Trainers throw their own jabs

Dean Juipe

Monday, Jan. 11, 1999 | 10:31 a.m.

Lewis, Brooks spar as Botha-Tyson bout nears

It isn't a war of words, yet there has been a little testiness between the rival trainers.

In this corner is Panama Lewis, who has been with Frans Botha for four years.

And in the opposite corner is Tommy Brooks, who has been with Mike Tyson for four months.

Adversaries in a sense, neither appears impressed with the other.

"If Tyson would have hired someone good, like Kevin Rooney, I'd be worried," Lewis said. "But Brooks is like Tyson: He's living in the past. You can tell when they both start talking."

For his part, Brooks has played down the trainer vs. trainer issue as Tyson and Botha prepare to fight Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden.

"I don't feel I'm matching wits with Panama Lewis," Brooks said. "He's going to do what he's going to do. But I've got the superior athlete."

The betting numbers for the fight support Brooks' belief. Sunday in the MGM sports book the numbers were the same as they have been since the fight was announced six weeks ago: Tyson minus 400 and Botha plus 700.

While Brooks is new to Tyson's revamped camp, he's more than familiar with the former undisputed heavyweight champion. Not only does he recall Tyson from his heyday, Brooks trained Evander Holyfield for both of his fights with Tyson.

Now he's in Tyson's corner.

"My mainstay is basic fundamentals," Brooks said. "I think Mike lost confidence in himself and he lost confidence in his corner. His trainers weren't telling him anything in the Holyfield fights.

"I don't think he had a plan either night."

This time, there is a plan in place. And it's a predictable one.

"Mike's going to take it right to Botha," Brooks said. "We've been working with offensive and defensive things, but for Mike to be successful he has to do what he does best."

Lewis scoffs at the notion Tyson will show anything other than what he has shown in the past.

"Tyson's a bully," Lewis said. "Botha's a bully, too. When two bullies meet, the bully with the best skills wins. And that'll be Botha."

Further, Lewis believes Tyson is incapable of improving at the age of 32.

"Mike is still the money man in the sport," he said. "But his skills are not there. He punches hard and he'll always punch hard and have semi-quick hands, but his reflexes aren't like they used to be and they never will be again.

"He's definitely not going to change for the better."

Nonsense, Brooks claims.

"Mike's a student of the game," he said. "He's shown me a lot with the way he absorbs things.

"He was making a lot of mistakes when he fought Holyfield, like depending too much on his power. But we've been working on some things that make him a more rounded fighter."

Brooks was concerned that he might not have enough time with Tyson, although he says now the four months they spent together was sufficient. He added that he has a "multi-fight deal" to train Tyson in the future.

"I was worried we might not have enough time, but that was before I realized Mike's like a sponge," he said. "I was always interested in training a puncher and when Mike said he really liked me, I was flattered."

Tyson selected Brooks from a handful of prospective trainers who said they were interested in the job. Among the fighters Brooks has worked with in the past are former champions Meldrick Taylor, Mike McCallum and Pernell Whitaker.

While Brooks is content with Tyson's training for Botha, he admits it's too early to say for sure just how much his man has left.

"From the sparring sessions we've had, I'd say there's no ring rust," he said. "But you never really know until the guy is actually fighting. Part of ring rust is not really knowing for sure what the guy is going to be like until he puts on the gloves."

Lewis says when the gloves are on, Tyson will discover he's in with a tougher opponent than he bargained for. He also says there's a racial angle to be considered.

"Tyson's going to be frustrated," Lewis said. "Black fighters don't like to lose to white fighters. It's a matter of prestige. But Botha is really a white guy who fights like a black man, and Tyson's going to find that out just like Joe Louis did when he first fought Max Schmeling."

Schmeling interrupted Louis' march to the heavyweight championship in 1936 when he won the first of their two fights by 12th-round knockout.

Tyson and Botha are scheduled for 10.

"Tyson's confidence isn't what it once was and I think only Kevin Rooney could help him get it back," Lewis said, getting in a last dig at Brooks as well. "I think the timing's right to beat Mike Tyson and I think Botha will do it with a late-round knockout."