Boxers' waistbands generally expand as their careers progress. James Toney, for instance, started as a middleweight, fighting in the 160-pound range. He now fights at around 230 pounds. Blame Mother Nature and Father Time, and, in Toney's case, Ronald McDonald too. But also blame Andrew Jackson, Ulysses S. Grant, and Benjamin Franklin. Heavyweights have heavy wallets. Chasing the Benjamins as much as chasing the cheeseburgers contributes to blown-up boxers.

This is why I find Chris Byrd's story so interesting. After fighting as a heavyweight for more than a decade--using quickness and defensive skills to defeat such larger men as Evander Holyfield, Vitali Klitschko, and David Tua--Byrd has reinvented himself as a light heavyweight. The 37-year-old has dropped not one but two weight classes. This evening, on ESPN2, a svelte 175-pound Byrd will make his ironic return to the light-heavyweight division. I will be travelling to a television set and tuning in.

Byrd, who won the silver medal at the 1992 Olympics in the 165-pound weight class, launched his professional career in 1993 in the light heavyweight division. But after two fights he fled to the greener pastures--as in greenbacks--of the heavyweight division. He transformed his body, but he was still a David among Goliaths. But as this Christian Christopher certainly knows, David slew Goliath. But this David didn't always beat the Goliaths. Seeing Byrd get pounded by Wladimir Klitschko two years ago, I wondered why he didn't just fight as a cruiserweight. Byrd was one step ahead of me. Seeing no money fights in the under 200-pound division, Byrd dropped down another division to be in the mix with fellow old guys Roy Jones, Bernard Hopkins, Joe Calzaghe, and Antonio Tarver. There are some interesting match-ups to be made. So after gorging himself for the big bucks, Byrd now starves himself for the big bucks.

Here is Byrd as a heavyweight. Here he is now as a light-heavyweight. Byrd told ESPN, "People look at me now and the first thing they say is, 'Who is that guy?' The next thing they say is, 'How did you lose the weight?'"

UPDATE: After eating like a bird, Chris Byrd was hit like a heavyweight by Shaun George. Withstanding the blows of the likes of Vitali Klitschko, Ike Ibeabuchi, and David Tua, a lethargic Byrd tasted the canvass three times in this fight before referee Jay Nady mercifully ended it.

Thanks for the info on Byrd. He lacked real power as a heavy, so has his knockout ratio gone up as a light heavy? He's a crafty fighter. It's always fun to watch a guy with his particular talent. I used to fight Golden Gloves in high school, going from welterweight to middleweight before giving it up for football. Great boxers have a way of making you look bad while really hurting you!

Morgan

Morgan, it was Byrd's first fight as a light heavyweight in 15 years. He got destroyed, as he lacked power, pop, a chin, quickness, defense--basically anything needed to be a good fighter. He really looked like a shot fighter, and the drastic drop in weight seemed to have effected him.

Ya that can go either way. I've seen guys lose a few pounds to get to a more "natural" weight and do well. Chris may have waited too late in his career, when guys naturally GAIN 5-10 lbs. Not many blogs carry my favorite sport, thanks.

Morgan

I write about topics on this site that I don't get a chance to about write elsewhere. Boxing is a subject that interests me. If you're interested, here are a few of my past posts on the sweet science....

http://www.flynnfiles.com/archives/sports2005/the_greatest_boxing_match_ive_ever_seen.html

http://www.flynnfiles.com/archives/sports2004/where_have_you_gone_mike_tyson.html

http://www.flynnfiles.com/archives/sports2007/the_last_superfight.html

http://www.flynnfiles.com/archives/sports2007/sweet_science_is_a_fancy_way_of_saying_fight.html