Columnist Dean Juipe: ‘Patlent’ Juuko hopes for title opportunity

Dean Juipe

Thursday, May 14, 1998 | 9:38 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

He's trying to do more than merely bide his time.

There's a world championship fight in Justin Juuko's future. But when? Where? Against which reigning champion?

Until those issues are settled -- and perhaps they won't be for months, or maybe a year -- the world-ranked junior lightweight from Las Vegas is attempting to hone his skills so that when the big day arrives he'll be prepared.

"I'm a very patient guy," he said before working out at the Golden Gloves Gym. "I know sometimes things happen later than you want them to. What I'm trying to do is work hard and be ready, so that when I get a title shot it'll seem like an easy fight to me."

Juuko, 25, a native of Uganda who has lived here for several years, is 31-1-1 and ranked No. 5 by the WBC and No. 6 by the WBA.

"I feel like I've been waiting for two years," he said of gearing up for the biggest challenge of his career. "It's frustrating in a way. Some of the older guys in the division are just getting in the way. It's time to move them out of there."

One young and newly crowned champion, IBF titleholder Robert Garcia, has a July 14 date in Los Angeles for a defense against an opponent yet to be determined. Juuko is among four contenders supposedly being considered for that fight, the others being Joel Casamayor, Tom Johnson and Jorge Paez.

"But my worst fear is that he thinks I'm too dangerous," Juuko said of Garcia. "I think a lot of people who know me know I'm the best junior lightweight out there, and that I won't get a title shot until I have to."

Until he's ranked as the No. 1 or mandatory challenger, Juuko may be stuck in mid-level fights. He has won three minor titles, including the British Commonwealth belt, in fights held in England.

"I've learned my lessons," he said. "I have enough experience to know when to do what. I think I'm the most skilled fighter in the division and I'd like to be able to show everyone what I can do."

Orlin's mission

At the age of 32, Orlin Norris has dropped out of the top 10 in each of the three major boxing organizations' listings of cruiserweights. Yet he has a fight next week that could put him back in those rankings and, perhaps, move him toward his goal of regaining a world championship.

Norris, who is training in Las Vegas, takes on another ex-champ, Adolfo Washington, May 22 in Monroe, Mich. ESPN will televise.

"When you're trying to stay in the game, the fights are real big," he said. "This one is another one of those for me."

Norris was the WBA champion from 1993 to 1995, defeating Marcelo Figueroa for the title and later losing it to Nate Miller. Following that defeat Norris tried his hand in the heavyweight division but has since decided to fight at 190.

"This brings me full circle," he said of returning to the division and having a rematch with Washington, who he once defeated by decision. Washington is coming off a tough loss to Las Vegan Arthur Williams.

Norris, of San Diego, said he isn't fighting just for the heck of it.

"I have a purpose," he said. "As you get older, you can put your life in perspective and I'm not just hanging around boxing because I need the money. I don't need it.

"But what I want to do is win a championship and do something to help kids. Looking back at myself when I was champion, I was selfish. I stayed to myself. Now I'd like to get more involved with kids and do something positive for them, but you really need to be a champion to get their attention."

Terry, too

Orlin's brother and fellow ex-champion, Terry Norris, is also working out in town although he has no fights scheduled. But he is tentatively set for a rematch with Keith Mullings, who knocked him out and took his WBC junior middleweight title last year in Atlantic City.

Norris said the return bout could come off as early as July and as late as September.

"It's going to happen," he said of getting another crack at Mullings. "I'm looking forward to it because I was like everyone else: I couldn't believe (he won) either. I was kicking his butt but he hit me with a good punch; I made a mistake and he capitalized."

That loss not only cost Norris his WBC championship, it knocked him out of a fight with Oscar De La Hoya. But if Norris regains the title he could be back in De La Hoya's future plans.

"Once I get the title back, I'll get the fight with De La Hoya," Norris predicted. He's 47-7 and ranked No. 3 by the WBC.

Holyfield update

During a Wednesday conference call, WBA/IBF heavyweight champ Evander Holyfield said he "expects to fight to the year 2000 -- that would be it for me." He's taking on Henry Akinwande June 6 in New York.

"I expect a good fight," he said. "He definitely do have the ability."

But the fight people want to see, Holyfield vs. WBC champ Lennox Lewis, remains in limbo. Holyfield, who fights on the cable network Showtime, blamed the delay on Showtime's rival, HBO, which has Lewis under contract. "They don't want to lose their heavyweight," he said, implying HBO is blocking the fight because it believes Lewis would lose and, as a result, become less marketable.

What Holyfield failed to say: He was offered $16 million to fight Lewis but refused to accept less than $20 million.

If a fight with Lewis fails to materialize, Holyfield is likely to defend his titles against Vaughn Bean. That bout is apt to take place in Holyfield's hometown, Atlanta.

