Byrd wants to fly at 175
By PAUL EDGAR, pedgar@reviewonline.comIt is not uncommon for boxers to move up in weight. Some are chasing a dream, a legacy, trying to put their names alongside the all-time greats.
Others, the majority, make the journey through the weight classes due to necessity. As the body ages and metabolism slows, it becomes more difficult to cut weight, so boxers have no choice but to move on to the next division.
And then there’s Chris Byrd.
Byrd, a 37-year-old former two-time heavyweight champion, will be making his 175-pound (light heavyweight) debut May 16 on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights.
“It’s been eight years since I won my first heavyweight title against Vitali Klitschko, and I had a great run as heavyweight champion after beating Evander Holyfield,” Byrd told ESPN.com. “Now, it’s time for new challenges. All along I thought they would be at cruiserweight, but the pounds just kept coming off, and here I am.”
If “Rapid Fire” Byrd makes the transition smoothly and eventually picks up a light heavyweight belt, he will be one of only three others to hold a heavyweight title and drop down to 175 pounds and win another (Roy Jones Jr., 2003 and Bob Fitzsimmons, 1902). If anyone can make it happen, it’s Byrd. Growing up as the youngest of eight children in Flint, Mich., Byrd began boxing at the age of five at his father’s boxing gym. By the time he was 10, Byrd was competing as an amateur in the ring. He compiled an impressive amateur record, tallying 275 victories, culminating in a 1992 Olympic silver medal.
Joe Byrd Sr. has been in his son’s corner as trainer and cutman from the beginning and the two still train in the Byrd Boxing Academy.
Byrd turned pro in 1993 and fought his first bout at super middleweight and his second at light heavyweight before moving into the sport’s top weight class. While many criticized the move, Byrd began his career 26-0 with 13 knockouts.
His first loss came against Ike Ibeabuchi, who has strangely enough never boxed again, ending at 20-0 after he was imprisoned on rape charges. After the defeat, Byrd won his next five fights, which included his taking the WBO Heavyweight title from Vitali Klitschko (although Klitschko was winning on all cards when he quit with a shoulder injury).
Byrd lost his next bout against Vitali’s brother, Wladamir Klitschko, who is now considered the top heavyweight in the world.
After eight more wins and one draw, Byrd was knocked out in a rematch with Wladamir Klitschko.
One more win and a loss to up-and-coming Alexander Povetkin, left Byrd searching to reinvent himself.
Byrd, a southpaw, has never been known as a heavy puncher, rather relying on his hand speed and ring generalship to out-think and out-maneuver his normally much larger opponents — Wladamir Klitschko stands 6-foot-6, 245 pounds.
Watching Byrd fight, many times you were left saying, “This guy has all the skills, but he can’t punch with the big boys.”
Now, against ‘normal’ heavyweights (200 to 225 pounds), Byrd can hold his own, which is why I believe there should be a super heavyweight division (250 plus), but that’s for another time.
The new scaled-down Byrd makes perfect sense if, at 37, he can adjust to his new body. And there are plenty of big-time fights that could be made at 175. You’ve got Roy Jones Jr., Antonio Tarver, Chad Dawson, Joe Calzaghe, Bernard Hopkins, Glenn Johnson, Clinton Woods and maybe even Kelly Pavlik. Anyway you look at it, watching Byrd make the transformation to light heavyweight is worth watching, win lose or draw.
If you’re not a regular viewer of Teddy Atlas and the Friday Night Fights crew, this bout could bring you on board.
Or maybe you prefer weight-loss reality television, in which case tune in to see if Byrd becomes the Biggest Loser.
(Paul Edgar is a sports writer at The Review. He can be reached at pedgar@reviewonline.com)
