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For a fighter who has literally made his career devising methods to remedy an opponent's advantage in size, power and in some cases talent, Chris Byrd at 37 has once again come upon an ingenious plan to extend his career and further his legacy. Byrd (40-4-1, 21 KOs), a former two-time heavyweight belt holder with five defenses, has reinvented himself as a light heavyweight.
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Byrd will make his 175-pound debut against Shaun George (16-2-2, 7), on Friday, May 16, at the Cox Pavilion at the Thomas and Mack Center in Las Vegas to be broadcast live on ESPN's Friday Night Fights. In all of boxing history only two heavyweight champions have successfully moved down in weight to win the light-heavyweight title -- Bob Fitzsimmons in 1903 and Roy Jones Jr. in 2003.
As a heavyweight, the crafty Byrd defeated Vitali Klitschko for the WBO belt and Evander Holyfield for the vacant IBF crown. He defeated other big hitters such as David Tua, Jameel McCline and others along the way, and he did it with speed and science.
But as the years rolled by Byrd might have become an eyelash slower, just enough of a difference to diminish his natural elusiveness and make him more vulnerable to the big heavyweight wallop that he would dodge in his prime. The result was TKO losses to Wladimir Klitschko for the IBF belt in 2006 and to Alexander Povetkin in an IBF eliminator last October.
Byrd was always somewhat of a plumped-up heavyweight anyway. After Povetkin he talked about the possibility of moving to cruiserweight. To even his own surprise, the pounds dropped so easily through exercise and a normal diet that on the day of our interview this week, Byrd weighed 173.
Byrd said he feels great with his new body.
"I feel like I don't have to give 40 pounds a piggyback ride," he told us. "I eat every two hours, small portions but they give me energy. I even snack so I have something to burn."
The question to be answered is whether the lighter weight will translate into newfound power and how will it impact his speed and stamina.
"It remains to be seen," he replied. "I hope so. Sparring and training is one thing, but then you have to get in the ring.
"I can sit back in the pocket a little more rather than in the heavyweight division where you can be taken out with one punch.
"My speed feels really good. I feel fast, but until I get in the ring and fight these guys I won't know where I'm really at. I have to prove it in the ring."
Chris is widely known in the industry as being one of the sport's nicest guys, a good family man and devout Christian. This is a man who holds no grudges and speaks well of everyone and works hard to pass the same values to his children.
"I've been married (to his wife and manager, Tracy) 15 years and we dated before that so we've been together for 20," he began. "I have three kids (two girls, ages 15 and 9, and a boy, 13) and my nephew is here all the time and basically I help my sister raise him. We're a close-knit family and we're Christians and we love each other.
