Another week, another new face in the heavyweight title picture. Last Saturday, Sergei Liakhovich captured the WBO Heavyweight title from Lamon Brewster. While the heavyweights with bigger names clinch their way to lesser fights, Liakhovich and Brewster slugged it out in a terrific fight. Their names aren’t on par with Toney, Rahman, Byrd, and Klitschko, but fortunately their fight was a step above.
Lamon Brewster was the most unheralded of all the heavyweight champions, kind of like Jackie from the Jackson 5. What Brewster may lack in pure boxing talent, he makes up for it with his enormous heart. His nickname, Relentless, describes him very well. In his three professional losses, Brewster was never knocked out. The fight with Liakhovich was an all out brawl with an increasing level of intensity. Brewster forced Liakhovich to take a knee in the seventh round but couldn’t finish him off. Brewster never had a better chance to finish off the native of Belarus.
Sergei Liakhovich went on to win the fight via 12-round unanimous decision. Despite not having a fight in the last 16 months, Liakhovich looked good. There is certainly room for improvement, he’s got the footwork of Elaine Benes and the defense of the Toronto Raptors. More ring work will sharpen him up. What Liakhovich does have is a good mind for the sport and a solid frame to absorb and administer punishment. Liakhovich tried to close the show with a knockout, and probably would have against anyone other than Brewster. Sergi had Brewster hurt in the final rounds but couldn’t put the champ down. Talks of a Rahman/Toney rematch are in the works but their are legal impediments slowing the talks down. Let them talk all they want. Meanwhile, put Brewster and Liakhovich back in the ring so the world can see two heavyweights put their bodies on the line for a championship.
Mesi Returns
Joe Mesi also fought this weekend. Mesi picked up the unanimous decision but that wasn’t important. Joe Mesi was an undefeated heavyweight prospect in 2004. Mesi defeated Vassiliy Jirov in a close fight and seemed to have a title fight waiting in the on deck circle. Then Mesi received some terrible news. After the fight, Mesi was told he suffered two brain bleeds. This prompted the Nevada Athletic Commission to give Mesi a medical suspension. Mesi was outraged and appealed the suspension. The suspension remained. Mesi attempted to obtain a boxing license somewhere, anywhere else. No one would give it to him. Mesi found a doctor that granted him permission to fight but no one was willing to risk killing this man.
Mesi fought the suspension for two years and finally got it lifted. When Mesi’s original boxing license expired, that meant his suspension expired as well. It’s not exactly the medical criteria you would like to see overturn a suspension, but Mesi got what he wanted. The good news from the Mesi fight is that he emerged from the fight healthy. This is still an awkward situation and Mesi may have problems finding people willing to fight him. Mesi is a fighter, and claims it’s all he knows how to do. The man has been cleared and knows the risks he is taking. All we can do is wish him the best in his career.
Results From Last Week
– Kali Meehan knocked out Rogerio Lobo in the third round of their heavyweight bout.
– Anthony Thompson defeated Darnell Boone by a 10-round unanimous decision. Thompson is a middleweight prospect and his fight was Showtime’s Friday night main event.
– On ESPN’s Friday Night Fights, Montel Griffin beat Norman Jones by unanimous decision. Griffin is the only man to hold defeats over both James Toney and Roy Jones Jr. Griffin now fights as a light heavyweight.
– Daniel Judah, Zab’s older brother, won a unanimous decision over Dennis McKinney.
– Mia St. John, the only professional boxer to pose for Playboy, TKOed Shelby Walker in the third round.
– Kevin McBride knocked out Byron Polley in the fourth round. McBride is known for putting the final nail in the coffin of Mike Tyson’s career.
Jockscraps – The Stories They Won’t Tell
High School Wrestler Enjoys Homoerotic Contact
Wrestling became highly developed in Ancient Greece. It was an important and awe-inspiring event in the Olympic competitions that began sometime around the year 776 B.C. Since then it has continued to develop as a sport and has produced stronger and more talented athletes as technology increases. Nate Cooligan is not one of these talented athletes. Not at all.
Nate Cooligan has no knowledge or respect for the history of wrestling. During his four year career as a member of the wrestling team at High Point High School he has amassed a pathetic record of 0-137. He doesn’t train, he doesn’t work out, and he doesn’t listen to the advice of his wrestling coach, T.J. McCallister. Nate Cooligan doesn’t care whether or not he ever wins.
“Winning will never be important to me. That’s not why I got into this sport,” Nate claims.
When asked why he got into the sport of wrestling, Nate divulges more information than anyone needs to know.
“I got into it for the balls, man. I got into it for the man-touching, the rubbing, the grinding, the sweating. There’s nothing like it in this world. What other sport could I do all this in? Baseball? I don’t think so. The most I could do in that sport is pat someone on the ass. I sure as heck wouldn’t have balls on my chin every game. I mean, gee-whiz, some dude gets on top of me and grinds his stuff against me and people cheer us on! Now that’s cool. And did I mention the balls?!?!”
Nate points out that he really shouldn’t even be classified as a wrestler.
“To tell the truth, I don’t put up much of a fight. I just kinda lay there until my opponent’s on top of me, and then I move my hips around a little. You know, to make it look like I’m wrestling. Sometimes my coach threatens to kick me off the team if I don’t try harder. He’s a sweatheart, though. He’ll never do it.”
Spit Bucket
The amount of feedback I receive from any readers this week will directly correlate to the number of pictures I link to the aforementioned Mia St. John next week. And don’t be afraid to drop these guys a line either:
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