It's no secret that many heavyweight boxing fans wish Tye Fields would just go away. To them Fields represents everything that's wrong with the division; when a fighter of his limited skills can go 41-1 based primarily on his size (Fields is about 6' 8", 270), it reveals the thinness in the ranks.
Not that Fields has tried to test his mettle against any quality fighters as yet. He's risen to #14 in the SportsRatings Top 100, but with 41 wins that just shows how limited his competition has been. Many observers have stated that, on the day he takes on a fighter with solid fundamentals, his shortcomings in speed and defense will be revealed; that day may come tonight when he faces Monte Barrett (33-6). But there are lingering questions about Barrett, too, that he must answer.
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Monte Barrett's career, like that of many fringe contenders', is full of ups and downs. Barrett was 21-0, having padded his record like most heavies, when he faced 18-1 Lance Whitaker in August 1999 and lost a split decision; one year later, he was knocked down several times by Wlad Klitschko en route to a 7th round KO at the hands of the champ, who was then 33-1 and ranked #13 in the SportsRatings Heavyweight Boxing Rankings.
Barrett won his next six fights in uneven performances over the next three years, but it was enough to rank him in the top 25 and get him another high-profile fight, this time against HBO hero Joe Mesi. Mesi was undefeated (27-0-0) and ranked #11 when they fought in December of 2003. One scorecard had the fight a draw; the others had Mesi the winner by a point and two points, respectively. Many thought Mesi had been given an "HBO decision" but nevertheless Barrett had this third loss.
So far his losses to strong competition hadn't hurt Barrett's stock much. Just three months later he faced #14 Dominick Guinn (24-0-0) and, winning a split decision, jumped back to #16 himself. It was almost a year before his next fight, against Owen Beck (24-0-0), the third undefeated fighter in a row he'd faced. Barrett scored a 9th round KO, pushing him to his highest ranking at #12.
This and his new association with Don King got him a fight with Hasim Rahman, as a replacement for injured Vitali Klitschko. Rahman was on a comeback streak in '04 and '05, and he and Barrett were good friends. Their fight was lackluster, with Rahman winning an easy decision.
Another year passed before Barrett's next fight. This time he faced Nicolay Valuev, then ranked #3 and undefeated at 44-0. He fought well against the giant, but couldn't do as much damage as he took, and his corner stopped the fight in the 11th round.
To this point, Barrett's loss record consisted of two undefeated fighters, two fighters with one loss, and a former heavyweight champion. Add in his two victories over undefeated fighters and he had a resumé that almost anyone would be proud of, and a legitimate claim to still being a contender-level boxer.
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That changed with his next fight in July of 2007, when journeyman Cliff Couser (then 25-12-2) knocked Barrett out in the 2nd round. His third loss in a row—an early KO to an unheralded fighter—pretty much wiped him off the boxing map. He fell out of the SportsRatings Top 100, and broke with Don King, whom he blamed for his recent woes: "I have had four fights with Don King and how many did I win? I was 1 and 3 with him. Now that I'm not under his umbrella I feel like I can breathe." (interviewed by Saddoboxing)
Barrett avenged the loss, returning the favor last December by knocking out Couser in two, then stopped unranked Damon Reed in two as well in February. Whether or not Barrett has indeed regained his prior form is still a question to many.
If he has, then he should beat Tye Fields tonight. The level of competition Fields has faced is nowhere close to what Barrett has seen. In fact, it's likely that were their opponent lineups switched around, Barrett might be 41-1, and Fields would be about 33-6.
Barrett is not a large heavyweight, while Fields is known primarily for his size. That will be nothing new to Barrett, who has faced the giants Whitaker, Klitschko, and Valuev. Though he lost all of those fights, he had some success against all of them, and Fields doesn't have the skill of Whitaker or Valuev, let alone Klitschko.
It won't be easy, and he'll have to be very careful, but if he boxes like he's capable of, Monte Barrett should be able to beat Fields. Fields punches a lot, but they are slow and telegraphed, and his defense is almost non-existant. Barrett will have to stay out of trouble, like he did most of the fight against Valuev, and score when he has opportunity, which should be often. Fields will be coming at Barrett relentlessly, so hopefully Barrett is in good shape from training camp.
A win would leap Barrett from his current #127 ranking back into the top 25 and perhaps jump-start his waning career. A win by Fields, too, would make people take notice, assuming that Barrett looked sharp, and edge him nearer to the top 10 from his current #14.
A loss would be very harmful to either fighter. At 41-1, Fields should be able to beat a 37-year-old ex-contender if he wants to prove he's for real. As for Barrett, if he can't beat Fields, he will have to face the fact that he's unlikely to advance farther in the heavyweight ranks.
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