Monday, July 09, 2001
Donald's career down for the count
Saturday's loss hurt his chances of making mark
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Larry Donald will continue to make a buck in boxing. His ability to make his mark, however, has been badly hurt.
Losing Saturday's World Boxing Association elimination bout to Kirk Johnson deprives Donald of priority in the chaotic heavyweight picture and diminishes his prospects for a comeback climb. Instead of an imminent title shot, the Cincinnati fighter is now looking at the lengthy task of rebuilding his reputation.
His age, 34, works against him. So does his relatively modest punching power. Donald is 38-2-2, but he can no longer be considered a comer and he never was a compelling gate attraction. He embodies skill in a sport that prizes savagery, and his understated style has limited appeal when the popular taste favors head-bangers.
While trainer Aaron Snowell sought to minimize Donald's defeat Saturday night
— he called the 12-round unanimous decision “a minor setback” — the prevailing opinion ringside was the setback was severe; that a fighter who fits Donald's profile rarely receives a second chance at stardom.
“You get an opportunity and you fail and you're a little long in the tooth — it's tough,” promoter Cedric Kushner said. “Larry doesn't have a big punch and a heavyweight without a big punch...”
Kushner shrugged. He was once Donald's promoter and he knows what sells. He knew Larry Donald became a tougher sell Saturday night.
No intensity
; “It seems like we've come to expect real intensity from the heavyweight division,” Kushner continued. “(This fight) was for all the marbles and Larry didn't have that intensity. He didn't have that fire.”
Donald is a lot of things, but he conveys precious little passion in the ring. One reporter observed Saturday night that Donald barely changed his facial expression throughout the fight. Neither did he depart from his jab-dominated strategy when behind on points.
Without a potent right hand to deliver knockout blows, Donald spends most of his time trying to open cuts around his opponent's eyes with his left jab. This is a good way to get a fight stopped, but it tends to be more gradual than awe-inspiring and it does not lead to a lot of opponents being picked up off the canvas.
By the end of Saturday's bout, Johnson looked as if he'd run face-first into a telephone pole. Late in the fight, Johnson confessed, he could barely see out of his right eye. Yet Johnson landed enough convincing body blows to overcome his battered appearance and Donald's reported 548-503 edge in punches thrown.
“I dominated the whole fight,” Donald said on his way out of KeySpan Park. “He never hurt me.”
Damage control
The damage Johnson did to Donald was not physical, but fiscal. Kushner estimated winning the elimination bout would be worth at least a $1 million purse when Johnson fights for the title. He has reason to doubt Donald will command those kind of dollars.
“You have to say to yourself, "Why do I fight him?' ” Kushner said. “If I beat him, I was supposed to beat him. If I lose to him, it's a catastrophe. And if I don't look good, I'll be compared to a lot of fighters. The only advantage is he's not likely to hurt you, if that's what you're worried about.”
Ouch.
“It's not the end of the world,” Snowell insisted. “We'll just bide our time. Larry's with a guy named Don King. He can work miracles. You're always a fingertip away from a telephone call saying you're going to get a shot.”
Larry Donald would be wise not to wait by the phone.
E-mail tsullivan@enquirer.com. Past columns at Enquirer.com/columns/sullivan.
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