A PITIABLE ERA FOR HEAVYWEIGHTS.

Byline: MICHAEL ROSENTHAL Boxing

The heavyweight division might be in its sorriest state ever.

Lennox Lewis, who defends his titles against Hasim Rahman on Saturday in Johannesburg, South Africa, rules over boxing's glamour division and not a single potential opponent is a realistic threat to his supremacy.

Consider some of the top contenders:

--Mike Tyson: A once-fine - but overrated - champion who has lost what he once had. Don't be surprised if David Izon gives him trouble in June.

--Wladimir Klitschko: A big, fairly capable boxer who doesn't have a fraction of Lewis' athletic ability. Same goes for brother Vitali.

--David Tua: Lewis already manhandled the man believed to be his most significant threat. An accomplished heavyweight needs more than a big punch.

--John Ruiz: The limited WBA titleholder might be the worst heavyweight champion in history.

--Evander Holyfield: Too old.

--Lance Whitaker: His impressive knockout of Oleg Maskaev was encouraging but hardly makes the Valley product an accomplished heavyweight.

--Hasim Rahman: A 15-1 underdog against Lewis. However, don't take that bet. He has no chance.

Pathetic, huh?

That group doesn't exactly conjure up images of the golden era of heavyweights, the 1970s - with Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Ken Norton, Larry Holmes, Jerry Quarry, Earnie Shavers, et al. Ahhhhhh, those were the days.

However, all periods before and after the '70s pale in comparison and some rival the current crop at the bottom of the list. Well, almost.

Most conspicuously, there was the 1980s.

Hold your nose. Consider some of the titleholders of the period of the fractured heavyweight championship - John Tate, Mike Weaver, Michael Dokes, Gerrie Coetzee, Tim Witherspoon, Pinklon Thomas, Greg Page, Tony Tubbs, Trevor Berbick and Bonecrusher Smith.

Gag.

Like Lewis today, though, at least one accomplished champion saved the era from utter disgrace. The great Larry Holmes reigned at the time, Tyson thrilled boxing fans in the second half of the decade and even Michael Spinks was a good fighter.

The principal difference between then and now, sadly, is the ``champions'' of the '80s probably were more capable as a group than the current contenders. All of them brought more into the ring than Ruiz does.

And there were other periods devoid of depth.

Joe Louis, who reigned 11 remarkable years, could carry an era on his massive shoulders, but his ``Bum of the Month Club'' was evidence of a relatively weak division between 1937 and 1948 - with a four-year gap because of World War II.

Still, fighters like Tommy Farr, Arturo Godoy and Billy Conn were far better than today's contenders. Farr and Godoy took Louis 15 rounds and Conn was beating him when he was stopped. Can anyone imagine any of the contemporary contenders pulling off such a feat?.

Jack Johnson also once reigned over a barren heavyweight landscape, Rocky Marciano's best opponents were natural light heavyweight Ezzard Charles and aging Jersey Joe Walcott, and Floyd Patterson might be the weakest of the undisputed champions since Tommy Burns around the turn of the century.

So, perhaps we can take comfort knowing that boxing fans of the past have also suffered. The question is: Could they have possibly suffered this much?

--Roy Jones Jr.: Naturally, promoter Bob Arum is building up the Jones- Julio Gonzalez fight on July 28 at Staples Center. That's his job.

He described Gonzalez, of Huntington Beach, ``as the toughest guy the undisputed light heavyweight champion will have faced since James Toney (in 1994).''

``He's a very rugged guy,'' Arum said. ``He has a huuuuuge heart and fast hands. In any other era besides the Roy Jones era he'd be champion.

``He could beat (contender) Dariusz Michalczewski, for example. Beating Jones? That would be a tremendous feat.''

Try an impossible feat.

This isn't a fight as much as it's an event. It certainly has nowhere near the intrigue that surrounded the Staples card featuring Shane Mosley and Oscar De La Hoya last year because Gonzalez can't win.

Staples officials took the fight because of Jones' name and an attractive undercard. They believe Jones will attract fans across the board while Mexicans Erik Morales and Juan Manuel Marquez, and Korean Injin Chi will draw people from their ethnic communities.

``We basically have heard a lot about Roy Jones,'' said Brenda Tinnen, senior vice president of event and guest services at Staples. ``He's never fought in L.A. We just think he has the credentials for a great fight here. ...

``We're excited, especially about the undercard.''

Organizers probably will draw enough from each group to piece together a good crowd, particularly because of remarkably low ticket prices. Fans can attend for as little as $25.

``The idea is to get behinds into the seats,'' Arum said.

And then hope that Jones and Gonzalez can deliver.

--Rabbit punches: Whitaker, coming off an impressive knockout of Oleg Maskaev, has been mentioned as a possible opponent for Wladimir Klitschko this summer.

The winner could be in line to challenge champion Lewis. ...

The heavyweight bout between Tyson and Izon on June 2 could land in Washington, D.C., according to reports. ...

Marco Antonio Barrera, coming off his remarkable victory over Naseem Hamed at 126 pounds, said he will go back to down to 122.

His handlers say he's most comfortable as a super bantamweight.

Of course, that doesn't mean he wouldn't go back up for a big-money rematch against Hamed or Erik Morales. ...

Forum Boxing lives! No, the regular cards at the Forum have not been revived.

Forum Boxing, which still exists as a promotional company, has handled Barrera for years. He made it a point to thank the Forum after his victory over Hamed. ...

The Golden State Boxer's Association will honor actor Robert Conrad, 1984 Olympic gold medalist Paul Gonzalez, trainer Richard Steele and trainer Freddie Roach at a luncheon April 21 at The Old Spaghetti Factory in Hollywood.

Conrad gave up a promising boxing career to go into acting - ``The Wild, Wild West'' - and later managed fighters.

--Coming up: Bronco McKart faces Michael Lerma on Friday in Cincinnati on ESPN2. ...

Three former employees at houseofboxing.com have left to form a new boxing Web site, maxboxing.com.

Steve Kim, Doug Fischer and Gary Randall are talented and energetic and they know their boxing.

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Photo:

Lennox Lewis will put his heavyweight titles on the line against Hasim Rahman on Saturday.

Themba Hadebe/Associated Press