Tapia tales

IBF junior bantamweight champ Johnny Tapia, who has a home here, is also on the June 6 card in New York. He's in a nontitle fight with an unranked opponent, Carlos Hernandez.

Nonetheless he says he's excited.

"I'm really anxious to fight in the Garden," he said during a conference call. "It's a dream come true."

One dream that didn't come true was Tapia's pursuit of Teddy Atlas, who he wanted as his new trainer. When Atlas declined, Tapia went with Jesse Reid.

They're working on Tapia's weight as much as anything.

"I'm walking around at 128, 130," he said, although his championship is at 115 pounds and his fight with Hernandez is at 118. "I can still make 115 but it's getting hard for me."

Tapia is 43-0-2 and still fielding questions about a rematch with Danny Romero, who he handled last July 18 at the Thomas & Mack Center. Tapia won that bout by unanimous decision.

"I want to fight Danny again," he said. "I beat him easy the first fight and I'll fight him again if that's what people want. Money's no object. I'm making good money as it is."

That said, Tapia expected to receive $300,000 for facing Hernandez in New York but, instead, will get $180,000.

Weekend cards

There are cards consecutive nights in Las Vegas, as The Orleans hosts a Bam Promotions show Friday and the Tropicana hosts a Forum Boxing show Saturday.

The semi-main event at The Orleans is of special interest in that it marks the return to the ring of Miguel Jimenez, a former Olympic bronze medalist who lives in Las Vegas although he has found fights hard to come by.

He's 11-0, but those fights have been stretched over six years.

"He's still a prospect but when there's a fighter with only 11 fights in six years it says to me he has trouble communicating," said Bam matchmaker Al Rodrigues. "Miguel is a nice kid and he's intelligent and he's a good fighter, but he's gone through a few managers. He needs to really make a commitment."

Jimenez, 27, has fought only six times since 1994. The '92 Olympic medalist, who has had some hand problems, is paired with Zaire Patterson in a six-round bout at 175 pounds. Patterson is 3-4.

"It's a good test for him," Rodrigues said. "We'll see what he's got. If Miguel can stay healthy and busy he could still warrant a title shot, and he could still win one."

The main event offers St. George's David Boone, 12-5, against Armando Campas, 16-13-5, scheduled for 10 rounds at 175. Also scheduled: Blaise Soares, 6-0, vs. an opponent yet to be determined, six rounds, junior middleweights; Friday Ahunanya, 3-0, vs. Willie Chapman, 3-4, four rounds, heavyweights; Arnold Soriano, 3-0, vs. Dennis Franklin, 2-4, four rounds, super middleweights; plus two women's bouts. First bell is 7 p.m.

The following night at the Tropicana, it's Marco Antonio Barrera in what looks to be an easy fight against late replacement Geronimo Cardoz at 122 pounds. Barrera is 44-2 while Cardoz is 23-12-2. The semi-main event has flyweights Isidro Garcia, 15-1, and Everardo Morales, 13-3-1, competing for a minor title. First bell is 7 p.m.

* AROUND THE RING: Ex-champ Wayne McCullough of Las Vegas headlines a Tuesday card from Corpus Christi, Texas, to be televised on the USA cable network. McCullough, 20-1, will take on Juan Polo Perez, 39-16-3, in a 10-round fight at 122 pounds. As for speculation that McCullough will get a crack at WBC champion Erik Morales this fall, promoter Bob Arum -- who handles Morales -- said this week it's unlikely. "In my opinion, that fight will never happen," he said. "McCullough's financial expectations are just too big." ... Also in town working out is John Palaki, ranked No. 12 by the IBF at 130 pounds. "We can't get him any good sparring in Seattle, so we're down here," said his trainer, George Chemeres. "There aren't any fighters up there." Palaki, 21-1-1, has been sparring with the likes of Juuko at the Golden Gloves Gym. "He's not getting any favors from me," the 83-year-old Chemeres said, pushing Palaki to give his best. ... Las Vegas cruiserweight Rocky Gannon, profiled in the Sun Tuesday, takes on Kenny Keene in a televised bout Saturday in Boise. ... Nevada Senator Richard Bryan, along with Arizona Senator John McCain, has sent a letter to the attorney general of the State of New York, congratulating New York for launching a multi-state inquiry into boxing practices and asking that it look specifically at long-term contracts between fighters and promoters as well as other conflicts of interest. ... An Ike Quartey title defense scheduled for Saturday in Paris was called off under disputed conditions. The WBA welterweight champion said he was "disappointed" with the promoter, AB Stars, for pulling the plug on his bout with Russia's Andre Pestriaev. The promoter maintains Quartey "declined to go ahead with the contest."

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