June 17, 2005
All the boxing superstars of this generation is what Mike Tyson says, "fading into Bolivian". When Tyson lost to the latest journeyman, Kevin McBride, and should surely send the once, self proclaimed "Baddest Man on the Planet," to where ever Bolivian is. He just quit, at the end of the 6th round, he claimed he didn't have it in his heart anymore. If Tyson was really honest with himself, he really didn't have it in his heart after the Buster Douglas fight more than 15 years ago. He just skated by on reputation.
Like Tyson, most of today's former Pound 4 Pounders should be about ready to book that trip. Evander Holyfield, Roy Jones Jr., Sugar Shane Mosley, Felix "Tito" Trinidad & Oscar De La Hoya. Each one of these fighters, future Hall of Famers, where less than spectacular in their last couple of fights.
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| Tito did the Wright thing by retiring again.(AP) | |
Holyfield should have called it quits after he lost to Lennox Lewis. Roy should have called it quits after he won the Heavyweight Championship from John Ruiz. Shane should have called it quits after losing back to back fights to Winky Wright. Tito got smart and retired for the 2nd time after get smashed by Wright. Oscar De La Hoya should call it quits after he was stopped by Bernard Hopkins.
Speaking of Bernard Hopkins, the current Pound 4 Pound King, inspite of being 40 years old is still maintaining. I think the main reason Hopkins has been able to keep his edge is, he never fell in to some of the pitt falls other superstar fighters fall into. He never got the big dollar fights, he never moved up or down in weight, he always stayed active, and he never started believing the press clippings.
Bernard has said he plans to fight 2 or 3 more fights then retire, like some of the rest of the forementioned greats, he could get old over night. Then he would have to book himself an early flight to Bolivian.
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