British heavyweights induce American disdain

John Mehaffey

The Americans have their reasons -- 11 in the case of the pugilists since Bob Fitzsimmons knocked out James J. Corbett in 1897 to win the world title for Britain.

A cricket team's worth of heavyweights subsequently fought American opponents and were duly conquered over the course of the 20th century before more than 100 years of misery ended when Lennox Lewis outpointed Evander Holyfield in 1999.

Lewis, a fine technician with all the qualities of a great fighter apart from the killer instinct of a Jack Dempsey or a Joe Louis, never captured the imagination of the American fight public.

But he was winning their grudging respect until his defeat by Hasim Rahman last month thrust him out into the cold and probably cost him any chance of the fight against Mike Tyson which could have indelibly confirmed his status in the record books.

The Lewis defeat, a fifth-round knockout in an unprepossessing South African resort town, came when the under-prepared and over-confident World Boxing Council and International Boxing Federation champion dropped his guard to suck in oxygen from the thin air of the high veld.

It was also a body blow to the BBC who, amid much self-generated fanfare, had secured the television rights to the Lewis fight and also to the professional debut of Olympic super- heavyweight champion Audley Harrison.

Harrison, 29, will fight American Michael Middleton at Wembley Arena on May 19, taking on a 33-year-old opponent who has lost more times than he has won.

"Hopefully he can give Audley some rounds and he will not go down after the first punch," said Harrison's manager Colin McMillan, neatly encapsulating the promoters' dilemma.

Harrison unwittingly underlined the scepticism of British fight fans, fed on a diet of the abject Frank Bruno mismatches during the 1980s.

"Michael has not come to lie down," he said solemnly.

If Middleton does not put up a good fight, both Harrison and the BBC could be severely embarrassed and the search for the next great British hope will be on again.

TRUE BRITS

Purists would even question the claims of Fitzsimmons and Lewis to be true Brits.

Fitzsimmons emigrated to New Zealand as a boy and learned his craft under the great prize fighter Jem Mace before returning to defeat Corbett with his famous solar-plexus blow.

And Lewis, although born in London, spent his formative years in Canada and sounds about as English as the Canadian-bred southpaw tennis player Greg Rusedski.

The most credible challenger to the American hegemony in the first half of the 20th century came from Welshman Tommy Farr, who learned his rough trade in boxing booths after turning professional at the age of 12.

Farr's arrival in New York to fight Louis in 1937 was greeted with the traditional scepticism of the American fight writers with one columnist saying he had less chance than the child actress Shirley Temple.

But to the delight of millions of Britons listening to the first trans-Atlantic fight broadcast, Farr fought brilliantly, bemusing Louis with his crouched stance.

The fight went the distance with Louis winning on points, to the vast disappointment of the British press, some of whom claimed Farr had been robbed. To his credit Farr never encouraged the myth, saying he had been fairly beaten.

FOLK HERO

One left hook at Wembley Stadium in 1963 was enough to install Henry Cooper as an English folk hero.

Cooper felled Cassius Clay, although the brash, young American quickly recovered and won in the fifth after the Londoner was badly cut over the left eye.

Three years later, Clay had renamed himself Muhammad Ali and was at the peak of his powers. Again blood flowed from Cooper's left eyebrow and Ali won in six.

Ali went on to knock out Brian London in the same year in three rounds and during the next decade, although his vitality was visibly ebbing, repulsed Joe Bugner and Richard Dunn.

The last Briton before Lewis to fight for an undisputed title was the giant Bruno, a manufactured fighter whose talent was in inverse proportion to his physique.

Bruno was a magnificent-looking figure in the ring, with, as one American wit cracked, the body of a Greek sculpture but none of its mobility.

A series of hand-picked opponents allowed Bruno to win his first 21 fights in 52 rounds before he lost to his first serious opponents, James "Bonecrusher" Smith and Tim Witherspoon.

Two mismatches against the savagery of Tyson followed, although along the way Bruno did pick up the World Boxing Council version of the world title when he outpointed Oliver McCall, already in the throes of drug addiction.

Bruno had the last laugh, literally as he pursued a career in pantomime, retiring before he lost either his wits or his money.

Now, as Lewis pursues a rematch against Rahman, the spotlight is on Harrison who looked the part in the amateur ranks but now has to take a giant leap and fight among the big boys.

History is not on his side as he embarks on the journey he hopes will take him to a world title.