. But Byrd seldom let Holyfield get off a clean shot, and usually punished him with a flurry of punches in return.

 

Byrd won 117-111 on two ringside scorecards and 116-112 on the third. The Associated Press had him winning 117-111.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

I can't STAND watching Chris Byrd, but I tuned in on this one just because it was a big fight. Holyfield is so over the hill that it isn't even funny. He isn't even the same fighter anymore. Byrd completely outboxed him for the majority of the fight. I scored it 117-111 like the judges did, giving the first and final two rounds to Evander based on a few good flurries. He needs to hang 'em up badly.

 

Byrd still hasn't proven that he's got KO power against top competition, and won most of the rounds with good jabs and his uncanny knack for not getting hit, which frustrates not only his opponent but most fans as well.

 

Byrd/Lewis would NOT be an entertaining fight, as it would be Byrd running most of the time until Lennox connects with a few shots and KOs him in a late round. He proved he has a suspect chin and can in fact be hit in his fights against Wladimir Klitschko and Ike Ibeabuchi. The key is patience, and Evander didn't have any. He kept going for that one big shot, which is the last thing a fighter should do against an awkward counterpuncher like Byrd.

 

Personally, I'd like to see him go up against someone with dynamite power like Tyson, or someone faster than him, like Roy Jones Jr, if he's serious about moving up in weight and staying there.

[Guest El Satanico]

Good maybe Evander will get the hint and retire once and for all.

[Guest NoCalMike]

Both Klitscko brothers beat up Byrd pretty one-sidedly. Wladimir beat him up for 12 rounds and floored him twice. Vtitali, was leading on all scorecards 7-2 when his right shoulder was injured and had to stop the fight. Byrd is pretty good at his style, but Wladimir just shortened his punches and it worked perfectly. The only "money" fights out there right now in the Heavyweight division needs to involve, Lewis/Klitscko brothers/Tyson....in any combination, oh and Roy Jones moving up will help for curiosity and intrigue, but if he gets beat in his first 2 chances, he will most likely retire.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

I'm pretty curious to see how Jones is going to do. He's got the skill, that much is obvious, but I don't know if he's going to be able to pack that much power onto his frame and still be fast enough to be effective. It's a lot harder to hit a 6'5" 250lb heavyweight and do damage than it is to KO your average Middleweight.

[Guest NoCalMike]

Well the BIGGEST question that most boxing analysts have been asking is. How will Roy Jones react the first time he is just clobbered by a heavyweight calibur punch. John Ruiz is not really elite, but he does know what he is doing in the ring, and he won't be a push-over to someone who is working their first HEAVYWEIGHT fight. Add the motivation to knock out the man who thought he would waltz in where the big boys play, and it could spell disaster. Plus Roy Jones is NO YOUNG BUCK anymore....He has been fighting bums for a good 5 years now(not really his fault). So much remains to be told about his venture in to the heavyweight divison.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Ruiz is one of those tricky guys to fight, too. He's not a supreme knockout artist by any means, which is a good choice of a first opponent. There's no way Jones could stand up to one of today's super heavyweights. He's just not strong enough. I predict moderate success for Jones in this division, although he's really going to get tested. I wouldn't say he's really fought "bums" for most of his career, although he's definitely untested in terms of taking the big shots. He's never even come close to losing a professional bout, and his only loss was to a chump that won on a DQ when Roy tagged him as he was on his knee from the beating he'd just taken. The guy's name escapes me at the moment, but the rematch had Jones absolutely steamrolling over him in the first round. I think Jones/Byrd would actually be a decent matchup, since Byrd's not a guy with dynamite punches, and he's not as fast as Jones. Not to mention the fact that they're both really small by modern heavyweight standards.

[Guest MD2020]

He has been fighting bums for a good 5 years now(not really his fault).

 

True, but perhaps he could have fought someone like Bernard Hopkins instead of going up to different weight classes. Of well.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Didn't he beat Hopkins? Maybe I'm thinking of James Toney.

[Guest snuffbox]

Roy has fought and defeated both Toney and Hopkins, but both fights took place several years ago. Hopkins is now in his prime but there doesnt appear to be a rematch forthcoming. Roy also never fought the recognized 2nd best light-heavy in the world, Darius Michaelzweski. Roy beaten the likes of Eric Lucas, Montell Griffin, and Lou DelValle among others, who are at the very least, decent.

 

Roy can probably handle John Ruiz without much problem. Roy is about on par with where Michael Spinks was at when he moved up to heavywt to twice decision the legendary Larry Holmes. John Ruiz is not legendary, hes fairly crafty, but hes one of the most pathetic hvywt 'champions' ever.

[Guest Human Fly]

Evander needs to hang it up badly. He's got his money, he's risking serious injury now and needs to step away. (I know every boxer risks serious injury, but Evander is not getting any better and he's just going to get worse and worse beatings.)

 

Roy Jones can move up to heavyweight, but can he hang with Tyson or Lewis? I'd be surprised. Jones v. Tyson would draw some money though.

[Guest Youth N Asia]

James Tony...my God tell me he's still not fighting, remember when he was someone 8 year ago?

 

Evander should cut his carrer now and stop tacking on the losses to his legacy, he's only won 2 out of his last 7 fights.

[Guest snuffbox]

James Toney still fights. Got himself in working condition after a few years on the Dunkin Donuts training regimin. Hes now at cruiserweight, looks good, and comfortable. A few months back he brutally ko'd undefeated up-and-comer First-name-escapes-me Robinson, perfect combo. Toney fights Vassily Jirov early next year for the cruiserweight world title.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

Evander's got a torn rotator cuff, he might be done. Thankfully.

[Guest Redhawk]

About that torn rotator cuff (and the reported back spasms)...

 

Does anyone know where that news came from? Did Holyfield come out and say that himself? Because Evander has been known to always have SOME excuse for whenever he loses: "Uhh, my heart was beating irregularly...um, my back was hurt...um, he was cheating..." Man, I can't STAND that guy.

[Guest Agent of Oblivion]

CHEATING? Ha. Holyfield's worse about headbutts than any heavyweight I've ever seen.

 

As for the injury, I heard Kellerman mention it. His opinions might be a little skewed, but he's usually got the facts straight.

 

I don't like Holyfield either. He's dirty as hell and still tries to put on this persona about being a great warrior and whatnot. That, and his interviews are always mumbled gibberish about Jeebus.

[Guest Redhawk]

Yeah, Evander's the good Christian man who had two kids by two different women while he was married to his latest ex-wife. I believe he's now up to 11 kids and 9 mothers.

 

Maybe Kellerman did report it, but if the only source was Evander and not a doctor, I'd be wary of it.