Guys,
First, with regard to the science, let alone "sweet" science...I, personally, saw science in Lewis' disposal of Botha. I saw it in person in the disposal of Grant. And, I saw it, to a lesser degree, in both trumpings of Holyfield. To this boxing nut, the science is in the application of the art.
Now: that which makes the science sweet, in my opinion, which is to say: well performed, honed to a razor sharpness, and indicating a level of expertise suggesting mastery is, IMHO, the varying application of the skill in a number of different scenarios. Specifically, the ability of a skilled fighter to fight three different fights versus three different opponents, whether subtle or radically different.
From that point of view, one might legitimately question my being a Tyson (boxing) fan, with his style having stayed largely the same over 15 years. It's true, I think he's a brawler, a great fighter, but not an artful boxer and not sweet by any stretch of the imagination. Both Douglas and Holyfield practiced an art; Tyson does his "Tyson thing," and whereas it usually works, sometimes, it doesn't.
Back to Lennox Lewis. I found the fight criminally boring because I think that, once the fifth round rolled around, Lewis knew that he was in control, Tua having become was a one trick pony by that time. I would have hoped that he'd have (cautiously, of course) incrementally laid more and more of those rights into Tua's puss until, in the 9th or 10th, he could have gone for a TKO. To me, he did the absolute minimum fighting that he could from the 5th until the 12th rounds, with a few simple crowdpleasers here and there, in what I likened to 7 rounds worth of what Delahoya did in his last 3 rounds vs. Trinidad some months back.
Let me qualify that now by saying that it's Lewis' choice as to how to run his fight, not mine, and certainly not the fans. So, my assessment had more to do with entertainment value than anything else. Was it skill? Sure, lots of it. Was it boring? Heh. Does the term "yawn factory" mean anything to you? Did he beat Tua? Indisputably.
***
As for making excuses, you've both got it mostly right, but I disagree overall. Initially, Tua said he had no excuses. He said, "I'm not gonna make no excuses."
But then, after his trainer and manager chimed in on the injury thing, Tua stated, "Yeah [referring to the injury they mentioned], I had trouble getting full extension, but I ain't gonna make no excuses." That, my friend, is making an excuse - or providing a reason - depending upon how one looks at it.
Agreeing with mr. mark and George Foreman, I think that the only reason for Tua's inaction was his face getting smashed by the jabs and monster rights. For that reason, I consider - despite the fact that, yes, the manager and trainer initiated it - the abdominal injury an excuse.
What he/they did was nothing different that every other athlete and even some businesspeople I know did/do: "I will not make excuses, I take full accountability for my actions, I have no one but myself to blame...BUT..."
If they really had no excuse, the sentence would end before the but - it's as simple as that.
That's my opinion ;-)
LPS5 |
