Thursday, April 30, 1998 | 7:39 a.m.
DEAN JUIPE is a Las Vegas SUN sportswriter. His office phone number is 259-4084. He can be reached on the Internet at [email protected]
There's no denying he looks a little big. His face is fuller and his waistline isn't where it once was.
He's also 41 years old and he hasn't fought competitively in almost 15 months.
Yet Mike McCallum, even at the approximately 200 pounds he's carrying today, retains much of the skill that made him a three-time world champion. And he still can punch.
He's showing it on an almost daily basis at the Golden Gloves Gym, where he appears to be earnestly training in preparation for a comeback that he expects to launch within a couple of months.
"I'm dead serious," he said of his game plan. "I want to be a champion again. I want to win four titles."
Once a welterweight, he's eyeing the cruiserweight division.
"I don't b.s. myself," McCallum said. "I can still fight. I've never been seriously hurt or messed up. This is no joking matter for me."
The Jamaican, a Las Vegas resident for several years, returned to the gym earlier this year and a month ago added Leon Washington as trainer. He would like to fight in May or June.
"After a year layoff, I was a little rusty but I feel and look good now," McCallum said. "I'll fight for any legitimate title."
His last time out, in February of 1997, McCallum was defeated by James Toney. That bout was a rematch of a 1991 fight that ended in a controversial draw.
"I was upset with myself for even going into the ring that night, I felt so sick," McCallum said of the second fight with Toney. "I had bronchitis and I was tired. I know that's the reason I lost that fight.
"It was the worst I ever fought."
McCallum, known as the "Body Snatcher" for his punishing work to the torso, is 49-5-1 and has impressed not only Washington but most everyone who has seen him in the gym.
"He looks good, doesn't he?" Washington said after McCallum went a few rounds with Rocky Gannon. "I think he's a month away from being completely ready. He needs to lose a few pounds, but everything else is real fine. His reflexes are still very good."
Bramble, too
Washington is also training another ex-champ with some mileage on him, Livingstone Bramble. He recently moved here and is looking to jump-start his career.
"He called me for a year from the (Virgin) Islands," Washington said. "I didn't really know him that well but he said he wanted to move to Las Vegas, fight two more years and go out on a positive note."
Bramble, 37, was being used as an opponent and not doing too well when he faded from view a few years ago. The former WBA lightweight champ lost his last seven fights.
"He's at 148 (pounds) now and wants to fight at 140," Washington said. "We're going to try to get him a few wins and then maybe a bigger fight. He still has a good name, so it's possible something good will come of all this."
Washington hopes so, for his sake as well as Bramble's.
"I need something to help me get back to the limelight," he said. "I'm a good trainer and I've been around the block a few times, but maybe I haven't been in the right place at the right time."
Washington, 55, says his son, Leon Jr., is training fighters in New York and is getting the quality young guys that have been eluding his father for a few years.
"Meanwhile, I'm trying to bring a couple of fighters back from the dead," Washington said with a smile.
Two wins, one loss
Three Las Vegas-based fighters were active in the past week, as light heavyweight Limmie Young and heavyweight Cliff Couser picked up wins last Thursday in Tulsa, and super middleweight Joseph Kiwanuka suffered a disheartening loss in a nationally televised bout Tuesday in Philadelphia.
Young, 3-0, was a TKO winner over Jason Muklin at 1:15 of the third. The latter was making his pro debut in a fight scheduled for four rounds.
"My corner told me to pick up the pace after the second round, so I put the jab on him," Young said. "I hit him with a left uppercut and then a short left that knocked him down. He got up but he couldn't go on."
Young, one of Las Vegas' finest amateur fighters ever, goes again May 13 in Kansas City.
Couser, 18-3, knocked out Derrick Roddy in the second round of a scheduled 10-round fight on that same card. "I want to get my record built up and get ready for some big things," Couser said.
Kiwanuka's situation is far less promising after losing by unanimous decision to journeyman Demetrius Davis at the Blue Horizon. Scored 97-93, 95-94, 98-91, Kiwanuka dropped his second straight fight and is now 25-3-2. He was knocked down in the third round and in trouble several times against Davis, 17-10-4.
"The only style Kiwanuka has is straightforward and that can be a problem," said IBF super middleweight champ Charles Brewer, who was sitting ringside during the USA cable telecast.
Kiwanuka also had a new face in his corner, as Marty Feldman was in for Eddie Mustafa Muhammad as lead trainer. "He didn't act right (during training camp)," Feldman said. "He didn't get any boxing."
Hilton fights
The May 30 card at the Las Vegas Hilton is taking shape, as is one set for May 29 at the same site although it has not yet been formally announced. The May 30 main event has WBA junior middleweight champ Laurent Boudouani in a rematch with Guillermo Jones and will be supported by three other world-title fights: IBF bantamweight champ Tim Austin vs. Adrian Kaspari; IBF cruiserweight champ Imamu Mayfield vs. Saul Montana; and WBA bantamweight champ Nana Konadu vs. an opponent yet to be determined.
The May 29 card at the Hilton will headline with WBA flyweight champ Jose Bonilla taking on Hugo Soto, and offer NABF light heavyweight champ Ken Bowman vs. Lincoln Carter as the primary undercard pairing. The latter fight was originally scheduled for tonight in Fort Lauderdale.
Don King Productions is promoting both cards.
Around the ring
Follow-ups: IBF featherweight champ Hector Lizarraga surrendered his title to Manuel Medina, who won their fight last Friday in San Jose by decision; and James Holyfield, brother of the heavyweight champ, was sentenced to life in prison for child molestation and rape in Atlanta. ... Two local amateur shows are scheduled for this weekend. Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Rancho High School, a Nevada vs. California card will be presented by the Latino Peace Officers' Association. Admission is free. The following day, Sunday, at the Cashman Field Theater, the Nevada Partners Boxing Team will take on a squad from London at 2 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children under 12. ... Saturday from France on the Showtime cable network, WBA cruiserweight champ Fabrice Tiozzo fights for the first time since winning the title from Nate Miller last November in Las Vegas, as he defends against the busy but likely overmatched Terry Ray. Tiozzo is 37-1, Ray 36-5. Also on the card is WBC middleweight champ Keith Holmes, 30-1, against mandatory challenger Hassine Cherifi, 24-2-1. Las Vegas oddsmaker Herb Lambeck makes Tiozzo a 20-1 favorite and Holmes a 3-1 pick.
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