When asked about the fight, John volunteered: This should be a very good fight. I would not venture a prediction except to say that it would be fun to watch.

WBA May Strip Lewis of Title NEW YORK (Reuters) - The World Boxing Association (WBA) will hold a meeting Monday to decide whether to strip undisputed heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis of its version of the title. The WBA, according to one of Lewis' lawyers, says Lewis must fight its number-one contender Johnny Ruiz as a WBA mandatory defense before fighting Michael Grant as scheduled in April. Lewis won the undisputed championship last November when he outpointed Evander Holyfield in a rematch of their highly-controversial draw of a year earlier. Pat English, a lawyer representing Lewis' U.S. promoter Main Events, said Friday he will strongly object to the WBA's position at Monday's meeting in Philadelphia. English said Main Events had been told before Lewis-Holyfield II that their second fight would be considered a mandatory bout by all three of the chief sanctioning groups the WBA, World Boxing Council (WBC) and the International Boxing Federation (IBF). Usually a champion has 12 months to defend his title against the number-one contender, unless an agreement is reached for a dispensation. English said he was informed of the agreement to make Lewis-Holyfield II the mandatory by all three groups by Frank Maloney, one of Lewis' managers. English said WBC President Jose Sulaiman told Maloney of the agreement and that Main Events proceeded with the bout under that assumption, although there was no official notification that the WBA had come to such an agreement.

I asked John for his opinion on the article and he referred me to Honest Howie's rankings with the this comment: Here's the only rankings worth the money paid for them, because they were paid for by legal gamblers, not by sleazy managers looking to get their fighters a championship shot they don't deserve. Honest Howie's Top Ten: and not a Johnny Ruiz in the bunch. The only name fighter Ruiz has beaten is Tony Tucker, an over-the-hill blown up light heavyweight in 1998. Every one of the alphabet soup sanctioning "organizations" (more like "syndicates") is crooked. Honest Howie's Rankings Heavyweight Division Champion - LENNOX LEWIS 1. Ike Ibeabuchi 2. David Tua 3. Michael Grant 4. Andrew Golota 5. Oleg Maskaev 6. Hasim Rahman 7. Chris Byrd 8. Kirk Johnson 9. Evander Holyfield 10. Mike Tyson

Ask John why Ike is number one, what has this guy got going for him?

I emailed him with you question Ayala to Defend WBA Bantamweight Title LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Paulie Ayala returns to the site of his biggest victory when he defends his WBA bantamweight title against once-beaten contender Johnny Bredahl of Denmark on Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Also on the card, Nestor Garza of Mexico risks his WBA super bantamweight strap against Clarence ``Bones'' Adams. Ayala (29-1, 12 KOs) rose from anonymity to stardom as he battled toe-to-toe over 12 grueling rounds with two-time division champion Johnny Tapia in June. In the thrilling war, Ayala handed Tapia his first loss as he took a razor-thin unanimous decision and won the WBA 118-pound title. Ayala returned to his hometown of Fort Worth, Texas for his first title defense and kept his belt with a hard-fought victory over durable mandatory challenger Saohin Condo of Thailand. The 29-year-old later was honored by Ring Magazine as Fighter of the Year and his memorable bout against Tapia earned Fight of the Year. Bredahl (45-1, 23 KOs), the reigning European bantamweight champion, will be looking to make the most of his second chance at a world title. In 1995, he traveled to Ireland and was stopped in the eighth round by local favorite Wayne McCullough, then the WBC bantamweight champion. In the 122-pound title fight, Garza will be hard-pressed by Adams. The once-beaten Garza (37-1, 29 KOs) won the title in a grueling battle with countryman Enrique Sanchez on December 12, 1998. He survived a first-round knockdown, dropped Sanchez in the third and slugged his way to a bloody unanimous decision. Both of Garza's title defenses have come by knockout. In his last title defense in November, Garza traveled to Japan and stopped local favorite Kozo Ishii in the 12th round. Adams has won 14 straight fights to run his record to 38-3-3 with 18 knockouts. He is ranked 11th by the WBA in the 122-pound division. The bouts will be televised by TVKO on pay-per-view beginning at 9:00 p.m. EST.

John's answer about Ike (per Terry's question): Ike is the guy nobody wants to fight. He's 6'2", 245 pounds, thickly muscled with power and excellent speed for that size. He throws far more punches than most guys that weight and they are punches with bad intentions. He has beaten the strong and talented David Tua and has knocked out the elusive Chris Byrd. Although I think Michael Grant has even better physical tools, right now nobody has put them together like Ike (with the exception, of course, of Lewis, who is effective but uninspiring). Lewis's people do not want him to meet Ike (that should tell you something). They know that a fight with Ruiz is not going to do them any good--win or lose--but they would rather face Tyson, because they know he can guarantee a crowd and a big payday, and because--outside of a lucky punch--he is not likely to put together the type of fight it takes to defeat a specimen like Lewis if it lasts the distance.

Lewis Will Shun WBA If Stripped of Title LONDON (Reuters) - Undisputed champion Lennox Lewis will never again fight for a WBA belt if the body strips him of their version of the world heavyweight title on Monday, his promoter Panos Eliades warned on Sunday. ``If he's stripped tomorrow then obviously we won't be fighting for the WBA (World Boxing Association) ever again,'' Eliades told BBC radio. He said he was not optimistic and that the Briton was prepared for the worst. ``My gut feeling is that he will be stripped but I hope that they actually prevail and do the right thing.'' Eliades said that if the WBA decided to take back the title ''there will be an almighty publicity campaign in America and the WBA will also be brought into disrepute.'' The WBA have told Lewis he must fight their number one contender Johnny Ruiz in his next mandatory defense before any other fight and have called a hearing in Philadelphia on Monday to decide what action to take next. Lewis is already scheduled to meet Michael Grant at New York's Madison Square Garden on April 29. Eliades warned that the FBI, probing alleged corruption within the International Boxing Federation (IBF), were sending two agents to the WBA meeting. ``They think they should be there to see what's going on...I think the FBI will want to look closely at the WBA now and see what they are going to do tomorrow,'' he said. LEWIS PREPARED TO FIGHT RUIZ Eliades said Lewis was willing to fight Ruiz but only after the Grant fight was out of the way. ``We are putting toward the WBA the case that they have to be sensible, boxing needs them to actually be seen to be doing justice,'' he said. ``Lennox chose to fight Michael Grant because there was no available contender for the WBA. ``We will fight Ruiz after Grant and they've got to do the right thing by boxing.'' Lewis took the undisputed heavyweight title in Las Vegas last November when he outpointed Evander Holyfield in a rematch of a controversial draw a year earlier. That fight gave him the American's WBA and IBF belts in addition to his own WBC version. Lewis had immediate problems with the IBF, who initially withheld their belt in a controversy over a $300,000 sanctioning fee for the fight and declared the IBF title vacant. An agreement was worked out between Lewis's lawyers and the IBF, whose president Bob Lee is facing charges of taking bribes to fix world rankings and secure bouts. Lee and three other defendants say they are innocent of charges. Eliades said he was concerned that the influence of Don King, who promotes Ruiz and who he said had taken legal action against him over the WBA affair, might prevent any agreement being reached to enable Lewis to keep the belt. ``What worries me is that there are two very strong associates of Don King that are sitting on the council tomorrow,'' he said. ``It doesn't suit the WBA or Don King for Lennox to have the belts.''

