In what could be deemed as a no-brainer by some fans, Tim Sylvia's bout with Ray Mercer isn't being labeled as some sort of freak show bout by Sylvia and his manager Monte Cox, but as a litmus test to see if Tim Sylvia is ready to break into Heavyweight boxing:

We’re hoping that this can maybe open some doors in boxing. A 6"8 heavyweight boxer can make some more (money) than MMA guys. (But) if he can’t go through Mercer, he will probably not have much of a boxer career.

Honestly, does anyone blame Tim Sylvia here? He's been constantly criticized by fans, media, and even the UFC's brass for being a boring fighter who doesn't go for the finish, is very cautious, and promotes a style that is more of a way to squeak out decision victories as opposed to impressive finishing victories.

His style is also more adept to actual Boxing rather than MMA. When's the last time you really saw Tim Sylvia try to take someone down? It's a logical move for Sylvia, but I don't actually think he'll be able to do it. His lurking movement and awkward striking makes me believe he'll be worked over by anyone with a solid reach advantage and a powerful jab.

With Sylvia's stock being fairly low with any promotion in the upper-echelon of the MMA landscape, I suppose Cox and Sylvia may feel this is his only real shot at making the big bucks again.

Image courtesy of Matratz