Columnist Dean Juipe: Chemeres plays role of a dad, trainer

Dean Juipe

Thursday, Aug. 20, 1998 | 10:55 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 juipe@lasvegassun.com

It's a classic tale and somewhat unique to boxing.

The basic plot: Crusty old manager/trainer finds his spirit rekindled by promising young fighter, the two overcoming numerous obstacles and working toward a common goal.

In this instance it's George Chemeres, a straight-talking, salty, 83-year-old Hemingwayesque character with 72 years of boxing experience. And his protege, 26-year-old John Palaki, a native of Tonga with still-developing credentials and no shortage of desire.

While neither lives in Las Vegas as far as the census bureau is concerned, both are regulars here as Chemeres brings Palaki from their Seattle residences to Southern Nevada. "There isn't anywhere else we can get quality sparring," Chemeres said this week at the Nevada Partners gym.

They are four months into their current stay and seven years into their relationship.

"All that time he's been a manager's dream," Chemeres said. "We haven't had a single problem, not that there weren't 200 times I thought I should give up on him."

Palaki, a junior lightweight, is 21-1-1 in a pro career that dates from 1992. He's ranked No. 8 by the WBO and No. 15 by the IBF.

And while Chemeres initially may have questioned himself for getting involved with Palaki he certainly doesn't regret it and wouldn't give up on him now.

"Seven years ago some people came to me and wanted me to take John on," Chemeres said. "I'd had Greg Haugen and after all those headaches I didn't want any other fighters.

"I wanted to enjoy my golden years."

Palaki came to Chemeres' attention as the fighter was staying with his aunt and uncle in the Pacific Northwest. Palaki was there after dropping out of the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona when his father died the day the competition opened.

"His people were begging and pleading with me to get involved," Chemeres said. "Well, I decided to do it, but right away I thought 'What the hell have I got myself into?' I thought I must have lost my mind because Palaki couldn't speak any English, which made me talking to him about the same as talking to a telephone pole."

Today, Palaki's English is first rate and his boxing ability steadily improving. Add in his 24-0 record as an amateur and it's easy to envision him becoming a factor in the world rankings at either 130 or 135 pounds.

"It's been a hard road for me but George has been like a father," Palaki said. "He's taught me about boxing and about life. I could never repay him."

Chemeres will take his thank-yous in prestige, should Palaki become a world champion.

"He's cost me a lot of money," Chemeres said, "but I don't really care about that. You know I've spent a lot on him and still do when we're staying in Las Vegas for months at a time.

"But I'm high on him and I think he's going to go all the way. You know why I know: He's got guts, he's got a good chin and he's hungry."

It takes a hungry fighter to work his way into a prominent or championship fight when neither he nor his manager is aligned with a major promoter. The Chemeres-Palaki tandem qualifies as an outsider in that respect.

"I'm from the old school," Chemeres said. "If Palaki keeps winning fights, the (major promoters) will come around. When he becomes somebody, they'll notice."

Becoming "somebody" isn't easy, however, when you're 130 pounds and fighting in Boise and on Indian reservations in Washington. Palaki has fought once in Las Vegas (in 1994) and never in New York or Los Angeles.

His next scheduled fight is Oct. 2 in Olympia, Wash., against Miguel Arrozal.

"I'm doing the best I can to reach my goal of becoming a world champion," Palaki said. "I know I'm an underdog but I like being an underdog or a challenger.

"I feel like I'm improving all the time. I've got George pushing me and I think eventually a title fight will come along.

"I never think negatively. I'm always looking forward."

Chemeres, who has added Jerome Coffee to the team as a trainer, said Palaki needs "two or three more fights" before he's ready for a big push. That's a push that has been delayed by illness and injury in the past year, but Palaki is looking good and feeling good these days.

"Mark my words, people are going to hear about this guy," Chemeres said earnestly and in a tone he reserves for his no-nonsense pronouncements. "I wouldn't be doing this at my age if I wasn't sure of it."

Weekend cards

There's boxing in town both Friday and Saturday nights, with Bam Promotions at The Orleans and Forum Boxing at the Tropicana.

Friday's card at The Orleans offers Chris Omar Johnson, 21-1-1, vs. Kenny Whack, 16-4-1, in a 12-round main event at 175 pounds. Johnson, 27, has wins over Las Vegans Chris Sande and Rocky Gannon, although he lost to former world champion Herol Graham and was also held to a draw by Ernest Mateen last year. Whack, 32, has lost two of his last three fights and has not faced Johnson's caliber of competition.

The semi-main has former NABF champion Mequi Sosa, 32-7-2, but coming off consecutive losses, taking on Cecil McKenzie, a fairly mediocre 8-5-1 and with only one victory in his last eight fights.

Saturday at the Trop, featherweights Juan Manuel Marquez and Luiz Freitas are scheduled for a 12-round main event, with heavyweights Ed Mahone and Al Williams in the undercard feature. Marquez, 25-1, has won 25 straight but figures to be tested by the 13-1 Freitas.

Around the ring

Local junior lightweight Diego Corrales upped his record to 23-0 with a TKO-2 over Rafael Morfin, 32-7-1, last Saturday in Los Angeles. Corrales goes again Sept. 26 in L.A. when he'll face Jose Luis Castillo, 33-3. ... Local referee Richard Steele will call Sunday's WBA bantamweight title fight in Tokyo between two guys who may be familiar to local fans, Joichiro Tatsuyoshi and Paulie Ayala. ... Needing an excuse to back out of a fight he didn't want to take due to a managerial dispute, WBA welterweight champ Ike Quartey has pulled out of his scheduled defense against Andre Pestriaev by claiming he has malaria. They had been scheduled for this weekend in France. ... Promoter Don King turns 67 today. ... Tickets are moving well for the Sept. 18 Thomas & Mack Center card that has Oscar De La Hoya and Julio Cesar Chavez on top. It's said only 3,000 tickets remain unsold. ... WBA super bantam champ Enrique Sanchez is off that Sept. 18 card due to cuts sustained in a July 5 fight in California. ... Local cruiserweight Arthur Williams has been told his title fight with IBF champ Imamu Mayfield will be held in October at a site yet to be determined. "There's definitely going to be a fight and I'm definitely going to win," Williams said.

IBF junior welterweight champ Vince Phillips of Las Vegas is negotiating a contract extension with Top Rank and appears to be in the process of changing managers. Phillips, slowed by knee problems, said he'll take a nontitle fight on the Las Vegas Hilton's Oct. 3 card that has Genaro Hernandez and Floyd Mayweather in the main event. ... A fight card originally slated for Lake Tahoe on Sept. 26 has been moved to the Tropicana hotel in Las Vegas and will have Tony Lopez in the main event. He's 49-7-1 and will be paired with the 20-2-4 Jaime Ocegueda. ... The 17-year run of "Tuesday Night Fights" on the USA cable network comes to an end Tuesday. The final card will have Butterbean Esch, 37-1-1, in with Tim Pollard, 6-4-2, from the Blue Horizon in Philadelphia. The majority of the program will be made up of highlights from past shows. ... Leroy's sports books added these odds: Terry Norris minus 160, Dana Rosenblatt plus 120, Sept. 25 in Connecticut; and Lennox Lewis minus 1100, Zeljiko Mavrovic plus 700, Sept. 26 in Connecticut. ... Several of the fighters involved in the Aug. 28-29 shows at the Las Vegas Hilton will have an open workout Tuesday at the hotel. Call the Hilton for details.