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PA Sport's Mark Staniforth talks about unwanted comebacks in boxing.
Given its age-old propensity for shooting itself in the foot, it ought to come as no surprise that the general enthusiasm for boxing's prospects in 2010 have been hijacked before the first month of the new decade is out.
The sport has been rightly basking in its unexpected resurgence to counter the emerging giant of Mixed Martial Arts with a whole series of 2009 fights big and rich enough to crank it back to the top of the pay-per-view scale.
This year promises much of the same, with Floyd Mayweather Jnr and Manny Pacquiao set to clash in one of the richest fights of all time, despite the continued anti-hype over a supposed drug-test row.
Of almost equal importance, this new year could see the crowning of the first truly undisputed world heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis, if David Haye makes good on his promise to cut a swathe through the Klitschko brothers.
But lurking behind the promise of the pay-per-view megastars are the kind of fights which make many observers despair for the sport, as has-beens and never-quite-weres seek to make the most of the sport's economic upturn.
Nobody will ever doubt the contribution Evander Holyfield has made to his sport in the course of a stellar career which peaked with his extraordinary 11th round knockout of Mike Tyson in November 1996.
Holyfield's last true day in the spotlight came three years later, when he lost a rematch with Lewis with the undisputed title at stake, hastening what many expected to be an heroic retirement.
His decline is mapped in his record since: three dismal mauls with John Ruiz, successive defeats to Chris Byrd, James Toney and Larry Donald, a cynically rewarded WBO title shot in 2007 resulting in a one-sided loss to Sultan Ibragimov.
In a division bereft of marketable names, Holyfield was picked up again for a December 2008 shot at Nikolai Valuev, and dredged up enough spirit to restore his belief that he could once again claim a major portion of the heavyweight crown.
Plenty of doctors have told him otherwise, but health concerns tend to become a secondary consideration when you are rumoured to have squandered enough of your millions to be teetering on the brink of bankruptcy.
But in boxing there is always someone, somewhere willing to wring the last few dollars out of a famous former champion, just look at the rogue states who scrambled over each other to promote Mike Tyson's comebacks when Nevada and New York said no.
Thus Holyfield is heading to Kampala, Uganda to face former fringe champion Francois Botha in February, in a fight given world heavyweight title billing by the spurious World Boxing Foundation.
'The Rumble In The Jungle' it is not. Botha, 41, last fought at the top level when he was stopped by Vladimir Klitschko in 2002. He retired for five years then returned, and drew his last fight in October against nine-fight novice Pedro Carrion.
The WBFs heavyweight title history reads like a who-isn't of the division. The lowest of many low points was surely Joe Bugner's ridiculous retirement win over fellow veteran James 'Bonecrusher' Smith in Australia in 1998.
Subsequent champions included South African Mike Bernardo, Uzbek journeyman Alexander Jacob, Dutchman Richel Hersisia and the man he handed onto Audley Harrison, who needs no introduction.
"I am very much looking forward to going to Uganda and I expect a tough fight against Francois Botha", said Holyfield, predictably. "I am going to win and I will cherish the WBF world title."
Following on from last week's list of fights the boxing world ought to want to see in 2010, Holyfield versus Botha supposedly set for an 80,000-capacity outdoor stadium tops the list of fights that shouldn't happen. Here are some more:
BERNARD HOPKINS v ROY JONES Jnr
At 44, Hopkins continues to produce performances which defy the critics. Jones does not. He was clattered by Danny Green in one round last time out. Amazingly, some talk as if the long-term rematch between Hopkins and Jones can still happen.
AMIR KHAN v
BREIDIS PRESCOTT
Everyone wants the chance to avenge a defeat. But while Khan-Prescott II could be hyped to the hilt, the reality is that Prescott proved in his recent defeat to Kevin Mitchell that he is little more than a one-shot merchant who got lucky.
RICKY HATTON v ANYONE
The Hatton comeback is happening. We can only wish that it wasn't. Hatton looked dangerously shot not just against Pacquiao, but in the final minutes against Juan Lazcano. His comeback will do nothing but tarnish his considerable legacy.
Source: espnstar.com
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