 The Worldwide Boxing Magazine Site |
Got your free t-shirt yet? |
| articles from the magazine ... |
|
June 1999
Each month we bring you a selection of articles from the current and past issues of BOXING MONTHLY. To buy the magazine, see our subscription or back issues pages, or use our world distribution map to find a news-stand copy. Why not use our Interactive Forum to express your own boxing comments and opinions!
|
 |
NO PLACE TO HIDE
GLYN LEACH on how Herbie Hide desperately needs to shine in what will be his hardest fight since Riddick Bowe |
|
THE MAN MAKES THE BELT: and Hide's inactivity has hurt the status
of the WBO heavyweight championship
- Get Big Pic It could be termed a worst-case scenario: Herbie Hide enters his mandatory defence of
the World Boxing Organisation heavyweight title against unbeaten Vitali Klitschko this
month without having fought since last September. And Klitschko, the European champion,
seems certain to be the Norfolk fighter's toughest opponent since Riddick Bowe, who
thrashed Hide for the majority of six rounds in March 1995, handing him his only defeat in
32 fights (30 wins by KO) and ending his first spell as WBO champion. If Hide's KO percentage is impressive, then Klitschko's is more so; the
Ukrainian fighting out of Germany for Universum Box Promotions (owners of the busiest fax
machine in Europe) can claim a spotless 27-0, all by stoppage. And at a massive 6ft 8ins
and 18 stone-plus (over 252lbs), he will dwarf the 6ft 2ins, 161/2 stone champion.
Everything points to a potentially difficult night for the mercurially talented Hide who
so often has appeared to be a fighter doomed not to deliver on his promise. With the indecisive outcome of Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield's combined
attempt to unify the three major versions of the heavyweight championship in March, the
way seems clear for the next generation to step up and make their claim. Of the
leading contenders, Michael Grant continues his campaign this month, while the
division's dangerman, Ike Ibeabuchi, has apparently reached a stage in his career
where he feels confident enough to turn down a $500,000 purse to feature on Grant's
undercard. The President, as Ibeabuchi terms himself, has his eyes on bigger prizes these
days - a title shot; some might say that, right now, his concentration would be best
conserved for keeping himself out of jail. Hide could be leading the "bubbling under" pack by a country mile were it not
for his conspicuous lack of activity over the last five years (neither Grant nor Ibeabuchi
had even turned pro at the point Hide first won the WBO title, in his 26th professional
fight). As I wrote in the April issue, a paltry six fights since his first tenure as
champion began with victory over Michael Bentt on a chilly March 1994 night outdoors at
Millwall FC spells wasted opportunity. At only 27, Hide still has time on his side. He impressively stopped the veteran Tony
Tucker in two rounds to reclaim the vacant belt in June 1997 and he has blasted out two
no-hopers in defences that were fortunate to receive sanction. But had he been as active
as his current rivals in recent years, today his peers might have been Lewis and
Holyfield. Hide's complaints in March that their fight could not be termed a
unification battle without the inclusion of his title might have been taken seriously. As
it was he may as well have been taking a pee in a rain storm. The reality of Hide's situation as you read this is that on 26 June at the London
Arena he must deliver. Irrespective of his relatively young age and the heavyweight
division's habit of accommodating re-treads, Hide will find it hard, perhaps
impossibly so, to re-establish (establish?) himself if he loses to Klitschko. A combination of inactivity and a series of anti-social events out of hours has
resulted in Hide having very little support in Britain or anywhere else in the world. It
will be interesting to see how full the Docklands venue, to the east of the British
capital, will be come fight night. My guess is not very, despite the highly competitive
nature of this match and a quality heavyweight undercard. Hide's reputation for
pulling out of fights might come back to haunt him. A fighter on the way up is only as
good as his last fight and precious few can remember Hide's. (In fact it was a
two-round rout against Germany's Willi Fischer last September that is best
forgotten.) A talented heavyweight receives the benefit of the doubt more often than other
fighters but, even given that, patience has worn wafer thin where Hide is concerned. Twice
this year he has pulled out of scheduled fights with Orlin Norris, the veteran former
cruiserweight champion. And in doing so Hide lost the chance to undertake vital warm-up
fights prior to meeting Klitschko. He now goes in "cold". Perhaps Hide should not be blamed for his failure to appear this year. The original
date with Norris was scrapped when Hide suffered a bad skin rash as a result of a
traumatic situation whereby the fighter was investigated by the Inland Revenue and the VAT
terriers, and subsequently declared bankrupt. Few could deny that the rash was an
understandable nervous reaction from Hide's body under those trying circumstances.
