“TOUCH OF SLEEP”…STILL THE BEST.

By STEPHEN S. JOHNSON

INSIDE BOXING (October 1, 2003) - This past Saturday night Denver’s own DaVarryl Williamson was knocked out in the first round by hometown favorite “Baby Joe” Mesi.

The fight was the main-event on a card featuring 3 bouts purportedly showcasing the future of the heavyweight division.

None of the fights lived up to the pre-fight billing.

Sure, Dominick Dunn, Juan Carlos Gomez and “Baby Joe” Mesi were victorious, but are they legitimate heavyweight contenders?

Maybe so, but if this is the horse the heavyweight division is hitching it’s wagon to…

For all the talk of “class” in the sport of boxing, without question the classiest of the bunch was eliminated when DaVarryl Williamson was knocked out in the first round.

The 35 year old Washington, D.C. native was overwhelmed by a partisan crowd that was loud and supportive of their hometown boy, “Baby Joe” Mesi.

Credit to Mesi, he launched a relentless attack from the opening bell that Williamson was seemingly unprepared for.

The new wave of fighter in the heavyweight division is stacked with the “tough man” brawler type that Williamson is not used to.

Heavyweight fight fans want to see good old-fashioned “ass kicking” that involves someone getting knocked out!

Having started as late as he did in the fight game, DaVarryl Williamson will probably no longer be considered a contender in the heavyweight division.

Devout family man, well-educated and articulate DaVarryl Williamson never did fit the mold of “professional boxer” …which is a damned shame.

In order to survive the corruption, illegalities and overall negativity now associated with the sport DaVarryl Williamson types need to be recruited.

Williamson once told me that he wanted to “make people aware that the sport of boxing has many good guys. It’s just that all the focus is on the bad ones”.

Maybe DaVarryl Williamson is correct in his belief that there are many “good guys” in the sport that just don’t receive recognition.

But it seems to me that guys like DaVarryl Williamson are few and far between.

I would have loved to watch him rise to the top of the heavyweight division and make a positive impression on the fight game.

But the nature of the fight game is such that the probability of him achieving that success brought the possibility of him being hurt.

DaVarryl Williamson is too good a person, too good a man and has too much to offer his family and our community than he could ever achieve in the boxing ring.

His dedication to his faith and to his family will provide him with the strength to continue being the positive role model he is.

I originally thought the boxing community should be saddened by the defeat of DaVarryl Williamson.

Now I know we should be rejoicing at his defeat!

There is no TRUE place for a man the caliber of a DaVarryl Williamson in the sport of professional boxing.

The proverbial “he has bigger fish to fry” pertains to DaVarryl Williamson.

To most in the sport of boxing the devout family man, spiritual advisor, articulate and well-educated DaVarryl Williamson will be forgotten as quickly as this article will be read.

In the bigger scheme of things he will long be remembered as what professional boxing should and could have been.

For DaVarryl Williamson this defeat is a sort of homecoming for he is where he truly belongs.

From myself, your family and your community to you DaVarryl Williamson…“Welcome back”!