Hilton hosts 4 title fights

Dean Juipe

Thursday, May 28, 1998 | 10:53 a.m.

Sitting at an otherwise unoccupied blackjack table in the central casino of the Las Vegas Hilton, Laurent Boudouani had no intention of gambling.

In fact, he was at the table only because it was warmer in the casino than it was in a private room where a press conference -- in which he was the featured speaker -- was still a few minutes from getting started.

Boudouani, the WBA junior middleweight champion, wasn't about to gamble with his health. It's something he had done twice before, taking fights in which he wasn't at full strength, and in each instance he lost.

"At this stage of my career, if I'm not 100 percent healthy I'm not going to take a fight just to fight," the Frenchman said through interpreter Natalie Christhol. As a result, when he walked into the press conference Wednesday and found it chilly, he immediately retreated to the casino.

Boudouani, 35-2-1 in a 10-year pro career, defends his title in the main event of a Saturday card at the Hilton. He's involved in one of four world-title fights taking place at the hotel Friday and Saturday and he's looking to make an impressive showing.

"This is my fourth time fighting in America, so there must be some interest in me," he said. "When I get into the ring I want to make sure I'm physically and mentally ready. I want to show what I can do not only for the fans but for the other good fighters in the United States who are in my division, or who are in the welterweight division and thinking of moving up."

Boudouani will face Guillermo Jones in a rematch of a Feb. 13 fight in Albuquerque in which the result was a disputed majority draw. Scored 114-114, 114-114 and 115-114 Jones, Boudouani retained his title in a fight he feels was poorly judged.

"My first reaction (in the ring after the verdict was announced) was that I was happy to keep my belt, but on second thought I thought they'd made a mistake with the scoring," he said. "I really thought they hadn't added it up right."

Boudouani, 31, is a minus 160 favorite in the Hilton sports book. Jones, 26 years old and owner of a 22-1-1 record, is a plus 120 underdog for a fight that initially went up on the board as pick 'em.

"This will be a different fight," Boudouani said. "I'll be more aggressive. I'll surprise him. I'm not going to make a prediction but I assure you this will be a completely different fight than the last one."

The 5-foot-10 Boudouani has to give away six inches in height to Jones, a lanky Panamanian with 19 knockouts.

"I'm kind of disappointed (in having to fight Jones again)," Boudouani said. "I just didn't think that first fight was a draw."

If he can solve Jones this time, Boudouani may be in position for a fight of even greater consequence. There are not only two other legitimate champions at 154 pounds (Keith Mullings and Yory Boy Campas) but a wave of champions like Oscar De La Hoya, Ike Quartey and Felix Trinidad who are prepared to move up from 147.

"I'm happy with what's been going on in my career," Boudouani said, including a 1997 victory over Carl Daniels at the Hilton in that assessment. "Everything's been good since my two losses, and I look at those as accidents."

A slugger with 31 KOs, Boudouani hasn't lost since a 1993 setback to Bernard Razzano in which he says he fought at less than full strength. Two years earlier he was beaten by Gilbert Baptist in a fight that took place just six weeks after Boudouani had his appendix removed.

As a result, he's cautious when it comes to his health and an approaching fight. He would rather be safe than sorry, even if it means limiting his time in the spotlight of an otherwise cold press conference.

Austin vs. Kaspari

Bolstering Saturday's Hilton card is IBF bantamweight champion Tim Austin in a mandatory defense against Indonesia's Adrian Kaspari. Austin, a native of Cincinnati who earned a bronze medal in the 1992 Olympics, is 17-0-1 with 16 knockouts. He's a minus 1500 favorite over Kaspari, who is officially listed as 9-0 with nine KOs. Yet he is known to have fought perhaps as many as 15 other times in the backwoods of Asia.

"He's a come-forward fighter with a good right hand," Austin said of Kaspari, a plus 1000 underdog. As for himself, Austin says he's a "boxer/puncher" yet his burgeoning reputation is as a big hitter.

"But I don't rely on my power," he said. "I rely on my technique."

Austin won the IBF title last July with a somewhat surprising TKO-8 over Mbulelo Botile. It was surprising in that Austin went from fighting nondescript opponents to handling a long-time champion without the usual intermediate step of facing pretenders and over-the-hill contenders.

"I felt like I was ready though," he said. "It didn't surprise me. It was my time."

This is Austin's sixth fight in Las Vegas but in each of the previous five he fought well down the undercard of major Don King Productions shows. Now he's seen as a potentially rising star.

"I always had patience," he said. "I realized it would be an uphill struggle but I refused to give up."

Jamili vs. Guardia

Also on the Saturday card, which gets under way at 3:30 p.m., is WBO junior flyweight champ Eric Jamili versus Kermin Guardia. Jamili, of the Philippines, is 11-5-1 and has won six straight. Guardia, 29-2, is a Colombian whose only two defeats came in world-title tries. No betting line up on this one.

There are three other fights scheduled, including: Byron Mitchell, 16-0, vs. an opponent yet to be determined, 10 rounds, super middleweights; Virgil McClendon, 20-1, vs. Mark Fernandez, 33-18, 10 rounds, junior welterweights; and WBA bantamweight champion Nana Konadu, 38-3-1, in a 10-round nontitle fight with Julio Salinas, 8-7.

Bonilla vs. Soto

Friday at the Hilton is another six-bout card and WBA flyweight champ Jose Bonilla is in the main event against Hugo Soto. Bonilla, of Venezula, is 24-3 and an impressive 4-0 in title defenses, having handled Saen Sor Ploenchit, Hiroki Ioka, Evangelo Perez and Keiji Yamaguchi. He's a minus 250 favorite against Soto, a plus 200 underdog from Argentina who is 49-5-2. Soto is 0-2 in previous world-title attempts.

Also scheduled Friday with a 3:45 first bell: Hector Lopez, 38-6-1, vs. Cesar Valdez, 23-11, 10 rounds, junior welterweights; Nate Jones, 6-0, vs. John Kiser, 11-8, six rounds, heavyweights; Freddie Pendleton, 43-22-4, vs. Terronn Millett, 19-1-1, 12 rounds for the vacant USBA junior welterweight title; Juan Coggi, 74-4-2, vs. Dezi Ford, 24-15-2, 10 rounds, junior welterweights; and James Page, 19-3, vs. Eric Alexander, 14-6-1, 12 rounds, welterweights.