Two bantamweights prove a big hit

Sunday, June 27, 1999 | 1:38 a.m.

A crowd of about 6,000 at Mandalay Bay cheered and laughed as Mia St. John, who has been photographed in Playboy, won a decision and 311-pound Butterbean pummeled Peter McNeeley, who on a previous visit to Las Vegas was pummeled by Mike Tyson.

Then anyone in the crowd who was not a fight fan had to become one as bantamweights Paulie Ayala and John Tapia put on a demonstration of skill and courage over 12 frantic rounds Saturday night.

Ayala handed Tapia his first defeat in 49 fights and won the WBA 118-pound title.

"To beat a champion you really have to beat him," said the 32-year-old Tapia (46-1-1, 25 knockouts) of Albuquerque, N.M. He did not agree with the decision but acknowledged, "Paulie is a great champion, a great fighter."

The three judges all scored the fight for the 29-year-old Ayala - one by one point and the other two each by three points. The Associated Press favored Ayala 115-113.

"A great champion like Johnny, you've got to take him on every round," said Ayala (28-1, 12 knockouts) of Fort Worth, Texas.

Every round was close. Every round was exciting, marked by sharp combinations to the head, savage blows to the body and several collisions of heads as both fighters refused to give an inch.

The 30-year-old McNeeley has fought back from drug and alcohol abuse. He had hoped to gain some recognition and better fights and atone in some way for his ridiculed loss to Tyson in 1995 in which manager Vinny Vecchione jumped into the ring and stopped the bout after 89 seconds.

Butterbean, billed as King of the Four-Rounders, stopped McNeeley, 212, at 2:59 of the first round. He battered him with head shots but failed to knock him down.

"They tried to run me out of town when he was getting pounded by Mike Tyson," Vecchione said. "They complained like hell before for what I did. There were no knockdowns, no cuts (Saturday night). I think he should have been given more of an opportunity."

McNeeley had become emotional at a news conference Wednesday and referee Jay Nady had been instructed to watch him closely.

"I never thought being a little emotional at a press conference would affect a fight being stopped three nights later," McNeeley said.

McNeeley wants a rematch but that's unlikely. The 32-year-old Butterbean, whose name is Eric Esch, wants something even more unlikely .

"I want Mike Tyson at four rounds," he said.

St. John's win over Mary Ann Haik on the pay-per-view show was sandwiched between a 10-round decision victory by Yory Boy Campos of Mexico over Ron Weaver and a decision by champion Stevie Johnston over Aldo Rios of Argentina in a dull WBC lightweight match.