Heavyweight Class Is More Than a Little Light on Stars

Last week, it was Wladimir Klitschko and Lamon Brewster at Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay Events Center. This week, it’s Chris Byrd, Andrew Golota, John Ruiz and Fred Oquendo at Madison Square Garden. Next week, it’s Vitali Klitschko and Corrie Sanders at Staples Center.

Welcome to the bleak new world of the heavyweights. Lennox Lewis is gone and he’s not coming back. Mike Tyson is gone and, unfortunately, he’s threatening to come back.

In the meantime, it’s the above bunch of lightweight heavyweights, plus James Toney and, perhaps, Roy Jones, if he ever gets bored with beating up light-heavyweights.

It’s hardly the golden age of heavyweights. Or even the silver or bronze.

Oh, for the days of Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier and George Foreman. With today’s heavyweights, Ali could probably regain the title, his age and medical condition notwithstanding.

No wonder it was announced Thursday that Tyson had signed with a new promoter, Fight Entertainment Group, and would fight again in July, somewhere against someone, after an absence of more than a year.

No wonder Evander Holyfield has signed with promoter Don King, although Holyfield has demonstrated over the last three years that he is a shot fighter.

“Anybody can walk in and take over the heavyweight championship,” said Sam Colonna, Golota’s trainer. “It’s wide open. This opportunity may never come again.”

Let’s hope not.

Last week, Brewster exposed Wladimir Klitschko for what he is, a four-round fighter, and won the World Boxing Organization title after Klitschko was deemed unable to continue into the sixth round by referee Robert Byrd.

Tonight, two more heavyweight titles will be on the line. In the semi-main event, Ruiz (39-5-1, 27 knockouts) will defend his World Boxing Assn. crown against Oquendo (24-2, 15).

It matches the man who lost to Jones against the man who lost to Byrd and David Tua.

It figures to be an ugly fight. Every Ruiz match is, what with his clutching, head butting and mixing in the occasional low blow. His trilogy of fights against Holyfield -- a win, a loss and a draw -- dropped the heavyweight division to a new low.

Next, Ruiz fought Kirk Johnson and, again, there were no boxing skills on display. Ruiz won on a disqualification when Johnson resorted to low blows.

After losing the title to Jones, Ruiz won it back by beating Hasim Rahman on a decision in December, after Jones had returned to the lighter weight.

Oquendo lost a controversial decision to Byrd in September, with him blaming a bad cold.

Ruiz, who will make $450,000 for tonight’s fight, weighed in at 240 pounds. Oquendo, who will earn $150,000, was at 222 1/2.

In tonight’s main event, Byrd (37-2, 20) defends his International Boxing Federation title against Golota (38-4, 31).

Byrd is the slickest, fastest and most skilled of today’s heavyweights, but he’s small. He weighed in at 210 1/2, 27 pounds lighter than Golota. Byrd’s size hurt him when he went up against Wladimir Klitschko, a bigger heavyweight, and lost.

In 1996, the last time Golota was in the Garden, he launched a riot when he repeatedly struck Riddick Bowe with low blows and was disqualified. Golota quit against Tyson in 2000, took nearly three years off and has beaten two journeymen in his comeback.

Byrd will make $625,000 tonight and Golota $125,000.

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Also on tonight’s card, Ricardo Mayorga (25-4-1, 23), trying to bounce back from his loss to Cory Spinks in December, is scheduled to fight WBA 147-pound champion Jose Rivera (37-3-1, 24) in what was to be a title fight. However, Mayorga weighed in late Friday afternoon at 153 1/2, seven pounds heavier than Rivera. Negotiations were continuing between the two camps to determine whether the fight would take place.

Also tonight, World Boxing Council cruiserweight titleholder Wayne Braithwaite (20-0, 17) will face challenger Louis Azille (18-2-2, 15).

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Although King claims he is negotiating a contract with undisputed 154-pound champion Winky Wright, rival promoter Lou DiBella says he has a signed contract with Wright and that Wright will honor a rematch clause he agreed to with Shane Mosley before their fight last month. Wright beat Mosley on a unanimous decision.