The heavyweight division is synonymous with knockout artists and young contenders coming through the ranks and making headlines.
It’s happened many times before. World Boxing News has no hesitation in hoping a Mike Tyson-esque super-power will finally walk through the boxing door.
Forty years later, it’s yet to happen.
Not since “The Baddest Man on the Planet” has a top division puncher set the sport alight and created a buzz that could galvanize an entire following.
In a world of social media, it can only be imagined what kind of trending explosion would arise from someone of Tyson’s youth, power, and devastating finishes could generate.
However, yet another of those potential stars disintegrated recently as six-foot-six-inch Arslanbek Makhmudov proved to be a hype job.
Heavyweight downfall
“The Lion” showed little of his gifted nickname. He ran out of gas and got stopped on the “Day of Reckoning” bill in Saudi Arabia. The unheralded Agit Kabayel exposed his lofty WBC ranking in under four rounds.
Looking robotic and hapless, Makhmudov was taken out by the now-former European heavyweight champion. He faces a long road back at 34.
Defeats like the one Makhmudov suffered in Saudi Arabia can devastate the years of building up an undefeated top-division puncher behind him.
Promoters and managers like Eye of the Tiger and later Top Rank put plenty of might behind the brand. They were selling a dud potential future champion with serious might in his fists.
What may have gone wrong on the night has not yet been outlined. It was apparent that Makhmudov looked like a shell of the boxer promised in years of pumping out the PR machine.
A fight with Jared Anderson seems to be off the table until the Russian makes some redemption attempt. But it is scary to realize that Tyson Fury could have selected Makhmudov for a voluntary WBC title shot at any point in the last eighteen months.
He wasn’t ready for that. His number four position in the rankings exposed a distinct lack of depth in the 200-pound-plus weight class.
Lack of excitement
Beyond Fury, Anthony Joshua, and the number one, Oleksandr Usyk, there’s little to write home about in what is supposed to be the glamor division.
Makhkudov joins a long list of ‘future world champions’ to see his ability thrown into doubt after the promise of someone who could terrorize the top names.
Daniel Dubois was given a similar build-up when compared to Tyson himself. The simple fact was the Londoner needed far more time than given.
Joe Joyce stopped him before Usyk ended a world title challenge. But it was a far cry from anything Tyson had ever achieved.
Efe Ajagba, Cassius Chaney, Olympic champion Tony Yoka, and Zhan Kossobutskiy are just a few others who have trodden the path of Makhmudov.
Lenier Pero, Moses Itauma, and ‘The Real Big Baby’ Anderson remain on board the hype train.
Phil Jay is an experienced boxing news writer and has been the Editor of World Boxing News since 2010.
