By Andy Rivera

In the current landscape of the giant heavyweights, the days of the 210-215 pound fighters are gone. When you have 6’7 Wladimir Klitschko and 7’0 Nikolai Valuev reigning at the top, the much smaller heavyweights are overmatched against these giants and go in the ring at a huge disadvantage.

Take cruiserweight Talmadge “Two Guns” Griffs (23-8-2) for instance, fighting mostly at heavyweight with his top weight rounding out at 228 against Dale Crowe, but fought mostly in the 205-210 range.

Griffs decided it was time to make a change with his weight and the help of former two- time world champion Danny Romero, Jr., who now promotes him. Griffs has a chance to make some noise in the 200-pound division.

”I feel much stronger at this weight and look for a shot at a world title in the next year or two.” said Griffs, at Friday’s weigh-ins for his bout against James Brock at the Santa Ana Star Casino outside of Albuquerque, New Mexico. “This is my natural weight, but I was always given the wrong advice to take on the bigger fighters, but with the help of Danny, I feel I’m in the right place now.”

Griffs who met Romero back when he was an amateur in Colorado Springs, ran into him again two years ago and Romero told Griffs that he would help him get a world title. “I know Talmadge is the real thing at cruiserweight, he hits hard and he is now at his weight,” stated Romero. “He can help bring a title back to Albuquerque all we have to do is to keep him busy and we can do great things together.”

O’Neil Bell is the top dog at cruiserweight, but Griffs feels he can beat Bell and would like the opportunity in the near future. The possibility to meet Bell, at least for the titles, depends on Bell winning his upcoming rematch with Jean Marc Mormeck.

"I've seen him fight and there isn’t a reason in the world  I can’t beat him or anyone in the world at this weight.”

Griffs says he will do whatever Romero advises in order to get a shot at the cruiserweight title, but also realizes he needs to knock off some ring rust.

“I have to stay active, I would fight then it would be six, seven months before I’d get back in the ring again,” says Griffs. “I know that if I stay busy then there is now reason why I can’t get to the top.”

Max Heyman will headline the card on Saturday, taking on Mexico’s Ernesto Zamora, with Griffs being the special attraction bout along with the comeback of Sean McClain, who will battle Vernon Woodward.