The Loose Cannon: Shannon Briggs Fighting to Remain Relevant as He Turns 45
Shannon Briggs has played a variety of different roles in his complicated boxing story.
Once incorrectly cast as the next big thing in the heavyweight division, he was the unaccepted hero when he became a world champion against the odds.
In a supporting role, he has featured alongside some of the leading names in the history of the sport. And, just like so many washed-up soap actors in Britain, he's cashed in during the second episode of his career by becoming a pantomime character.
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A big mouth with big muscles, he spouts out his trademark catchphrase "Let’s Go Champ!" so frequently you wonder if he's compensating for something.
Yet Briggs carries enough power for the leading names to realise there is little upside in facing him. The Cannon is loose and past his prime, yet he is still a dangerous foe will very little to lose.
On Sunday, the evergreen fighter turned 45. Father Time will win in the end, but Briggs isn't ready to give in just yet. In fact, thanks to a strong social-media presence, his popularity appears to be on the up and up.
The reason he is still a fighter is because it is the one constant role he's had throughout his life. Born in Brooklyn, he was diagnosed with asthma as a child and ended up homeless during his teenage years.
The stepfather who helped raised him died while serving time in prison, and his mother passed away from a drug overdose on Briggs' 25th birthday. Those of a weaker mental disposition would have crumbled at far less.
Briggs has had to cope with plenty of setbacks in the ring too.
He was picked out as a potential star of the division, only for a run of 25 wins on the spin to come to a shuddering halt at the hands of Darroll Wilson in March 1996.
His attempt to dethrone WBC champion Lennox Lewis in March 1998 was short and not so sweet. Up against Vitali Klitschko in October 2010, he at least heard the final bell before being taken to hospital following a 12-round beating that became tougher to watch with each heavy right hand the Ukrainian landed at will.
Even in times of triumph, Briggs has faced a backlash. His C.V. includes a majority-decision points win over George Foreman in November 1997, but the result is questioned by many who witnessed the bout.
Timothy W. Smith’s report for The New York Times noted how a "disgruntled crowd" booed the outcome, such was the genuine disapproval at the judges' scores.
When he stopped Siarhei Liakhovich in Round 12 in November 2006 to claim the WBO title, triumphing with a solitary second remaining in the fight when trailing on the scorecards, Briggs still couldn't win over the crowd.
An insipid contest was saved as a spectacle by a dramatic finish, but the audience at Chase Field in Phoenix, had made their feelings clear by jeering throughout, according to Andrew Bagnato of the Associated Press (h/t The Washington Post).
BoxRec points out a technicality also helped crown a new champion that night as Liakhovich would have retained his crown had he returned to the ring after a second knockdown sent him through the ropes.
Briggs' reign was brief. He lost to Sultan Ibragimov in his first defence in June 2007, and his career appeared to be over after being knocked from pillar to post by Klitschko three years later.
Yet here he is today, enjoying a second wind after realising he couldn't quite retire from the spotlight. It may be about money, it may be more to do with pride, but Briggs still has some fight left in him.
"I truly, truly suffered depression, to the deep core. I was 400lbs in weight: it was to a point where I was so fat I couldn't even tie my shoes. That was about four or five years ago, after the Klitschko fight," he told Gareth A Davies of The Telegraph.
"I was down and out, I was depressed, I was really feeling bad about myself."
However, having contemplated "jumping off a bridge" during his darkest hour, fatherhood helped get Briggs back on an even keel.
He shed weight and made a comeback in 2014. There have been nine successive wins since donning the gloves again, with all barring two of them coming inside a round.
You can disparage the level of opposition all you like, but Briggs knows how to get the job done in a hurry.
To his credit, he has tried to goad better fighters into facing him. Wladimir Klitschko showed great restraint to never take the bait despite Briggs, who even once hired a boat so he could harangue the Ukrainian while out paddle boarding, constantly hounding him.
Knockout Kings relived the water incident on Twitter (Warning: NSFW):
When Briggs turned his focus to David Haye, he appeared set to have more success with his tactical stalking.
After several impromptu meetings around London, including one gatecrashed press conference that saw Briggs steal the limelight, the two-weight world champion said, per Paul Gorst of The Mirror: "Everywhere I go he keeps chasing me around. I think he's talked himself into getting knocked out now."
The promise made on more than one occasion proved to be an empty one, though.
Briggs itched away at both Klitschko and Haye, yet neither felt the urge to scratch. Just as your mother told you when you had a case of chickenpox, it is better to leave well alone and avoid ending up with bad scars.
Yet despite not facing a notable name since his return, Briggs somehow climbed the WBA’s rankings to bag a shot at their vacant regular belt. Initially, he was to go up against Lucas Browne, although that bout is in the balance after the latter's two failed drugs tests.
While he waits to find out his boxing future, Briggs will have to make do with staying active on social media.
Over 200,000 follow Briggs on Instagram. Rarely a post goes up without the star of the account wearing some sort of official merchandise with "Let's Go Champ!" emblazoned across it. There's even a Shannon Briggs app, available to download on Android and iTunes.
He is an excellent salesman for his brand, perhaps aided by following in the footsteps of the old WWF wrestlers who shouted every word they uttered into a microphone just to make sure the message got through.
But Briggs the man deserves to be shown some respect.
Despite the personal heartaches, the heavy defeats and the dark times during retirement, the Cannon has found the inner drive to keep believing in himself.
Even if you don't recognise his boxing skills, you should admire his fighting spirit. The champ is still going, and at 45, that's a pretty impressive feat.
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