Columnist Dean Juipe: Dirty deeds could mark Tyson-Golota fight

Dean Juipe

Thursday, Sept. 28, 2000 | 9:25 a.m.

Dean Juipe's boxing notebook appears Thursday. His sports column appears Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Reach him at juipe@lasvegassun.com or 259-4084.

Andrew Golota figures to have his hands full when he fights Mike Tyson Oct. 20 in suburban Detroit.

Conversely, Tyson may have his hands full as well.

And therein lies the attraction of placing two unpredictable sluggers in the same ring, which Showtime is doing with the pay-per-view bout that's scheduled for 10 rounds at the Palace of Auburn Hills. The pay-per-view fee is $50.

"This is one big guy that can fight," Golota's trainer, Al Certo, said Wednesday during a conference call promoting the bout. "He might be a little slower than Tyson, but he's got awesome power."

Earlier, Tyson's trainers, Tommy Brooks and Jay Bright, indicated their man is in working order and is ready to put the "Foul Pole" out of commission.

"We're going in there to take Golota out as soon as possible," Brooks said. "Tyson is going to destroy Golota."

Tyson is training daily at the Golden Gloves Gym in North Las Vegas and is said to be in peak condition. An insider said he sparred five rounds Tuesday and looked brilliant.

Golota is training at the Rocky Marciano Gym in Jersey City, N.J., and is going as many as 10 rounds a day.

"I'm having the sparring partners rough him up," Certo said of getting Golota acclimated to Tyson's roughhouse ways. "We've got three opponents who are similar to Mike and I got them doing just about anything Mike would do. One day Andrew was (mad) about it, but I told him, 'Andrew, listen, these are the things that are going to happen in the fight.' "

Both Tyson and Golota are prone to disqualifications and dirty tricks.

Tyson is 48-3 with 42 knockouts, Golota 36-4 with 29 KOs.

"Tyson is looking sharper and sharper," Bright said. "He is focused and knows what he has to do. I don't worry about things getting out of hand because Tyson has the ability to beat any fighter in the world fair and square."

More than once, Brooks cited Tyson's confidence as being the key to his preparation.

"He already knows how to fight," Brooks said. "The only problem he has had is with confidence and his confidence is soaring right now. That's why he's asking for a title shot."

Tyson vs. Golota is not for a title but the winner can expect to receive an offer for a title fight. In Tyson's case, it could mean a third fight with WBA champion Evander Holyfield.

"Tyson wants to fight Holyfield again and get it out of his system," Brooks said. "In order for him to feel he has accomplished what he wants out of boxing, he feels he has to pay back this guy.

"No fight is easy but Holyfield is on the down side. He's the easier (of the current champions). His skills are kind of eroding."

To hear his trainers tell it, Tyson's skills not only are not eroding but are peaking at the age of 34.

"It was just a matter of him being confident again," Brooks said. "He's placing his shots. He is not just out there winging. He is a much better fighter because of maturity."

Maturity? Didn't Tyson cause a scene at the Los Angeles press conference that formally introduced his fight with Golota, as he stripped off his shirt, jumped on the dais and posed defiantly amid a rambling monologue that included references to his being on prescription drugs and feeling as if he was an animal?

It's that type of spontaneous outlandishness that Certo is attempting to get Golota prepared to face in the ring.

"I'm sure it's going to be a helluva fight for as long as it lasts," Certo said. "Andrew would like a nice, clean fight, but if (dirty tactics) come, he's going to retaliate a lot more than he's getting.

"Tyson tries to be the boogeyman in there. He thinks he's Superman ... 'Iron Mike.' He tries to make the other guy afraid, but I don't think that's going to happen with Andrew."

In boxing, the man who controls the fight is usually the winner and the man who can grab control of this fight is certainly apt to win.

"If Andrew controls it, the fight won't even be a problem," Certo said. "This kid has a lot of ability, an awful lot of ability. Wait til Mike Tyson feels his strength."

Of course Certo isn't buying into Brooks' and Bright's claims that Tyson is better than ever.

"The older you get, you're more gun-shy," he said. "We're not talking about the (fearless) Mike Tyson here from 10 years ago. He knows what can happen."

Yet no one knows what will happen when Tyson and Golota collide.

Headlining are Ed Mahone, 22-1-2, and David Bostice, 23-2-1, in a 10-round fight. Also scheduled on the all-heavyweight card: Talmadge Griffis, 14-1-1, vs. A.J. Moore, 8-16-1, eight rounds; David Washington, 12-4, vs. David Vedder, 18-18-3, six rounds; Russell Chasteen, 12-2, vs. Curt Paige, 10-3, six rounds; Adam Flores, 9-3, vs. Ron Guerrero, 10-3-1, six rounds; Attila Levin, 14-1, vs. Marsellus Brown, 23-11-1, six rounds; and DaVarryl Williamson, 3-0, vs. an opponent yet to be determined. Tickets are $25 to $100.

Butler is also the new mandatory challenger for IBF champion Sven Ottke.

"I've constantly had to prove myself, starting early, going through my teen years and beyond," Butler said. "There's always someone who wants to see how tough you are."

Butler, 29, said he was lured into pro boxing by seeing the success of Mike Tyson.

"It was Tyson who got my attention," he said. "When I saw how much money he was making I said, 'Wait a minute, I do this in the streets all the time and nobody can knock me down but I don't get paid a dime for it.' That's when I decided to see what I could do in the ring."