The second Norris date bit the dust when Hide damaged his Achilles tendon. Hide's promoter, Frank Warren, pulled out all the stops in order to give his man
the best possible chance of victory, and did well to keep the fight out of Germany. But
the WBO hierarchy have grown weary of excuses and turned down repeated requests for this
mandatory defence to be further delayed. In fact, given Hide's recent activity-level
and history of no-shows, the Puerto Rican-based sanctioning body has decreed that if for
any reason Hide can't fight later this month, then Klitschko will face one of a
number of other heavyweights scheduled for this show in a vacant title fight. This could
be good news for the aforementioned Norris or perhaps the British champion, Julius
Francis, but Klitschko has already stopped Francis in two rounds so that might be a mixed
blessing. But a painful payday is a payday nonetheless and Francis, a solid and
hard-working pro, deserves the breaks that Hide has so often squandered. Another of which could be the American training camp that Hide has decided not to
attend in favour of sessions at, somewhat ironically, a gym set up in the Lennox Lewis
College in East London, founded by the World Boxing Council champion in order to aid the
deprived youth of the area and now floundering through lack of government support. Hide
has decided/been persuaded, that preparing there with the retired former British champion
James Oyebola, a fellow Anglo-Nigerian, as chief sparring partner will suffice. His
adviser, the Chicago attorney John Hornewer, hopes that proves to be the case, realising
the importance of a good training camp. "Having been connected with Herbie since the Riddick Bowe fight, I know that
everything needs to be 100% in order for him to give his best," said Hornewer.
"For a smaller heavyweight like Herbie, one who needs to rely on speed and timing in
order to offset a deficit in size that can sometimes be massive, the correct preparation
is absolutely essential in order for him to perform at his best." It was Hornewer, formerly the lawyer of Lennox Lewis, who set up the opportunity for
Hide to prepare in America. Admittedly I count the attorney as one of my closest personal
friends in this sport, but that aside I would have to state that over the last 10 years
Hornewer has proven to me time and again that his grasp on all things heavyweight is
second to none. Period. Were I Hide, it would be Hornewer's advice that I listened to
longest and hardest. "I'm disappointed that he won't be coming to the States, but I'd be
more disappointed if he lost," said Hornewer over the phone from Chicago "If
Herbie changed his mind at the last minute I'm sure he had good reason to. But at the
end of the day my job is always to support Herbie and help him to prepare to the best of
his ability. "He would have been training just outside Los Angeles at Joe Goossen's gym.
The main sparring partner would have been 6ft 8ins Lance ‘Mount' Whitaker, a
perfect guy considering Klitschko's size. We also had Ross Puritty lined up and he
would have been valuable on a number of levels, not least because he destroyed
Klitschko's younger brother, Wladimir, when they fought in the Klitschkos' home
city of Kiev last year. Having Ross in camp might have been of huge psychological value,
Vitali Klitschko knowing that Herbie was sparring with the guy who took his brother's
unbeaten record. The Klitschkos are very similar in style." But Hornewer is hoping for the best, nonetheless. "Ever since the Willie Fischer
fight, Herbie has been looking towards Klitschko," said the lawyer. "It's
all he's been talking about. Herbie has been watching tapes of Klitschko's
fights, but then he puts on Spinks-Cooney, Spinks-Holmes and fights like that to study how
smaller heavyweights have beaten bigger men in the past. Having been in with Riddick Bowe,
he knows it can be tough, but he knows what he will need to do." But can he do it? Will Hide be able to put his recent troubled past behind him and pull
out the manner of victory that he so desperately needs in order to claim a place at the
top of the heavyweight contenders' pecking order? Much depends on Klitschko, the possessor of impressive stats that have been built
against the world's heavyweight trialhorses; Roddy, Rhode, Ribalta, Billups -
Klitschko's been there and done them all, never having taken more than six rounds to
do so. But while quick wins over that level of opposition can mean very little, it would
be unwise for Hide to count on that. As Hornewer says of Klitschko: "Is he Primo
Carnera, is he Gerry Cooney, or is he something we've never seen before? We must
prepare for the latter." Klitschko won 195 of his 210 amateur fights, 80 by KO, and was the 1995 World Military
Champion, having served in the former Russian army. Klitschko can also claim six world
kickboxing titles, and while that often is a negative rather than a positive for
conventional boxers, he is huge, he is aggressive and he is very powerful. In Germany he
is known as "The Man With The Iron Fist". I believe - and I can understand those who might disagree - that, on his day, Hide has
it within him to beat any heavyweight on the planet. He is lightning quick for one of his
size, which is not inconsiderable after all, and he possesses a natural viciousness that
makes him a clinical finisher. Hide can be a nightmare for opponents with supposed
physical advantages, turning a plus into a minus within moments. But the outcome of this fight is unlikely to hinge on things physical. It is
Hide's state of mind that will be crucial. Klitschko will be up for it and ready, we
can be sure of that. Unfortunately, Hide has given us very little reason to hold faith in
him on that level. That being said, this fight provides him with the perfect chance to
wipe the slate clean. I believe he can do that and take care of business inside eight
rounds. But would I bet on it? Fox-trot Oscar. |
|
Also available to read from issue:
|
|
On sale on the last Thursday of every month Ensure you never miss a copy . . . buy your subscription or back issues here. |