In Rusty’s Corner

Rusty Rubin is the award winning editor of Ringsports.com.

This time of year is almost always the slowest season for boxing, and it looks like 2009 will be no exception. There are some interesting match’s upcoming, but nothing that’s going to shake up the world.

I figured it was time to send New Years wishes to some folks, who haven’t gotten the message yet, that message being retire before you hurt your once great image and your chances of getting into the boxing Hall of Fame.

It’s not that a lot of fighters of this era aren’t outstanding enough to make the place for enshrinement, just that the competition this generation has given us hasn’t always been up to par.

Evander Holyfield may well be granted a rematch by the WBA, who for some reason thinks their group of heavyweight contenders are capable of producing a great champion.

First they torture the fans with a horrible match-up, and they’re now torturing themselves by watching it again and again to decide if it warrants a rematch. If it does the fans get a chance to watch a re-match of a fight not worthy of watching.

A lot of fans did contact me and ask if I thought that Holyfield was robbed. I didn’t see the fight, and I repeat, it was only the fans that spent money to watch this debacle that passed for a heavyweight title match, who got robbed. Sorry, life is much to short to be tortured like that once, let alone twice.

Evander is no longer the ‘Real Deal’. He seems to suffer from delusions of grandeur. Even with the low ebb of today’s heavyweight division, he no longer can hold his head eye and appear to be a champion in anyone’s eye.

Evander was a great fighter. He always lived up to his obligations and gave back to the boxing community when he could. The key word is WAS. I know he’s been through some rough financial times, and he can still beat a lot of today’s so called heavyweights. But his time has passed and its past time that the gloves were hung up.

Holyfield is a shoe-in for the Hall of Fame. He has nothing to prove to anyone. If he’s fallen on hard times financially and needs to continue to fight, at least he should be realistic and don’t embarrass himself and boxing on television.

There are others who should retire as well. They are accomplishing nothing by hanging around except tarnish their image. I think all boxing fans want to remember great fighters for who they were not the shell of their former selves that they have become.

The sad thing is that I don’t see any great prospects out there for the future, at least in the division from super middle on up.

Agree or disagree, I always welcome comments.***

On Jan. 17, the 67th birthday of Muhammad Ali, HBO is going to televise an exciting match from Biloxi, Miss. when welterweight champ Andre Berto takes on always tough Luis Collazo.

It’s an interesting match-up in styles and I look for Collazo to give Berto all he can handle before being stopped on cuts in the late rounds.***

Long-time friend, Steve Acunto has written a great new book. It’s a Spanish language guide to understanding boxing techniques. This is a Spanish version of his previously released book in English and is available at AuthorHouse.com.***

Glove 2 Glove:

Say a prayer for the return to health for Chicago great Hall of Famer Eddie Perkins, who is recovering from a heart attack.

One of boxing’s good guys, Genaro ‘Chicanito’ Hernandez has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. Kudos to the WBC for taking up the battle to help pay for some of Genaro’s high medical bills. I ask you to do your share also by saying prayers for this fine young man, a true fighter and champion who represents everything good that sports in general and boxing in particular stands for.

My good friend and former President of the World Boxing Hall of Fame, Norm Cote, is in need of your prayers. Things haven’t been going well for Norm of late, as he’s been on dialysis for a while also. Norm’s a fighter and so is his wonderful wife Annie.***

On behalf of these great fighters, we thank you for your ongoing prayers.

If you know of any boxing people in need of spiritual uplift or prayers, just drop us a line. It’s free to all and no one will ever contact you or put your name on anyone’s mailing list.

Thanks and God bless.***

Rusty Rubin is the editor of Ringsports.com. He is also the author of three acclaimed boxing books! “Woozel, Boxing and Me”, “Off the Canvas” and “Billy Soose, the Champion Time Forgot” co-authored by Tom Donelson.