WBA Could Decide to Strip Lewis This Week PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Lennox Lewis could learn this week whether the World Boxing Association (WBA) will strip him of its version of the heavyweight title, ending his reign as the world's undisputed champion. At a 4-1/2 hour hearing in a hotel ballroom Monday, WBA officials heard testimony from a half-dozen witnesses, including promoter Don King, regarding Lewis's failure to make his next mandatory defense against the association's No. 1 contender, Johnny Ruiz. ``Fight or vacate the crown,'' King, who represents several WBA contenders, said in describing what he claims to be Lewis's only choice under association rules. ``That's what the deal is today, as we speak.'' WBA Championships Committee Chairman Elias Cordova of Panama later said through an interpreter that seven committee members would reach a decision on whether to strip Lewis of its crown ''within a few days.'' If the WBA strips its title from him, Lewis will never fight for a WBA belt again, his promoter Panos Eliades told BBC radio Sunday. ``My gut feeling is that he will be stripped, but I hope that they actually prevail and do the right thing,'' Eliades said. Lewis has held the heavyweight belts from the three major worldwide boxing organizations the WBA, the World Boxing Council (WBC) and the International Boxing Federation (IBF) since capturing the WBA and IBF titles from Evander Holyfield last November. The British fighter has not faced a WBA contender since, but has scheduled an April 29 bout with highly-regarded American Michael Grant at New York's Madison Square Garden as part of a multimillion-dollar deal with cable-TV channel Home Box Office. A Grant representative asked the WBA panel Monday to sanction next month's fight as a WBA title bout. Meanwhile, Lewis attorney Patrick English said the WBA had no legitimate contender until two weeks ago, when Ruiz was elevated to No. 1 status. Backers of former WBA top contender Henry Akinwande have disclosed in a New York lawsuit that the fighter suffers from cirrhosis of the liver as a result of a hepatitis B infection and that he has been taking the drug interferon for six months. The Lewis camp said the champion could fight Ruiz three months after his bout with Grant. ``We've offered to do a Ruiz fight in July. It's the quickest we can do it,'' English told the WBA officials. But Ruiz attorney Anthony Cardinale said if the April Lewis-Grant bout is allowed to go ahead as planned, it would deny his client the championship challenge he deserves under WBA rules should Lewis lose to Grant. ``I plead to the WBA that it would be an honor for me to fight for their belt and I will be a champion for them,'' the Puerto Rican-born Ruiz said.

Women's boxing becoming a real joke by Tim Graham (ESPN.com) This is turning into a joke, even by boxing's comical standards. And it doesn't show any indication of improving. Women's boxing of late. (Rim shot here). Only a couple years ago, there was a foundation of legitimacy in women's boxing. Laid by talented ladies like Christy Martin, Lucia Rijker, Sumya Anani and Kathy Collins, the base seemed in place. It wasn't implausible the sport one day might be mentioned in the same breath as basketball or tennis. Now it sadly may have gone past the farcical point of no return. Women's boxing is turning into the most shameless one-on-one athletic combat exhibition since the advent of cockfighting. Compared to women's boxing, American Gladiators is off the respectability chart. Over the weekend, 38-year-old Jacqui Frazier-Lyde, the daughter of Joe Frazier, turned pro. Keeping in mind her father retired when he was 37 because he felt his days were through, Frazier-Lyde showed skill comparable to a preschooler in a playground scuffle. Frazier-Lyde scored an embarrassing first-round technical knockout when her opponent turned her back to avoid some less-than-spectacular punches. As expected, Frazier-Lyde immediately challenged Laila Ali, another boxing novice who happens to have bloodlines of a legend. They probably will make a lot of money for their matchup of mockery. Sadly, it's the only reason they took the sport up. Oh, yeah. The daughters of Archie Moore and Roberto Duran also want to fight. And let's not forget the other cadre of commercialized boxing ladies out there: the sex symbols. Mia St. John is the poster girl for that group. Meanwhile, the respectable talents of Martin, Rijker, Anani, et. al. go unappreciated. "It's women capitalizing on their father's names or their sexuality and not going out there and doing what some of the other women have done," Rijker's manager, Stan Hoffman, says. "These are women who spent years and years learning their trade like the guys do. These women paid their dues and can seriously fight." Martin was the first to prove it to a widespread audience. She started captivating global audiences on Mike Tyson undercards -- usually upstaging the main event -- and she eventually appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated. But what promoters and most fight fans saw wasn't a chance to celebrate women in sports. They saw dollar signs. They had found another way to make money off a woman's body, and fans had discovered a new form of cheap entertainment. Why did Bob Arum forego former client Rijker, inarguably the most talented female fighter in the world, to pick up St. John, a woman who knows more about T&A than TKOs? Because St. John, a woman who will get seriously hurt and probably disfigured if she ever were to fight anyone with talent, was relatively inexpensive and was more marketable with her nude modeling past. Arum, with sexual innuendo and double entendre one-liners at his press conferences, doesn't conceal his reasoning. "Bob Arum himself said to me, 'People like to see her rear end. That's why they come,' " Hoffman says. And Arum was financially -- if not morally -- right. St. John appeared on the cover of Playboy last year, an honor that garnered more attention than Martin received for being on SI. Yes, Katarina Witt also appeared on the cover of Playboy and Steffi Graf was featured prominently in SI's swimsuit issue. But they were world-class athletes long before. They didn't need to display themselves for validation, while Arum and St. John must use her body to drive ticket sales. Arum and others of his ilk are selling sex over skill, flesh over athleticism. And in that regard they can be likened to pimps. Promoters easily can be viewed as such when it comes to male boxing, too. But the fact of the matter is, male boxing isn't always a spectacle, while female boxing has turned into nothing more. "It really disturbs me," says Hoffman, who also manages WBA middleweight champion William Joppy, former IBF middleweight and super middleweight champ James Toney and heavyweight contender Hasim Rahman. "Sexism rears its ugly head." There is a beautiful art to behold even when two anonymous men go toe-to-toe in a smoke-filled auditorium. The crowd admires the spirit, the skill, the will not only to win but to survive one more round. Women boxers could be enjoying that same art. And if people think they do, they're only fooling themselves because most are watching not for the appreciation of the sport, but for the titillating amusement. Remember the male vs. female bout in Seattle last year? The dog and the pony must have had the night off. Most people watch only to laugh. Right now, no one's giving us any other reason.

