Columnist Dean Juipe: Scoring issue a big concern for De La Hoya

Dean Juipe

Thursday, Dec. 4, 1997 | 9:27 a.m.

Even though he wasn't a participant in the most recent fight in Atlantic City, it made an impression on Oscar De La Hoya.

The scoring of that bout -- George Foreman vs. Shannon Briggs on Nov. 22 -- was so out of line that De La Hoya is worried about a repeat performance Saturday when he defends his WBC welterweight championship against Wilfredo Rivera at the Atlantic City Convention Center.

De La Hoya is leery of being robbed, just as Foreman seemingly was when Briggs was awarded a majority decision that has since resulted in Foreman's handlers filing an official protest with the New Jersey attorney general.

"It's a big concern," De La Hoya said of the scoring issue. "You never know what the judges are thinking. It seemed as if George Foreman won that fight; I know I was very surprised when they announced he didn't."

De La Hoya's comments, made during a conference call, indicate he may try to take matters into his own hands and get Rivera into something of a winner-take-all slugfest.

That apparently would be fine with Rivera as well.

"I have the speed, the punch and the style to match whatever plan he comes with," Rivera told the boxing periodical Flash. "De La Hoya will have to kill me to win. I prefer to get knocked out risking to win than give away the victory just to finish on my feet."

Rivera is 27-2-1 with 18 knockouts, with both losses coming to Pernell Whitaker in 1996.

De La Hoya is 26-0 with 21 KOs and is already scheduled to face Patrick Charpentier Feb. 28 at Caesars Palace.

The betting line in the Caesars sports book for Saturday's fight has remained unchanged since it was initially posted. It's De La Hoya --1000 and Rivera +750.

"He doesn't run and he doesn't show any different angles," De La Hoya said, perhaps comfortable with Rivera's style. "I think I can overpower him."

De La Hoya is being paid $6 million for the fight, which will be available nationally on pay per view as well as locally on closed circuit at the Maxim, the Stratosphere and the San Remo.

Showtime in Florida

The Showtime cable network is televising cards consecutive weeks from Pompano Beach, Fla., opening with Friday's WBC middleweight title fight between champion Keith Holmes and former IBF junior middleweight champ Paul Vaden. A Dec. 13 card will follow.

Holmes, 29-1, and Vaden, 27-1, are friendly rivals if their conference call discussion is any indication.

"I sleep with him everyday," Holmes said, although his comment shouldn't be taken literally. "I keep him in my sights. But he's got to get out of my life. He can't have my title. He'll have to go down another road and try for another title besides mine."

Holmes and Vaden have been working toward this fight for some time, in part because it was once scheduled for Oct. 25 in Mexico City as a feature on the postponed Julio Cesar Chavez vs. Miguel Angel Gonzalez card.

"I have a lot of respect for Keith," Vaden said. "It'll come down to who wilts first."

The bout is a pick 'em in Las Vegas. Holmes, for one, would like to use it to up the middleweight division's collective appeal, which currently isn't too inspiring.

"You never get the respect you're due," he said. "A little bit of respect is all I ask. You have to fight hard and be very aggressive and impress the public, then they will start to recognize you. If all the middleweight champions could keep their titles long enough, they'll get recognized -- and that's what I intend to do."

Las Vegas-based WBA super middleweight champ Frankie Liles was to have fought on the card, but his bout was scrapped.

Around the ring

Responding to a Nov. 25 article in the SUN in which local matchmaker Tony Trudnich said he had been asked by two Federal Bureau of Investigation agents about possible kickbacks for doing cards for the USA cable network, attorney Norman Kaplan said the FBI investigation is broad and does not focus on USA consultant Brad Jacobs. "There's an ongoing FBI investigation into boxing in general," Kaplan said from his Southern California home. "It doesn't focus on Brad and hasn't, as far as I know, for at least a year and a half." Kaplan, who represents Jacobs, said Jacobs was cleared by the FBI. Trudnich said only that he had been asked about Jacobs and that he had never been approached about kickbacks. ... Trudnich, incidentally, will not serve as the matchmaker for at least the next card at Arizona Charlie's, scheduled for Dec. 27. He had been Charlie's regular matchmaker this year. ... SET, Showtime's pay-per-view outlet, supposedly lost $11 million on the recent Evander Holyfield vs. Michael Moorer fight in Las Vegas.

Forum Boxing of Los Angeles seems to have made a significant mistake in releasing John Beyrooty from his duties as its publicist. An outside firm, California Sports Incorporated, has been hired to handle p.r. for Forum Boxing, although Beyrooty is somewhat irreplaceable. ... Las Vegas heavyweight Cliff Couser won a pair of recent fights in Virginia, including a DQ-4 vs. Floyd Ingram last Friday. Couser, who fractured the pinky finger on his left hand against Ingram, is 18-3. ... Butterbean Esch, who is fighting on the De La Hoya card Saturday in Atlantic City, also is scheduled to participate in a pro wrestling event the following day in the same city. His boxing opponent is Doug Phillips, while his wrestling opponent is Mark Mero. ... USA cable concludes its 16th season Tuesday when it travels to London to televise the Herol Graham vs. Vinny Pazienza super middleweight bout. ... Former Las Vegas light heavyweight Darren Zenner, a Canadian now living in New York, takes on WBO champ Dariusz Michalszewski Dec. 13 in Germany. ... Former heavyweight champ Greg Page of Las Vegas just turned 39 yet he continues fighting. He recently had a win in a fight held in a bar in Kentucky and he has a fight with Billy Wright on the Dec. 13 card in Pompano Beach. ... When Hector Lizarraga fought here May 28 he talked of getting a title shot with the IBF, where he's ranked as the No. 2 featherweight. He gets his wish on that same Pompano Beach card when he takes on Welcome Ncita for the vacant IBF belt.