Can Chris Arreola Carry the Banner for American Heavyweights?

“If that’s the Heavyweight Division in America right now, we need help”—Bernard Hopkins, after watching Tony Thomspon knockout Maurice Harris.

The most recent edition of ESPN’s “Friday Night Fights” was a Reno, Nevada based showcase for two of the top three American heavyweights, Chris Arreola and Tony Thompson. Give the four-letter network credit for producing a broadcast that really had the feel of being an “event.”

Of course, enthusiasm for boxing is at a high point this month, thanks to Bernard Hopkins’ historic victory in Montreal last weekend. Naturally ESPN had the newly crowned Godfather of the sport in studio, and Teddy Atlas was brought on camera to publicly kiss the Don’s ring and answer for having picked against Hopkins versus Pascal.

Another entertaining segment featured Atlas hopping around on top of some rocks in the middle of a creek while he did his typical analysis of what Chris Arreola and his opponent, 22-14 club fighter Kendrick Releford, would need to do respectively in order to win the fight. I have to think the reason for Atlas’ absurd choice of location, instead of the more typical setting of a gym or studio, was to emphasize how utterly absurd it would be to think that Releford might actually have any chance at all against Arreola.

For the boxing nerd inside of me, it was a great night of viewing. But I have to admit, the part of me that is a curmudgeon and a critic was pricked awake. With the state of boxing what it is today, any showcase for two of the top American heavyweights can only really end up showcasing one thing: How absolutely irrelevant American heavyweight boxing has become.

Still, like Jamaican Bobsled fans, let us be thankful for and appreciative of what we do have. Thompson and Arreola are both high level professionals and deserve credit for what they are accomplishing in this technically difficult and physically punishing sport. They both showed up on Friday focused and ready to do what they needed to do to take the next step upwards on their journeys.

Thompson notched a third-round knockout over journeyman Maurice Harris. At some point in the past, I can imagine this one might have lined up to be a very compelling fight. That time has long gone by. Thompson’s KO told us nothing more than that he is able to unload vicious hooks and overhands against slow and essentially defenseless opponents. He will face a much stiffer test in his next opponent, Ring Magazine’s No. 6 ranked Eddie Chambers. There is talk that the winner of that one will be given the opportunity to get knocked out by a Klitschko brother.

At 39, Thompson is gearing up for what will almost certainly be his last title push. Touting older combat athletes is my bread and butter, so if a Thompson bandwagon is going to get built, I’ll be all ready to jump on board. But the fighter clearly positioned to carry the banner for American heavyweights for the foreseeable future is Chris Arreola.

Fighting for the second time in a month, Arreola once again tipped the scales in the 230’s, the love handles that had seemed his trademark still banished. By showing a new found commitment to his conditioning, Arreola takes what has always been the biggest knock against him off the table. Just now turning 30, Arreola has a veteran’s experience behind him and what should be a number of very good years physically ahead.

Against Kendrick Releford, Arreola looked very much the accomplished professional. At 22-15 Releford is the walking definition of a club fighter, but the Fort Worth native doubles as a personal trainer and he came to Reno in shape to fight. A son from a boxing family, Releford displayed some nice lateral movement and a lengthy jab—he gave Arreola some busy rounds to work.

But the outcome was never in doubt. After establishing control in the early rounds, Arreola started to unload with some starch on his shots in round five. Releford went down for the first time in round six and showed tremendous heart to make it to the bell. As round seven began, it was clear that he was simply in too deep and Arreola put him away with a series of uppercuts and hooks.

Just as with Thompson’s dismantling of Harris, it’s tough to draw many conclusions from Arreola’s work against Releford. He did not lose a round, but Releford was able to connect with punches at times. No doubt Arreola was unconcerned with taking the occasion shot from Releford, but it’s hard to imagine him getting landed on like that and surviving against a Klitschko, or even against a Tony Thompson or an Eddie Chambers. Just the same, Arreola seems committed to staying in shape and active, and for now he is the best bet the sport has for reminding American fans that the heavyweight division still exists.