Send Page Friday - 18:24 03/17/2000, EST Tyson to Box Savarese, Milan Braces for 'Mike Mania' MILAN (Reuters) - Former undisputed world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson will fight American Lou Savarese in Milan May 20 in what promoters vowed Friday would be a more even contest than his four-minute demolition of Julius Francis. ``This is a fight Tyson can't afford to lose,'' said Frank Warren, who promoted Tyson's fight against Britain's Francis in Manchester in January. ``Savarese has a good record and he knows this is a good opportunity to upset the odds. I think Tyson, from what I've seen in the gym and in England, is in top shape. He will continue on his march to regain the world title.'' Warren conceded that Francis ``wasn't the greatest opponent'' for Tyson on his European debut and promised that the encounter with Savarese ``will be a great treat for boxing fans.'' Savarese's record is 39-3 with 32 knockouts. In his last fight in June last year he lost on points to Michael Grant who is challenging Lennox Lewis for the unified world heavyweight titles April 29. Promoters of the Milan fight said they expect a repeat of the ``Mike Mania'' that gripped England ahead of his January fight when Tyson hogged the front and back pages of the British press. WELL-SUITED IN MILAN Tyson insisted that his latest fight be held in Milan so he could spend time shopping at the fashion capital's chic boutiques, said Warren. ``Mike loves Milan and he's really looking forward to coming back here,'' he added. The boxer's Manchester fight was sold out in two days and the 10,000 tickets for his Milan contest, which go on sale next week, are likely to be snapped up just as quickly. Ringside tickets are already being priced at a reported 1,000 pounds ($1,570), twice the cost for his Manchester fight. Tyson has said he would like to return to the United States and fight undisputed champion Lewis, but Warren said his managers would like to have him fight a few more times in Europe first. ``Tyson's return to the U.S. will be decided after this fight,'' he said. Warren said Tyson, who has won 47 of his 51 bouts, would arrive in Italy 10 days before the fight for training. He declined to comment on the purses for the fight, which will be broadcast in 120 countries.

Viloria can lockck up U.S. Olympic berth this week By Pat Bigold Star-Bulletin Brian Viloria can officially become the first Hawaii athlete to claim an Olympic boxing berth in 43 years this week. Having already won the 106-pound Olympic team trials and a qualifying box-off, all he has to do is finish runner-up at the North American qualifier tournament in Tampa, Fla., which began today. It's an exercise to thin the ranks of the crowded 2000 Sydney Olympics boxing field. Viloria is expected to ease through the test against boxers he's already beaten. While relaxing in his hotel room on Friday, he told the Star-Bulletin that he finally feels like a complete boxer. "The right hand is coming on and the jabs are coming," Viloria said. "Every combination I throw is crisp, hard punches. "My body punches are getting stronger. As a boxer, I'm just becoming stronger." Viloria has been getting to bed by 10 p.m. and gets up before dawn every day to run five miles. He prefers to have five snacks a day rather than three meals. He is also avoiding sweets and fried foods. And alcohol? Forget it. "I don't see what satisfaction you get from drinking," said Viloria. "My satisfaction is coming out on top and reaching the goals I set out to reach." When he's bored, he goes out to a mall to buy a novel, plays the guitar or writes music. Viloria, who owns a lap-top computer, also taught himself to create his own website. "But I'm going to study more about HTML and go back to improve it," he said. Staying out of trouble has never been a problem for Viloria, whose Olympic journey began a few days after he graduated with honors from Waipahu High in 1998. "I never had a graduation party," he said. He was bound immediately for the nationals. Viloria's travels have taken him all over the world, but last year was his most eventful. He beat Cuba's 1996 gold medalist Maikro Romero for the world amateur title last August in Houston. Viloria won American titles at the National Golden Gloves, the National Amateur Boxing Championships and the U.S. Challenge. He also defeated China's national champion at the Multi-Nation Festival of Amateur Boxing in Liverpool, England). Success hasn't changed Viloria, according to close friend and former sparring partner, Arthur Valeriano. Valeriano met Viloria at Waipahu High and stays in touch with him via email when he's away. "No matter how good he gets and no matter how many titles he claims, he'll be the same Brian I met in history class," Valeriano said. "The way he presents himself in the ring and outside the ring, there's perfect balance." Viloria, a broadcast journalism student at Northern Michigan University, said he likes to meet and converse with students. When he came back to the islands last month after winning the Olympic team box-off in Connecticut, he made visits to local schools, including his alma mater. On a visit to talk with Filipino immigrant youngsters at Radford High, he said one student asked if he gets mad when he's in the ring. It was the right question. "No, I try to be a controlled fighter rather than a wild, angry fighter," Viloria said. "You have to be cool in the ring, show a poker face. If you hurt somewhere, you can't show it." Having already beaten Cuba's best fighter for the world belt, and being the personal student of former U.S. Olympic boxing coach Al Mitchell, Viloria knows his chance of medaling at Sydney is considered golden. But he refuses to get comfortable, not even during the qualifier. "I know it won't come to me," Viloria said. "I have to just go out there and take it myself."

This is Jon Saraceno's most recent column, originally appearing Monday, Jan. 18 Tyson's win is a 1-punch blunder LAS VEGAS - Just think about this for a moment. The man they used to call "Iron" Mike Tyson, the furious little ring toughie who once blasted fighters out of Nevada's 702 area code, almost got his from a heavyweight named Francois. Last time we checked, South Africa was elbow-deep in the diamond business, but it wasn't exactly minting heavyweight champs. Tyson, meanwhile, looks like a worn-out penny in the ring. Nothing against Botha (or his parents), but, seriously, when was the last time you heard a blow-in-your-doors heavyweight named Francois? Sounds like someone who whips up souffl�s at a French bistro in South Beach. Saturday night, he mostly creamed Tyson, until that disastrous fifth round when Botha stuck his chin out and the slugger cracked it like an egg. Before that? Tyson almost made Botha look like what some well-meaning but misinformed South African boxing fans call him: the "white Muhammad Ali." Here was a marginally talented fighter taunting and humiliating the self-destructing ring bully. Hands down, chin out. Smacking and demoralizing the once-indestructible champ. Backing him up. Abusing him. Calling him names. And, all the while, executing the perfect recipe for victory, one first deployed by James "Buster" Douglas nearly a decade ago in Tokyo. Jab, move slightly, right hand, hold, smother and frustrate. For a little seasoning, just add a few dirty clubs to Tyson's skull while in clinches. There was Tyson, panicking and desperate. Swinging wildly and bleeding. Doubting himself and everything in his world. Losing the first round, then attempting to break Botha's arm by locking it up and attempting to snap it like a dry twig. An ugly but brief ring melee ensued. Marc Ratner, executive director of the Nevada commission, said, "It was very scary for me at the end of the first round." Tyson lost the second round, then the third. And the fourth. Even the fifth. Well, most of the fifth. Then it was hello, Francois, goodbye chin. Botha couldn't have fallen into a straight hand any cleaner had he choreographed it for the World Wrestling Federation. Tyson's camp knew Botha had a bad habit of dropping his left, and sure enough, he didn't let them down. "I just walked into a punch," he said. "I really thought it was going to be an easy fight after a while. I just got careless." Tyson, meanwhile, has far graver concerns. The heavyweight division is so happy it needs a drool rag. It's open season on Tyson, and don't think the guy doesn't know it. Trainer Tommy Brooks and adviser Shelly Finkel and the fighter tried to cover their tracks to preserve future pay-per-view buys. At the gate, the public appears either suspicious, fed up or both. The crowd of 12,000 included thousands of casino-purchased tickets. Ticket sales were so slow that the MGM Grand ended up dumping 200-plus tickets to employees for $16. Even those who don't know a left hook from a barbed hook can see the Tyson of '99 cannot even imitate the Tyson of '89. "There was a tremendous amount of rust," Tyson said. Rust? He looked corroded. Like a '73 Toyota Corolla. It's not just that his skills have eroded. Tyson was, as he admitted, "gun-shy." His once-unshakable confidence has evaporated. More gym sessions won't return what Tyson has lost forever, the reflex action to fight without having to think about every movement. For a fighter, that's like losing the elasticity in your socks. Once it's gone, it's gone. Then everything falls.

