-As Vitali Klitschko prepares for his WBC defense against challenger Shannon Briggs, are fans getting what they deserve and what do we have to look forward to in boxing’s flagship division?-
Things could have been so good for heavyweight boxing. In the form of the imposing, stern, chillingly impassive Klitschko brothers, the division was supplied with the perfect bad guys. ‘Dr Ironfist’ (Vitali) and ‘Dr Steelhammer’ (Wladimir) naturally fit the eastern European stereotype in terms of personality and physical specimens; they resemble Ivan Drago from Rocky. But where’s Rocky?

-Zab “Super” Judah’s comeback rolls on October 2, 2010 in a tune-up fight against Michael Clark, which could lead to a showdown with one of the top Junior Welterweights in the division-
“Super” Judah is set to go into the ring on October 2, 2010 hoping that lightning will strike twice as he looks to put on another outstanding performance at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ, when he will face fringe junior welterweight contender Michael Clark. Zab is still gleaming with confidence after his impressive third round stoppage of …

-Prince vs. Pacman in a Featherweight Fantasy Fight-
From the day he captured the WBO Featherweight Crown in 1996 until his early 2002 retirement, Naseem Hamed effectively was the featherweight division. His brash style and bone-crunching power made him the division’s star, and when Hamed crossed over the Atlantic from his British base to begin fighting on HBO, he became the big money fight for anyone toiling away at 122 or 126 lbs. In the era when the Morales vs. Barrera rivalry was just developing and Manny …

-Let’s See Adamek, Haye and Povetkin In with the Klitschkos, Now-
As Tomasz Adamek battled his way through twelve rounds against the sizable veteran Michael Grant, the fate of the much maligned heavyweight division seemed to rest with the Pole. The newest ‘savior’ of the big boys passed the Grant test, but not with flying colors. Grant, who few expected to last the distance, was picked as an opponent due to his Klitschko-like physique to prepare Ademek for a future fight. The Pole dominated, winning by a large points margin, but …

-Hoping that El Terrible’s Comeback Doesn’t End Terribly-
After two and a half years in retirement, Erik Morales returned to the ring in March 2010, and now has the second fight of his comeback waiting for him on September 11th. Starting in 1997, “El Terrible” carved a path of destruction through the 122, 126 and 130 lbs. divisions. Morales was the man who dueled Marco Antonio Barrera in a trilogy that was essentially a campaign to win the hearts of Mexican fans and succeed Julio Cesar Chavez as …

The Light-Heavyweight Division is undergoing a reshaping at the top as young fighters are about to make their mark on the division, while some of the old stars of the weight class are starting to fade. The 175lb division is an intriguing weight class at the moment. It doesn’t have the depth like 140 or the elite fighters at the top like 147, but it does feature a changing of the guard at the top as young, strong fighters lead the division into the next era, while old stars begin …

-The Best Idea for the Super Six is to Skip the Third Stage and Start the Semifinals-
There can be little question that Mikkel Kessler has withdrawn from the Super Six Boxing Tournament due to legitimate health concerns. No one would ever accuse “The Viking Warrior” of ducking an opponent, and he was heavily favored to win his upcoming bout with Allan Green and secure a semi-finals slot in the tournament. With his departure, the question on the lips of boxing fans everywhere is “what now?”

Floyd Patterson, Sonny Liston and Cassius Clay (later Muhammad Ali) are three fighters who define their own little era, for it is difficult to speak of Patterson without mentioning Liston, or of Liston without mentioning Clay. Many associate Cassius Clay/Muhammad Ali with the time of Frazier, Foreman and Norton, but like Mike Tyson, Clay arrived on the scene early and before the rest of his own “generation,” starting his career by cleaning out the older fighters of Patterson’s and Liston’s time.

The Never Ending Story: Holyfield Still Fighting
On November 5, 2010 four-time heavyweight champ Evander Holyfield (43-10, 28KOs) will be facing journeyman Sherman Williams (34-11, 19KOs) in another contest as he builds up towards what he hopes is another title shot.  Holyfield, who will be 48 upon entering the ring, still clings to the hope of winning the heavyweight crown for a fifth time.  Skeptics scoff at Holyfield’s seemingly unattainable goal, but can it be said that Holyfield’s decision to continue to fight is really that crazy?

The following is an excerpt from Redemption: The Life & Death of Rocky Marciano, a new biography by John Cameron of the former world heavyweight boxing champion which is still a work in progress. The piece is taken from chapter nine and recounts Marciano’s (then still Rocco Marchegiano) first official professional bout in 1947. For more information and the status of this ongoing project, you can visit the Redemption: Life and Death of Rocky Marciano website. The author welcomes reviews and feedback from all boxing fans.