21.05.05 – By Geoff McKay: Do you remember the movie “Kingpin” starring Woody Harrelson? If you haven’t seen it, the film is about a promising young bowler who has limitless talent, and a bright future, but through a series of mishaps, misguidance, and misjudgments, ends up a middle aged drunk with a hook for a hand, who has to service his unattractive, elderly landlady to pay the rent.. The humor in this picture is often corny and immature, however, in the end, the character winds up entering a pro bowling tournament, for a chance at one million dollars, twenty years after he was forced to give the sport up.
Even with the hook for a hand, he makes it to the finals, where he loses to an old archenemies, (the same one that set up the scheme that cost him his hand). Although Roy Munson, (the title character), is just about the biggest screw up you could imagine, in the end, he does manage to get the money, the girl, and the self respect. Kingpin isn’t by any means the height of Cinematic art, but it is a feel good story, because if someone like Munson can achieve his dreams, then the rest of us have reason to hold out hope.
Boxing has its very own Roy Munson, and his name is Andrew Golota. Golota has done it everything you can imagine in boxing except win a title. He captured the imagination of the boxing public when he came one punch away from owning the greatest title in professional sports. This, of course, was offset by the lowest moment of his career, when he left the ring alone after losing to Mike Tyson, and was showered with beverages by angry, (and classless) fans.
Andrew Golota was born in Warsaw, Poland in 1968, and began boxing at the age of 13. He had a fantastic amateur career which culminated with a Bronze medal in the 1988 Seoul, Korea. In 1991, Golota immigrated to the land of the free, with ambitions of becoming a truck driver. The gods of boxing smiled on him, and us, when an amateur boxing official was assigned to handle his file. The official referred Golota on to a local gym owner, and the rest is history.
Golota started out his professional career with a bang, winning 28 straight fights, before being matched with former Champion Riddick Bowe. As most of us know, the Bowe Golota spectacle was one of the most bizarre ever in boxing. The fight was foul filled, with both fighters committing infractions, however, Golota finished off with an uppercut to the groin after being repeatedly warned about low blows. He had the victory in his hands, but he opened his fingers and dropped it.
The rematch produced the same result, Golota dominating, and then fouling himself into disqualification. Hardly anyone could believe what they had just witnessed. Very few people knew it at the time, but what they were seeing was the Andrew Golota tendency for mental collapse, and lack of focus.
After the Bowe mishap, came the Lewis disaster, then a few fights later the Michael Grant calamity, and finally the Tyson catastrophe. This series of unfavorable events led to a hiatus from boxing for Golota. He took almost three years off, then, for whatever reason, came back, and has begun to redeem his checkered past.
He took a couple of tune up fights, and then was fed to IBF champion Chris Byrd. Byrd specializes in breaking down larger men over the distance, but was unable to do so with Golota. Andrew showed uncharacteristic resolve, and went the entire twelve rounds, earning a draw when many thought he won the fight. Next up was John Ruiz. Ruiz had seen the tapes, he knew how to get to Golota, pressure him hard and fast early, and he will fold on his own. Ruiz wound up face down on the canvas in the second round as repayment for his effort. He was forced to return to his jab and grab style in order to keep his WBA belt.
Now Golota has his third and possibly final shot at a heavyweight title, when he faces Lamon Brewster for the WBO belt this Saturday at The United Center in Chicago. Golota has all the tools to win this fight, it is just a matter of which version of him we see. Will we see the Andrew Golota of old, who quits or self destructs when he is ahead, or faces adversity? Or will we see the late emerging Golota, who is patient under fire, who waits for his opportunities and counters aggressive opponents, and who knows how to reach deep inside himself and keep going?
I believe if we see the later, when Saturday night is over, Andrew Golota will finally own a piece of the Heavyweight title. This would be a good thing, because if the 37 year old would be truck driver from Warsaw, Poland, who has faced so much adversity, can achieve his dream of becoming a World Heavyweight Champion, the rest of us have reason to hold out hope.