TYSON FIGHT POSTPONED Mike Tyson's planned fight in Milan against fellow American Lou Savarese has been postponed until at least June and might be moved, according to Tyson's manager. Shelly Finkel met with Tyson in Las Vegas to discuss reports that the former heavyweight champion was out of shape and not training. The Italy fight, which had been originally scheduled for April 8, had already been delayed until May 20 and will be pushed back again. http://www.pa.press.net/sport/BOXING_Tyson_104271.html?pab161

He needs to hire Stacey as his trainer.

He needs serious mental work before he can think of body work, I think.

Yep.

Viloria going to Olympics He is the first Olympic fighter from Hawaii in 44 years Waipahu light flyweight Brian Viloria this morning became the state's first Olympic fighter in 44 years as he overwhelmed two-time Olympian Domenic Filane of Canada, with a 10-2 decision, in the semifinals of the Central American qualifer in Tijuana . . .

Grant Prepares for Lewis at His Best NEW YORK (Reuters) - Michael Grant couldn't care less about Lennox Lewis's mistakes. It's what the Briton does correctly that interests Grant as he gets ready to try to take away Lewis's heavyweight titles next week. Surprisingly, Grant said in a conference call Thursday from his New Bern, N.C., training camp that he hasn't watched any tapes of Lewis bloopers as the two men get ready to fight April 29 in Madison Square Garden for Lewis's World Boxing Council and International Boxing Federation titles. And there have been a few fights and rounds that would not make a Lewis highlight reel. Lewis was knocked out by journeyman Oliver McCall in 1994 in the second round. More recently Shannon Briggs stunned the big Briton in the first round of their 1998 fight, but Briggs punched himself out, got sloppy and Lewis went on to stop him. And there have other rounds and other fights when Lewis looked less than a world beater. But the 27-year-old Grant isn't looking to build his confidence by banking on Lewis making the same mistakes. In the 10 weeks of training for the biggest fight of his life, Grant said, ``I didn't look for his mistakes. I looked for how he was winning his fights. I was looking for his strengths to see what it is and, you know, how to get out of it.'' He said he has learned that Lewis, 34, is strong and a good athlete and he likes his right hand. The 6-6 Lewis figures to weigh in at roughly the same 250 pounds as the 6-7 Grant. But when pressed for specifics of what Lewis does best, Grant (31-0) was vague, maybe by design. ``His strengths, his strengths, his strengths,'' Grant thought out loud, ``Uh, his style, he carries himself back in the lean position. He uses his athletic ability.'' Grant was quick to pay Lewis respect, saying, ``I don't think I can take anything from the guy. I can stop him from using it. I can stop him from executing.'' Grant said his plan is to ``pressure the guy and take him the full 12 rounds. When you put pressure on a guy sometimes he pretty much doesn't want any part of that. You have to impose your will on that person. I will develop a pace he's not accustomed to,'' Grant said, adding that the pressure is designed to limit Lewis's chances to think. Lewis (35-1-1) has been criticized, particularly by his trainer, Emanuel Steward, for thinking too much in the ring, for taking his love of chess and its contemplation into the ring. Grant said he is completely over his last fight in November when Andrew Golota knocked him down twice in the first round and dominated him for most of the fight before Grant stopped him. ``I was shaken a little bit and was laughing. I couldn't believe I was knocked down.'' Grant finally caught Golota in the 10th round, knocking him down. Golota quickly got up and did not appear to be hurt seriously. But he quit. From that fight Grant said he learned not to take people for granted. ``I got too cocky at some point going into the fight,'' he said. ``I learned patience gives you experience ... I learned about life.'' Steward said earlier this week he didn't see anything other than the right hand that was particularly impressive from Grant in the Golota fight. ``It really didn't prove much,'' Steward said, because ``when things get tough Golota doesn't want to fight.'' Perhaps most significant, Grant learned the importance of keeping his hands up. He worked continuously in camp on that boxing basic. The drill was that if let his guard down he had to start the round over again. Grant is not worried about working on his power against Lewis. It's already there.

Hi y'all. Long time, no see! I can honestly say that I read every post in this topic and loved it! John Burnett, if I lived anywhere near you (and hadn't already had my life quota of concussions), i'd take up boxing and you'd be my coach... Back to the topic on women boxers... I watched a fight last night on Showtime, Laila Ali vs Christina King, a 4 round slaughter. Ali has obviously been training, she was buff and very focused and used King as a speed bag for the entire 4 rounds. King, a supposed 3 time "Tough Woman" champion, fought...well, like a girl. And was pulverized for her trouble. She was flabby, slow, had no training, and bad motor skills. I think the only think she could kill would be a six-pack. The comments entered earlier on by Marcia (I think) are pretty much on point. The weight classes seem to each have one or two at best talented women then the rest have no business in the ring. The really talented ones probably will never meet due to disparity in size, i.e Martin fights in the 140 weight class and Ali in the 160 weight class. That and The promoters... the fact that even in mens boxing the current champions fight a bunch of losers to build up their record while the fans wait for that one truly inspirational match-up to come around. I'm quite the idealist. I hope for the day when boxers like Tyson will be banned for life, and jailed for assault and the boxers like De la Hoya will be the norm. I wonder... if womens boxing is contested at the Olympic level, will more talented, better trained boxers will be produced?

Aloha, Gena. I forwarded John your post. You just might make his day! I am delighted to see you posting again. Excellent comments on the fight. I knoly heard it disected by sports reporters, but they did not like it - not her, though. Just the contender she was boxing. Tyson does nothing for the sport and everything for purient interests. I'm with you! I'll let you know what John says when he gets a moment to comment. He is working on his Masters Thesis and for the duration is avoiding Spring.

Olympic level boxing might be the ONLY way to make women's boxing a viable and credible sport.

hey!Lookee what I found! It's a site all about womens AMATUER boxing... http://www.usaboxing.org/womens.htm It also lists what is required for it to become an Olympic contest.

