"Rock 'N' Rydell" Booker has returned...

Anyone remember this guy? He was a 22-0 rising heavyweight prospect who incurred his lone defeat in a world title eliminator by UD at the hands of James Toney (hot off victories over Jirov & Holyfield), and then disappeared for literally a dozen years. That's because he was popped for cocaine possession (to the tune of >1,000g with intent to distribute!) and had to serve a minimum of twelve years of a 30-year sentence before he could even apply to be paroled.

Well, he did that. He paid his debt to society, and unlike 99% of boxers that see their career momentum truncated by legal troubles and find themselves incarcerated for lengthy stints, talking all the while of making a comeback upon release - he actually did. Two months ago, quietly, a couple of weeks before his 37th birthday, he fought "Rockin' Rodney" Moore in the 6-rounder main event of a card held in municipal rec center/high school basketball gym in sleepy Laurel, Mississippi (hometown of Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire!) - and won a UD.

Tonight he continues to dream the impossible dream, competing in his native Detroit Rock City for the first time in 15 years. His opponent is 16-38-7 Jamal Woods, and while he sounds like a cream-puff bear in mind that Woods is the only man to carry Vlad Sirenko the distance, and is currently on a three-fight win streak. Also remember that Booker is pushing 40 and has been absent from the ring (and without the liberty to move freely about the world) since Lost debuted on ABC. Just because he beat Jones doesn't mean he can necessarily capture lightning in a bottle twice. Woods is a more dangerous journeyman than he may seem.

If there is anybody with half a brain advising him, they will urge him towards a Toney rematch before Lights Out flicks the switch for good. That is the only sensible endgame for Booker here, if he wants to land himself a moderate payday and/or take a stab at revenge for legacy.

 

Yeah that was my first thought - Ike kept chirping the whole time he was in prison about how there was zero doubt he would enter the ring again once he got out, and...tumbleweeds. Booker on the other hand, nobody has even heard a peep from since the first term of the George W. Bush administration, now picking up where he left off & punching the clock all these years later.

Then again, Ike has serious mental health issues so anything he ever said needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

Hmm...we never really had a lot to go by, with Booker, outside his fight with Toney, but...

Rydell vs. Ike, back in the day? Early aughts? How does that go?

 

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Indeed.

https://www.boxingforum24.com/threads/jermaine-franklin-vs-rydell-booker.625782/

 

Exception that proves the rule..