By Scoop Malinowski

Heavyweight contender Shannon Briggs is looking to make a return to the ring next year. Now 32 and in his prime, the hard-punching Miami-based Brooklynite would make an ideal opponent for Joe Mesi or Juan Carlos Gomez or even Mike Tyson.

Briggs is best known for staggering Lennox Lewis with a right hand in the first round of their March 1998 WBC title fight in Atlantic City. Lewis survived the round and went on to win in the 5th round. I once asked durable trialhorse Marion Wilson - who has never been stopped - who the hardest puncher is that he ever fought and he’s fought everyone. And Wilson answered without hesitation, “Hasim Rahman and Shannon Briggs.”

Briggs’ has been inactive as of late, his last fight was a decision loss to Jameel McCline last year. I ran into the affable Briggs at Madison Square Garden and we discussed boxing. Here is what one of boxing’s undisputedly most popular and well-liked fighters had to say, about his future, fighting Lennox Lewis, Vitali Klitschko and next year’s possible “Fight of the Century.”:

BoxingInsider.com: How is Shannon Briggs these days?

Shannon Briggs: “I’m looking hopefully to get back in there and have a couple of fights. And I’d like to get one of these young, up and coming guys like Mesi. And some of these guys who think they’re like tomorrow’s champions. And hopefully get a shot at Tyson. I think it would be a great fight next for the Garden, two New York guys from Brooklyn. It would be a great fight.”

BoxingInsider.com: How do you see a potential Hopkins-DeLaHoya “Fight of the Century” turning out?

Shannon Briggs: “Tough fight. Oscar’s one of the guys from our era. We were in amateurs together, I know him, I love him personally. I think he’s great for the sport. He’s a beautiful kid, you know what I’m saying? But Hopkins is so awkward. And he’s a veteran. I just don’t like the fight. I don’t like the size difference. This guy’s a full-fledged middleweight. And a guy like DeLaHoya - I wouldn’t want to see his greatness be tarnished. And I really feel like he won the fight with Shane.”

BoxingInsider.com: You fought a tough fight with Lennox Lewis. What are the qualities that make him one of the all-time great heavyweight champions?

Shannon Briggs: “I wouldn’t say all-time great heavyweight champion. I’d say he’s a very, very good heavyweight champion, for this era. He came at the right time. He fought guys at the right time. He was very ordinary. He was the type of guy who got the job done. He wasn’t exciting to watch. He didn’t show you a lot. He didn’t show you double left hooks and great speed and charisma of Ali. But he won. But if greatness comes in that, yeah, okay. But he wasn’t exciting to watch, so I can’t say he was great. It’s entertainment. And I wasn’t too entertained by him. Although he was a very big, strong guy, but very basic. Didn’t go over the edge, didn’t try to put himself out there, to do anything too dangerous. Real basic, one, two.”

BoxingInsider.com: What did you learn about Lewis, being in the ring with him? Did anything about him surprise you?

Shannon Briggs: “Definitely. I definitely had the wrong thing in mind. Everyone kept saying, You gotta take it to this guy, take it to this guy. And I had heard scouting reports that this guy doesn’t take boxers too well…guys that give lateral movement. And I learned that, in the fight, that when I gave him a little bit of movement, he couldn’t take it. He had to reset. He has, I think, like a size 22 shoe, he had to reset. So if I could do anything different, I would box him, give him lateral movement, give him side to side. Any guy who does that, as you could see with Klitschko, anyone who boxes him, gives him problems.”

BoxingInsider.com: If Lennox retires soon, who do you see becoming possibly the next dominant heavyweight champion?

Shannon Briggs: “I myself am looking to make a strong comeback in 2004. But I like the Klitschko’s. I like that guy, he showed me a lot against Kirk Johnson. I’ve got to be honest with you, I thought that Johnson was going to beat him. I was a little disappointed to see Kirk’s condition that he came in. I was really disappointed to see that. But I like what I see in the Klitschkos. Believe it or not, I really didn’t like him much in that fight with Lewis. But against Johnson, I liked what I saw.”

BoxingInsider.com: Soon Lennox, Jones, Tyson, Holyfield and Oscar will retire. Who do you see becoming the next era’s big pay-per-view superstars?

Shannon Briggs: “That’s a good question, man. With the state that boxing is in right now, I’m looking forward to seeing tomorrow’s big money guy. Hopefully, I’ll be there.”