Ooh...You did! Shall go there and hunt up the answers to the questions you asked in email - if you don't beat me to it *grin*

From John in answer to Gena's comment: (Gena): I wonder... if womens boxing is contested at the Olympic level, will more talented, better trained boxers will be produced? Gena: The answer is undoubtedly yes. If women's boxing became an Olympic sport, there would be a much better international amateur infrastructure to support them and all gyms who accept amateur males for training would have to do the same for women as well. More trainers would get involved with women fighters. Weight class difference would not be a reason to keep Christy Martin (or anyone else within 20 lbs.) from fighting Ali, if the money and billing was right. The match could be made if a contract could be agreed upon. Martin is still a more experienced and better skilled fighter. Ali does have a great deal of natural genetic talent. She is also obviously getting excellent training. For a person with her limited time in the ring, she is quite well schooled and with continued motivation and barring injury, she will only get better. I love watching GOOD women fighters. I don't recommend professional boxing, however, for anyone, male or female, who has a decent education and middle class opportunities. I would also hate to see Leila Ali's lovely face defaced. She's a beauty, and as a (sometimes chauvinistic) red-blooded heterosexual male, I appreciate that as much as I do her talent.

O.K. John... Lets do a "tale of the tape" like the big commentators do it. The match is, hmmm, Lucia Rijker vs Leila Ali (I'm giving you two "lookers") Granted, Rijker has held several martial arts titles, the latest of which were in kickboxing (4 different world titles), but what the hey. So, let's also give Ali another year of preperation. Now let's also make it a real match, at least 10 rounds, televised. Ali: 5'10'' 165 lbs Rijker: ?? in the 'up to 140 lbs' class (IFBA) (Same as Martin, who by the way, refuses to fight Rijker) check out http://sportsplacement.com/lucia.htm for a write up on Rijker. I find it interesting that one of her nicknames is 'Lady Ali' Who wins? can we petition somebody to get this fight for real?

From John in response to Gena O.K. You probably know more about it than I do, because I don't go out of my way to look for women's bouts...I usually only see those that are on undercards of a main event featuring men. I have seen Rijker fight, though, and she is special, although about 20 pounds lighter than Ali. She is too skilled and experienced for Ali at this point. Ali would need the year of serious training and "tune-up" bouts. Most of the good fighters are in lower weight classes than Ali. Other fights that would make sense for Laila Ali (you spelled it right the first time, then I misspelled it "Hawaiian style) would be Trina Ortegon for Ortegon's IFBA middleweight (160 pounds) title (again Ali would need about a year's seasoning)...or Sandra Reihart (rated #1 junior middleweight, 154 pounds). Dakota Stone (#3 junior middle IFBA) would also make a good matchup for Ali...good skills, moderate but not overwhelming power). The IFBA junior middleweight title is vacant...I don't know if Ali can lose the 7-8 pounds necessary or if that would interest her. What the promoters really want is kind of a round-robin "Daughters of the Legends" tournament. Freeda Foreman (beautiful woman, laughable boxing skills, I'm surprised she's not a "Georgianne" or "Georgette"), Jacqui Frazier-Lyde...crude mauler, 7-11 defense (open all night), and J'Marie "Lady Mongoose" Moore, daughter of legendary light-heavyweight champion Archie "Mongoose" Moore. Moore is heavier than Ali, fights light-heavy (175 pounds, which by the way was MY division over a quarter-century ago). She is also beautiful (men WILL watch) and has noticeable boxing skills (no one will laugh). That may be really the best fight for Ali. Give her a year of serious training, though, and I think she will be ready for anyone. Good jab, keeps her hands up in good defensive position, is confident but less of a hot dog than Dad was, values her pretty face and does her best to keep it from getting hit (boxing is ultimately the art of hitting and not getting hit). As for Rijker-Ali...Rijker would only do it if there was big money involved. Ali could gain more respect with a win over Rijker despite the size difference because of Rijker's obvious skills (pound for pound, probably the best at this moment). The only thing there would be in it for Rijker would be money. She would be giving up a lot of size, but she has excellent power and great fighting instincts. I don't know about petitioning promoters (their only interest is usually self-interest). If Martin doesn't want to fight Rijker, her opportunities in her weight class is limited as Rijker has the IFBA belt (the most respected belt in the women's fight game). I'd still like to see Martin-Ali or Stone-Ali. Moore-Ali might actually be the best fight, but the "Daughters of Legends" hype has a certain odoriferous quality to it, good fight possibility or not. BTW, Gena, you are welcome to e-mail me anytime: beaufordb@hotmail.com.

Lewis Lighter Than Grant for Heavyweight Title Bout NEW YORK (Reuters) - Lennox Lewis weighed in at 247 pounds and Michael Grant was 250 pounds Thursday for their heavyweight title fight at Madison Square Garden Saturday. Lewis, 34, was five pounds heavier than he was for his last fight in November against Evander Holyfield when he won the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world. The 27-year-old Grant (31-0) weighed 252 pounds last November when he came back from a beating and two knockdowns in the first round to knock down Andrew Golota in the 10th and win when Golota quit. A crowd of about 300 people watched the weigh-in outside Madison Square Garden. A contingent of British fans cheered their hero who weighed in first. When Grant, wearing stylishly thin-rimmed eyeglasses, stepped on the scales he was greeted with a smattering of boos. The 35-1-1 Lewis, who will earn about $10 million to Grant's estimated $4 million, will defend only the World Boxing Council and International Boxing Federation titles on Saturday. A recent court order effectively stripped Lewis of the World Boxing Association title. The court ruled that Lewis violated an agreement he had with promoter Don King to fight the group's No. 1 contender and said if he fought Grant the WBA's No. 5 contender it could not be for the WBA title. The WBA originally had sanctioned Grant to fight Lewis. Grant is ranked No. 2 by the WBC and the IBF.

Grant is the real number 2 right? How did John Burnett's rankings go?

From John in response to Terry's question: I thought I had given plenty of thought to that one. Grant still looks too raw. He could get lucky, but the last time Lewis got careless in a fight was when he lost to Oliver McCall in 1994. Lewis is a big hitter and capable of one punch K.O.s. Grant is more of a clubbing puncher. I'll take Lewis by late (10-12 round KO) or decision. I'm a notoriously terrible prognosticator, though. There's no way I would put my money where my fingers are on it.

From John regarding Grant's claim to Number 2 ranking: Grant's a legitimate #2, and I think he may be a legitimate champion in a few years, but right now, you can bet Lewis's folks are glad they have Grant in front of him instead of Ike Ibeabuchi.

