Shaun George dropped Byrd three times – once in the first round and twice in the ninth – in hopes to compete with the top fighters at 175 pounds.
Friday saw not only Byrd’s debut in the division, but also a presumable end to his career.
Byrd asked referee Jay Nady to stop the fight as Nady was administering the count after George floored Byrd for the second time in the ninth round. Byrd suspected he dislocated his left shoulder but fought through pain until the final knockdown.
Byrd (40-5-1, 21 KOs) won the silver medal at 165 pounds in the 1992 Olympics. He turned professional the next year and fought at heavyweight since his third bout.
Usually outweighed, Byrd relied on his ring savvy, speed and heart to compete with larger opponents. What he lacked in strength, he made up for in smarts. He was a perennial factor in the division.
Byrd, 37, has lost three of his last four fights, all by technical knockout. With the shoulder injury and disappointing performance lingering, it is unlikely he will ever be a factor again.
He was never the most entertaining guy to watch, but Chris Byrd always handled himself with class and dignity. Modest and soft-spoken, he was a credit to the sport.
George, on the other hand, entered his name in the mix of light heavyweights chasing down Joe Calzaghe’s recently won championship.
The 29-year-old's performance over the former two-time heavyweight titlist made him a threat to the aging crop of top 175-pounders.
In the post-fight interview, George (17-2-2, 8 KOs) said he is willing to face anyone:
Predictions for tonight’s HBO Boxing After Dark
Gamboa KO4 Jimenez: Yuriokis Gamboa may be the most violent fighter since Mike Tyson. Darling Jimenez is slick and won his last six fights by knockout, but Gamboa (9-0, 8 KOs) is a beast.
Angulo W10 Gutierrez: This is a toss-up, flip-a-coin-type match. Richard Gutierrez is Alfredo Angulo’s stiffest test yet. Gutierrez will give Angulo all he can handle, but I see Angulo taking at least six of the 10 rounds.
Albert KO6 Kirkland: Yep, upset special. Eromosele Albert has a height advantage and has faced tougher competition than the undefeated power-punching James Kirkland. Kirkland was also down in the first round of his previous bout, which he won by first-round knockout.
3 comments:
"Chris Byrd...modest and soft-spoken, unlike his wife..."
Ha Ha! That's great. I was actually going to write something like that, but showed some restraint in observance of his defeat. I'm not the biggest Byrd fan, but I'm not the biggest Byrd hater. He's a decent guy who deserves credit for mixing it up with the big guys. His wife, on the other hand...
Joe
Could you post weekly - the last post here seems to be May of last year. However, good-looking blog
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