Though most people, when they read, or saw, how Canada’s Donovan Ruddock was stopped, his comeback derailed, in three-rounds by Dillon Carman on Friday night, claimed that Razor was foolish in the first place for trying to attain new glory at the advanced age of 51, the fact is the gutsy warrior showed plenty of guts and courage in trying to push the boundaries all athletes are restrained by.
Ruddock, who began a ring return in March of this year, and won two fights he really had no business winning, could have taken the easy route and signed to fight ten, 12 or 15 powerless journeymen types – if he was fighting again merely to make money off the name he fought so hard to make in the 1990’s. But Razor, as he told this writer a number of times, was not trying to fool anyone. Nor was Ruddock capable of disrespecting the sport to simply earn some cash. No, Ruddock wanted to see how far a 51-year-old clean living, dedicated vegan could go in the toughest sport in the world. People laughed, and will no doubt continue to do so, but Razor’s aim was to get all the way back to the world title. Hey, at least he tried and had the raw courage needed to do so.
If George Foreman, for one, had listened to the logic Ruddock was forced to hear, we would never have seen his great, logic-defying comeback – all the way to regaining the world crown – come to fruition in 1994. At the end of the day, we mere mortals need our heroes, the ones who will try their best when it comes to pushing the boundaries of physical achievement. In the end, Father Times got the better of Ruddock on Friday night when he also went up against 29-year-old Dillon Carman, but Razor went down fighting. Hard.
For that he deserves our respect.
The unlikely comeback appeared to reach a shuddering halt against Carman, the defending the Canadian heavyweight champion. Crushing Ruddock with a smashing right hand that left the former contender flat on his back in the third-round, Carman surely re-retired Ruddock. The referee, Mark Simmons, began a count but soon dispensed with it, so clearly out was Ruddock. Official time was 2-minutes and five seconds of the third-round.
Carman, aged 29, is now 9-2(8). Ruddock is now 40-6-1(30).
Ruddock started the fight reasonably well, landing on occasion with his once-lethal, still dangerous left hand, but Carman was the faster, more agile fighter. “Big Country,” as Carman is known, targeted Ruddock’s body with effectiveness. The end came suddenly in the third, as Ruddock was caught by two right hands whilst in a corner. Razor went down but showed the heart he is known for in bouncing back up. The end was swift in coming, however, as Carman closed the show with a massive right to the head that laid the veteran out.
It is to be hoped Ruddock is okay after taking such a hurtful punch. It is also hoped he will get respect for trying what he tried, not derision from the armchair fans who have never had an ounce of the courage Ruddock possesses.