Lewis-Grant Bout Trainers End Their Feud NEW YORK (Reuters) - There was a time when the two veteran fight trainers could not be trusted to be in the same room with each other, let alone to sit down and share jokes, without the threat of mayhem. But these days, as their boxers prepare for their heavyweight title fight Saturday, Don Turner, who guides challenger Michael Grant, and Emanuel Steward, Lennox Lewis's gym guru, seem to have put their disdain for each other on hold. They even sat down together for interviews with reporters this week. That's not to say that Turner wouldn't relish finally having one of his fighters beat a Steward fighter, especially Lewis. Turner has gone up against Lewis and Steward three times and has come away with very good paydays but no bragging rights. Lewis made that very point the other day in reaction to a Turner quote that Lewis was a good fighter when coming in but far from great when back-peddling. That, added to other disparaging remarks by Turner before other fights, prompted Lewis, a 12-5 favorite in Caesars Palace, Las Vegas, to beat Grant, to say that Turner ``is just batting zero right now. Three strikes and you're out.'' Lewis was referring to Turner losing to Lewis with both Henry Akinwande and Evander Holyfield. Actually Turner's record is 0-2-1 against Lewis, who fought to a highly controversial draw with Holyfield in their first fight last March in Madison Square Garden. Turner has not risen to the bait as he might have just a few months ago and even defended the British champion. ``You hear that Michael has more guts than Lennox. I don't buy that. It's the way he fights. Sometimes (Lewis) fights too economically for the public to accept. But he's a two-time champion and an (Olympic) champ, and you don't get that because you can't fight.'' Turner says his anger toward Steward stems from Steward's attempt to steal a fighter from him several years ago. Steward would not discuss the issue publicly, instead focusing on his own impressive accomplishments, which include working with a long list of champions. Steward, the founder of Detroit's famous Kronk gym, guided journeyman Oliver McCall to a second-round knockout of Lewis in 1994, the only defeat for the world champion. That was the fight that finally convinced Lewis's camp that they needed a change and they hired Steward. Steward was something of a culture shock for the members of the insular Lewis camp who are fearful of outsiders, especially those who aren't pom-pom waving cheerleaders for the their fighter. Such adulation, Steward said, was not doing Lewis any good. It's important ``to be real with him,'' Steward said earlier this week. ``Other guys tell him what he wants to hear. I'm telling him more negative things than positive things.'' That approach has miffed some of Lewis's long-time counselors. But they bow to Steward's insistent and successful methods, which includes teaching Lewis better footwork, which was ``terrible'' says Steward when he first began working with the Briton. Even now with Lewis a world champion, Steward says he emphasizes proper balance more than anything else in camp. Another change Steward says he made was ``to bring in quality sparring partners, young undefeated fighters, not guys he can beat up.'' Steward has had a long campaign for Lewis to be much more aggressive and meaner, to use his impressive 6-5 size, excellent, if often lazy, jab and powerful right hand for spectacular victories instead of doing just enough to win. Steward said he keeps his own score as the fight progresses and ``I tell the boxer the score. I'm always very honest with the fighter.'' In the first Holyfield fight, ``I knew (the judge) they brought in to give Evander the advantage,'' Steward said, adding that he told Lewis in the late rounds that he had to be more aggressive to win. ``The rest of the corner was upset with me pushing him. If I hadn't he wouldn't have gotten the draw,'' Steward said. Turner, a former average welterweight and middleweight from Cincinnati, worked with former champion Larry Holmes toward the end of his career before he got his big break when Holyfield hired him for his first fight with Mike Tyson. Turner, who never seems to be far from a smile that lands somewhere between bemusement and a smirk, had his greatest moment as a trainer when Holyfield won the World Boxing Association title in one of the biggest upsets ever. Turner, of course, is looking for another big upset and says his 6-7 fighter also at 250 pounds is just three pounds heavier than Lewis has the strength, desire and athleticism to beat Lewis, who at 34 is seven years older than Grant. One upset already went into the books when the two trainers buried their feud this week.

Forwarded to me by John: Ibeabuchi not competent to stand trial Associated Press LAS VEGAS -- Former heavyweight contender Ike Ibeabuchi will spend time in a state mental health facility before facing charges he sexually assaulted an outcall dancer who was sent to his hotel room. Over Ibeabuchi's objections, a judge ruled that he should be sent to a state facility for mentally ill offenders until doctors determine he is competent to stand trial. The ruling came late Wednesday after three doctors interviewed Ibeabuchi to see if he understood the charges against him. "He doesn't share the same reality as the rest of us in this courtroom," Dr. Thomas Bittker told District Judge Joseph Bonaventure. Ibeabuchi, considered one of the top heavyweight title contenders before his arrest, at first refused to acknowledge the judge in the courtroom. But he nodded his head when asked if he would agree to be interviewed by the doctors. Ibeabuchi told the judge he did not want to be sent to Lakes Crossing, the state's facility in Sparks, Nev., for the mentally ill. "I'm not suffering from any psychological or mental ailment," he said. Ibeabuchi, 26, faces multiple felony charges stemming from the incident last July at the Mirage involving the dancer, who testified earlier that she was sexually assaulted after she was sent to strip for him in his room. Bittker said two hours of talking to Ibeabuchi showed he had an overwhelmingly narcissistic personality that prevents him from perceiving others' point of view. He said the boxer has some paranoia and does not grasp the relationship between behavior and consequences. Bonaventure ordered doctors at Lakes Crossing to keep Bittker apprised of Ibeabuchi's treatment. "I'm going to try to get you back as soon as possible so we can clean up this matter," he told the boxer. Ibeabuchi had to be removed from the courtroom during an appearance after his arrest when he became unruly. He did not display the same attitude in his latest appearance, although he made his points with force. "My life is already messed up, and I don't care which way it goes from now on," he said. Ibeabuchi, a native of Nigeria, was 20-0 with 15 knockouts and ranked No. 2 by the IBF when he was arrested.

Long Live the King by John Burnett Lennox Lewis bounced Michael Grant like a beach ball in a 2nd round kayo. Three kmockdowns in the first round (right cross, two right uppercuts) and a right uppercut coup-de-grace in the second round. This was not beautiful. It was also not boring or uninspring. Grant, after having dissed Lewis in a pre-fight press conference ("suspect chin," "suspect body," "suspect haircut"), and having eschewed boxing (he's crude, but he can box at a rudimentary level) went right after Lewis. It played perfectly into Lewis's hands. No one else has as much one-punch power as Lewis, and few have been more reluctant than he has in the past to use it. Lewis's trainer, Emanuel Steward, said that the fight plan would be to use Grant's aggressiveness against him. That worked to perfection. With Ike out of the picture, at least for the time being, David Tua is probably the best challenger out there. Johnny Ruiz is going to have to impress someone else besides the WBA if he is going to get a shot. I certainly didn't see Grant winning this fight, but I didn't think he'd be stupid enough to give it away when there are things he could've done (and didn't) to make it a competitive fight. But after Grant recuperated from an early beating at the hands of Andrew Golota to take a 10th round TKO the low-blow Pole, Lewis commented, "I'm not Andrew Golota. If I get him into trouble, I'll finish him." And finish him he did.

From John Burnett: From Sports Illustrated (May 15, 2000, p.24) Last week in New York City, Lennox Lewis lost his WBA heavyweight title belt even while knocking out Michael Grant, Lewis was stripped of the title for failing to first fight the WBA's leading challenger, John Ruiz, whom most experts agree shouldn't rank among the top five heavyweights. Meanwhile, across the Hudson, IBF president Bob Lee and three colleagues were standing trial in U.S. District Court on racketeering charges for allegedly accepting $338,000 to rig their sanctioning body's rankings. If you have soured on the sweet science and its depraved rankings systems, you may want to visit http://www.Boxingranks.com Last week the site unveiled what it says will be a monthly boxing writers' poll, ranking the top 10 fighters in all 17 pro weight classes. "We hope to establish the boxing rankings like the college football rankings," says the site's founder (Honest) Howie Sirota, a Wall Street lawyer and a boxing fan," and Don King can't buy the writers, certainly not as easily as he can the alphabet-soup governing bodies." Thus far the site's Boxing Writers' Ranking Poll has 25 members, including such venerable ringside pundits as Bill Gallo of the New York Daily News, author Pete Hamill, George Kimball of the Boston Herald, HBO commentators Larry Merchant and Jack Newfield, and Wallace Matthews of the New York Post, none of whom are compensated for voting. Old habits die hard, though. At a press conference last week Matthews remarked, "O.K., I'm voting. Send the graft." --John Walters (I wish they'd rank the Top 20. J.B.)

