While Botha rests, manager works on licensing of trainer

Dean Juipe

Monday, Jan. 11, 1999 | 9:48 a.m.

McPherson also trying to arrange trip to LV for Nelson Mandela

It was supposed to be a day of rest.

And it was for Frans Botha, who spent at least part of Sunday lounging in a hot tub in his suite at the MGM. But farther down the hall in the room occupied by his manager, Sterling McPherson, it was almost a typical business day.

Working on at least two fronts, McPherson said he was hopeful of getting trainer Panama Lewis licensed in time for Botha's Saturday fight with Mike Tyson at the Grand Garden Arena. He also said legendary South African civil-rights leader Nelson Mandela is considering a trip to Las Vegas for the fight, and there were phone discussions to iron out those details.

In the midst of that hubbub, McPherson considered an arbitration hearing with Carl King that will be conducted by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Last Friday the NSAC appointed one of its members, Lorenzo Fertitta, to chair the hearing at a date still to be determined.

Although it isn't widely known, King has a contract with Botha that gives him 16 2/3 percent of the fighter. That's the same percentage McPherson has with Botha.

"The difference is, I've helped Botha's career and helped him get this fight with Tyson, while Carl hasn't done anything," McPherson said. "I've got the feeling he thinks he's just going to come in here the day of the fight and collect $300,000 or so."

It won't be that easy. With the NSAC now intervening with its arbitration hearing, any monies earmarked for McPherson and King will be held in escrow until the hearing is resolved.

"What has Carl King done for Frans Botha?" McPherson asked rhetorically. "Absolutely nothing. It wouldn't be fair if he was to receive anything from this fight."

McPherson signed his contract with Botha in May of 1995, while King was included in a redraft of the contract later that year. McPherson claims Botha was persuaded to include King in his contract after being promised a fight with Evander Holyfield that would be promoted by King's father, Don.

The Botha-Holyfield fight never came off.

However, the NSAC ruled last year in an arbitration hearing that Carl King's contract with Botha was still valid, although McPherson says "that was understandable, given the evidence that was presented at the time." He added that "things have changed since then and Carl hasn't done a single thing for Botha in the past year."

One person who has been helping the South African fighter is his trainer, Lewis. Yet he remains barred from working Botha's corner the night of the fight as a result of receiving a lifetime ban by the New York Athletic Commission. Lewis received the ban -- and a prison sentence -- in 1983, following a fight in which a man he was training was found to have used doctored gloves in a bout at Madison Square Garden.

"New York sent us an application and we filled it out and sent it back last week," McPherson said. While it was initially believed New York might hold a hearing on Lewis' request to be relicensed, McPherson says now the New York commission might skip the hearing and grant the request upon receipt.

"That's exactly what I'm hoping they'll do," he said. If Lewis cannot work Botha's corner the night of the fight, McPherson will.

As for Mandela, McPherson said "there's a strong possibility he'll be here later this week, and, if not him, then perhaps his daughter. But we've been talking (through a third party) and he wants to be at the fight to help represent Botha."