Andrew Golota was once a tremendous talent in the heavyweight division, who was a perennial rated contender for the better part of a decade. During that time Golota was widely viewed as an A-level talent who was unable to succeed at the highest level in order to secure himself as an A-level boxer.
He had an entertaining action-paced style that fans found appealing, and he had a legion of loyal fans who passionately followed his career through good times and bad as it unfolded. His unusual antics both inside and outside the squared circle made for an intriguing and enigmatic character in boxing’s marquee weight class. Fans never knew what to expect whenever Golota was fighting.
He challenged for a world championship four times, competing for each of the big four sanctioning body prizes, officially going 0-3-1 for his efforts. He was stopped in one round back in 1997 when he challenged then WBC champion Lennox Lewis. In 2004 he battled IBF title holder Chris Byrd to a competitive draw in a bout many observers felt Golota deserved to win. Again in 2004, he would fight for a title against the WBA champ John Ruiz, where Golota fell short losing a decision in another controversial bout. In 2005 Golota went full circle, this time getting blasted out in a round by WBO titlist Lamon Brewster.
Golota was best known for his 1996 rivalry with Riddick “Big Daddy” Bowe – the man who at the time was widely viewed as the best heavyweight in the world. Golota and Bowe engaged in two brutal wars that had a physical and mental toll on the two combatants. Both times Golota proved to be the better boxer inside the ring when fighting inside the rules, but Golota was ultimately disqualified in each encounter due to repeated low blows. Golota was ahead on all of the official judges’ scorecards at the time of the disqualifications both times.
This edition of Rummy’s Corner attempts to provide a detailed recap into the interesting and entertaining boxing career of Andrew Golota. Please watch and enjoy the video!