After John and I exchanged email about boxing and my missing the point, I went into http://www.Boxingranks.com/Departments/monthly_boxing_writers_poll.htm to see what they were talking about. If these writers can stay clean (no payoff for their votes) it surely would be worth while to have some reliable way of measuring one contender against the rest in his category.

Panama's Duran Puts Back Record June Bout PANAMA CITY, Panama (Reuters) - Veteran Panama boxer Roberto ``Hands of Stone'' Duran broke training on Thursday to announce that his record-breaking June bout against Pat Lawlor had been put back two weeks to June 16. Duran and Lawlor were due to meet on June 3, in a twelve-round rematch for the vacant National Boxing Association (NBA) super-middleweight belt, but the fight was put back to accommodate backers. ``We made a contract with CBS television, and they wanted us to change the fight to June 16 for publicity reasons in the U.S.,'' Duran told Reuters at a Panama City press conference. The bout, which falls on Duran's 49th birthday, is set to extend the four-time world champion's 117-fight career to a record fifth decade. Fight sponsors Cervezas Baru confirmed that officials from the Guinness Book of Records will attend the promotion at the capital's New Panama Gymnasium to verify the record. ``It won't be an easy fight, and for this reason I've been training hard,'' a fit-looking Duran told reporters. The former champion, who lost to Lawlor over six rounds in a 1991 clash, added that he was going to ``make him pay.'' FROM SHINING SHOES TO CHAMPION Duran learned his aggressive, two-fisted style in the tough streets of Panama City's El Chorrillo neighborhood in the 1950s and 1960s, where from the age of seven he earned a few cents shining shoes and dancing in the local bars. Making his professional debut in 1968 at the age of 17 in a four-round fight in the Caribbean city of Colon, Duran went on to win world titles at four different weights. The first came in 1972 when he put tartan-clad Scottish lightweight champion Ken Buchanan down in the 13th round of their Madison Square Garden clash. Duran went on to defend the title 12 times before over the next seven years, before moving up to beat Sugar Ray Leonard for the World Boxing Council (WBC) welterweight belt in an epic 15-round battle in 1980. Two further titles followed at junior middleweight against Davey Moore in 1983, and a final crown at middleweight in a surprise upset against Iran Barkley in 1989. More than a decade has passed since his glory days, but Duran says he has no plans to hang up his gloves. ``This will be my last fight in Panama City, but I will have two more in the U.S. and then I will make a tour of Europe,'' he said. BATTLING THE YEARS Giving away more than a decade in age, Duran will have his work cut out for him to beat San Francisco-based Lawlor. But with ten pounds to go to reach the 168-pound weight limit, Duran has been helped by the two-week postponement. The former champion said he would also be helped by training once again in Panama City under the guidance of his old mentor Nestor ``Plomo'' Quinones. Quinones, who has worked with Duran since he was an eager youngster in El Chorrillo, is overseeing a harsh daily training schedule, including road and bag work, together with eight rounds of sparring. While many in Panama would like to wish Duran an honorable retirement, veteran trainer Rigoberto Garibaldi said the former champion remains in good shape. ``Duran hits hard with both hands, and his reactions are still strong,'' Garibaldi told Reuters with an indulgent smile. ''I've trained three world champions, and he carries on being the best of them.''

Salud rock solid Jesus Salud remains unbeaten in Hawaii with a third-round TKO By Dave Reardon - Star-Bulletin It was back to old times for Jesus Salud. It was back to the canvas for his opponent, Boyke Sillehu. About 2,500 watched Salud dominate Sillehu last night at Blaisdell Arena. He knocked down the Indonesian three times in less than three rounds to remain unbeaten in 35 professional boxing matches in Hawaii. Referee Abe Pacheco called the fight with 28 seconds left in the third, after Salud peppered Sillehu with sustained combinations to the ribs. "I feel he was taking too much punishment, he wasn't fighting back," Pacheco said. The veteran official made many similar calls in Salud fights in the '80s and early '90s, as the Waipahu-trained boxer from Nanakuli built the foundation of a career that would take him to a world title and a new home in San Diego. Many other familiar faces from the past surrounded Salud last night, including former stablemate Paul Lucas (now a police officer) and trainer Al Silva. But even at 37, Salud (61-9) looks toward the future and another shot at the title. "I still believe in my ability," Salud said. "I hadn't fought in a year, but I didn't feel rusty." He certainly didn't look out of tune. While Salud is not as quick as he was in the '80s, he seems stronger. Salud rocked Sillehu (24-5-1) several times, most notably with a flooring left hook to the head 23 seconds into the fight. "Oh, that first punch," Silva marveled. "When he went down, I knew Jesus had additional power." Salud hurt Sillehu with another big right 17 seconds before the end of the first, setting the stage for a flurry of scoring shots nearly to the bell. Sillehu connected with a right to Salud's head midway through the second round, but Salud countered immediately with scoring jabs and a sharp right, left combination to the head at 55 seconds to the bell. Then, with eight seconds left, Salud knocked down Sillehu again with another big right hook. Before Pacheco called it in the third, Salud knocked down Sillehu a third time, with a right set up by a left jab at 1:47. Salud's current trainer, Abe Sanchez, said he was pleased overall. "We wanted to go back to where Jesus was three or four years ago. He'd become complacent," Sanchez said. "We don't like him to sit and react. We want him to make (the opponent) react. I won't say it was an 'A' fight, but he did a lot of good things. "We wanted some rounds, and the kid gave him some rounds," Sanchez added. "There's two guys in there, so (Salud's) gonna get hit." Sillehu and his trainer said they should have had the opportunity to hit the favorite son longer. "This guy was going to knock Salud out," trainer Felix Cazeres said. "The fight was definitely stopped too soon." Sillehu has won 19 of his fights by knockout, including a May 13 stop of WBO Intercontinental bantamweight (118 pounds) champion Don Don Concepcion at the Sheraton Waikiki. "I could keep fighting," said Sillehu, who was visibly nervous before the bout. "I knew I hurt him." Salud acknowledged that Sillehu landed the one good shot, but said it didn't bother him long. "The ref did a good job," he said. "He wasn't protecting himself or throwing punches. He was just winging from the outside, and I was very patient." QUICK JABS: In a co-main event, Andy Tabanas (40-4-1) TKO'd Agus Ray (25-10-4) in the fifth round for the WBO Asia-Pacific Junior Flyweight title ... In the prelims, Mike Jamison (6-0) decisioned John Lopez (5-4), Mark Burse (4-0) TKO'd Pablo Ontiberos (4-11) in the second, Tali Kulihaapai (7-0) TKO'd Gene Valdez (0-2) in the first, and Clay Lewis (1-0) decisioned Jaime Bretado (3-8) ... U.S. Olympic boxing team member Brian Viloria of Waipahu attended last night's matches. He returns to Colorado Springs, Colo., on June 4 to train for USA vs. Ukraine matches June 19 in Dallas. Then he comes back to Hawaii for two weeks before returning to Colorado.

Viloria takes on golden hue of national spotlight Sports Illustrated covers the Waipahu boxer from head to toe in gold paint for a photo shoot By Pat Bigold Star-Bulletin People have been coloring Brian Viloria since he beat Cuba's best for the world amateur light flyweight title last year. The popular shades are gold for Olympic medal and green for the fortune promoters are already lining up to offer him. As if that pressure wasn't enough, Sports Illustrated officially gilded the 19-year-old Waipahu resident this month. "We did a photo shoot and they painted me in gold," Viloria said by phone from the Colorado Springs training center. "I looked like a statue. They put it all over my body. My face. My hair." Viloria, somewhat surprised at being the only boxer selected by SI for the golden boy pose, said the water-based colors "felt cold" being applied. "They did one photo in the boxing ring and one on top of the roof with the sky as the background," he said. A spokesman at SI acknowledged the photo shoot but would not reveal the magazine's plans for the art. "It's a secret," he said. As for Viloria, he was more concerned with getting the paint off his skin after the session. "It came off but I really had to scrub," he said. The photo shoot with Teen Magazine the next day was a lot less complicated. Viloria is a young athlete whose Olympic dream has exploded into a kaleidoscope of publicity. He became a media darling after the world championship and even more so since he secured his 106-pound berth on the Olympic team. He's a devastating hitter, coveted by promoters Don King and Bob Arum, and he's well-spoken enough to draw reporters like flies to honey. He's been called America's "Mighty Mouse" for his diminutive 5-foot-3 stature, as well as "The Hawaiian Punch," an unoriginal nickname given by the mainland press to almost every Hawaii-born boxing celebrity (Andy Ganigan and Jesus Salud also were billed that way). During the Olympic athletes' media session in Houston earlier this month, Viloria was one of the most interviewed subjects. The media exercises are almost as exacting as his training for Sydney. But Viloria can still recall an experience at age 11 that fired his imagination about Olympic glory. "When I met two of the 1992 Olympians at the Waipahu gym, Oscar De La Hoya and Eric Griffin, they encouraged me," he said. "We sparred, trained. We have videos at home." The warmth shown him by De La Hoya and Griffin rubbed off on Viloria. He said he never tires of chatting with youngsters who want to ask all sorts of questions. "Do you get mad when you fight?" "Does it hurt to get hit?" After a scheduled exhibition series of bouts against the Ukraine in Fort Worth, Texas yesterday, Viloria is expected to be in Honolulu until July 10. It's a chance to do what he likes best. "I'm just happy to hang out with my dad, my brother, my old friends, go back to the old gym and talk to my old coaches," he said. Olympic Profile Brian Viloria Age: 19 Hometown: Waipahu Sport: Boxing (106 pounds) Olympics: First Olympic dream quote: "When I met two of the 1992 Olympians at the Waipahu gym, Oscar De La Hoya and Eric Griffin, they encouraged me." Sydney 2000 Olympics

Tyson may have whupped up on Frank Warrent and held him hanging out of a window over some jewelry bill. The guys on CNN Radio are saying "why couldn't they show this, I'd *pay* to see that." If they had fessed to it, Brit copys would have tossed Tyson out of the UK. And Lennox Lewis says he'll fight Tyson before Tua. Will Ruis and Tua fight to unify the IBF and WB titles? Does Tyson stand a chance? Predictions? Tyson tries to eat Lewis children but can't find any anwhere. Butterbean takes Laila Ali on the UnderCard. And Tyson fails to bite off George Foreman's ear during the post fight interview.

Lewis Outweighs Botha on the Scales LONDON (Reuters) - World champion Lennox Lewis weighed in almost 14 pounds heavier than South African Frans Botha before their heavyweight title fight Saturday. The Briton, who defends his World Boxing Council (WBC) and International Boxing Federation (IBF) titles, hit the scales at 250 pounds Thursday. The total was three pounds more than the 247 pounds Lewis carried during his last title defense in New York in April against American Michael Grant. Botha appearing to half-hearted boos on the open-air stage in London's central Covent Garden registered 236 pounds. It was heavier than his usual fighting weight of around 228. Both men were late appearing on the sheltered stage in a pedestrian area where crowds usually gather around mime artists and jugglers rather than boxers stripping down to their underwear. They flexed their muscles in turn as ring card models, wearing a uniform loosely based on that of the Beefeaters at the Tower of London, paraded before the crowd. A performing artist with a squeaky voice, a plastic butterfly on his head and two open umbrellas over his shoulder, tried valiantly to keep his audience around the corner. As hard-hatted construction workers craned from their scaffolding for a better view, promoter Panos Eliades sensed a selling opportunity and reminded the crowd that there were still tickets remaining to be bought. ``Buy now, because if you don't buy now, you won't be there,'' he declared.

I sent the above to John Burnett for his opinion. His comment: zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...I'll watch if I can find a place to see it for free. Botha may be just good enough to survive, but not good enough to make it interesting. It could end up a spectacular Lewis knockout, but it would come against less-than-spectacular opposition, Botha's ranking notwithstanding. He's an honest, hardworking heavyweight fighter, a good gateway opponent, but hardly a challenger to a real champion. He is tough, though, and takes a great punch. If Lewis had enough savagery in him (he doesn't), it could end up a one-sided, bloody 12-round debacle like the 15-round beating Larry Holmes gave Randall "Tex" Cobb. That was the fight that caused Howard Cosell to stop broadcasting boxing...news which Cobb received with the quip, "I'll go another 15 with Holmes if Howard will stop calling football."

(Terry)And Lennox Lewis says he'll fight Tyson before Tua. Will Ruis and Tua fight to unify the IBF and WB titles? Does Tyson stand a chance? (John)Sorry it took me so long to get back to you on that one...I don't know if Ruiz and Tua will meet. Tua doesn't care who he fights because he knows he is competitive with anyone out there right now. Ruiz is not in Tua's or Lewis's league. As for Tyson, although he has eschewed basic boxing skills (which he once exhibited) and his defense has eroded, he has a puncher's chance in any fight he's in. He has one-punch knockout power. Few people have that and those who do are never out of any fight because one can get lucky anytime before the final bell. Lewis would and should be a solid favorite (I'd go about 8-5 or 9-5) over Tyson. Still, nobody wants to meet Ike, and everybody is hoping that his volatile personality gets him thrown in jail for a long time before he gets his shot. Lewis and Tua would be an excellent match: tall guy versus short guy, both with decent skills and both with one-punch KO power. I'd pay to see that.

"I love boxing. Where else do two grown men prance around in satin underwear, fighting over a belt?... The one who wins gets a purse. They do it in gloves. It's the accessory connection I love." ~ John McGovern