Columnist Dean Juipe: Ayala could be in for another close decision against Adams

Dean Juipe

Thursday, Aug. 2, 2001 | 10:21 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.

Paulie Ayala has mastered the art of winning a close fight, which is timely in that he figures to have another one Saturday night.

Not a knockout puncher per se, the World Boxing Association champion at 118 pounds is moving up to 122 to face Clarence "Bones" Adams as part of a double feature at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. Heavyweights Wladimir Klitschko and Charles Shufford are matched in the main event.

For Ayala, the trick is to duplicate (or improve upon) the decision victories that have dominated the recent portion of his career. His last six fights have gone their scheduled distance and each of the last five in particular included a suspenseful moment as the judges' scores were announced.

Add 'em up and Ayala is 32-1 with 12 knockouts, with his only loss by technical decision to then-World Boxing Council champ Joichiro Tatsuyoshi three years ago in Japan.

"I'm accustomed to big fights and I know how to handle them," Ayala said this week after a workout at the Top Rank Gym. "Winning those type of fights is nothing new to me."

He figures to be locked into a similar type of fight with Adams.

"Hopefully, he's not as comfortable as I am," Ayala said. "Hopefully, the big crowd and the setting will bother him."

Neither bettors nor experts are certain how the fight will play out, as Adams is a slight favorite at a minus 150 in the Mandalay Bay sports book. Ayala is a plus 120.

Adams, 27, a resident of Las Vegas, is 41-3-3 with 19 KOs.

"I know he's not going to hurt me or knock me out," Ayala predicted.

Aside from his experience and successes, Ayala is feeling good about fighting at 122 pounds. He and his trainer, Henry Mendez, agreed that he is stronger and at least as quick. "His speed is the same, certainly no worse," Mendez proclaimed. "And he'll be stronger for sure. He may even be twice as strong as ever."

Ayala has moved up in weight before, agreeing to fight at 123 when he took on Tapia the second time.

"It gives me some increased strength," he said of adding the weight.

Interestingly, Ayala is of the opinion that he will retain his WBA title at 118 pounds in spite of moving to 122 for an unsanctioned fight with Adams. In fact, he said "I'm keeping the title, as far as I know."

Yet the WBA appears to be sanctioning a Sept. 1 fight in Yokohama, Japan, between Toshiaki Nishioka and Eidy Moya, and is advertising it as for the vacant 118-pound title.

"I'm keeping all my options open," Ayala said of his future plans, indicating he may return to 118 or stay at 122. His "walking around" weight is 130.

"He could make 118 this week without any problem," Mendez said.

"I'll be right at 122," Ayala said, referring to Friday's weigh-in.

Pleasant and accommodating, Ayala began fighting at the age of 4 and compiled 296 amateur bouts. He turned pro in 1992 and has frequently appeared in Las Vegas, to the extent that Tapia believes he has an unfair advantage when he fights here.

"Lennox Lewis couldn't beat Ayala in Las Vegas," Tapia recently said.

Yet Ayala dismisses such talk.

"I'm the one in there taking the punches and giving more out, that's why I'm winning decisions," he said. "My promoter (Bob Arum) doesn't have any influence on the judges."

He even feels Adams, by virtue of his local roots, might have a subconscious advantage with the judges.

"He's Top Rank's guy," Ayala said. "But I don't know that that means anything. It doesn't worry me."

An aggressive southpaw who wins the bulk of his fights by simply out-working his opponent, Ayala, 31, will be looking to put a mediocre outing against Dianzo behind him and, perhaps, get his first knockout since 1998.

"We're not considered a knockout artist, I know that," Mendez said. "What Paulie has going for him is speed. There's nothing like speed, as (light heavyweight) Roy Jones proved last week (in defeating Julio Gonzalez in Los Angeles). Paulie's as fast or faster than Jones."

And his southpaw advantage shouldn't be minimized, Ayala said.

"I know Bones has faced some southpaws, but I'm an extremely good southpaw," Ayala said. "I'm not a walk-in-the-park southpaw."

A competitive fight is assured.

"We're glad this is happening because it's good for boxing," Mendez said. "But I'm disappointed we're not the main event. Unlike most fight cards, this could be one where people see how good the semi-main is and then walk out before the main event has started."

Ayala has had similar thoughts but is setting them aside with the bout on the immediate horizon.

"It'll be an entertaining fight," he said. "It's good for boxing and that's all that counts."

The current betting line in the hotel's sports book is Klitschko minus 1200 and Shufford plus 900.

Should Klitschko win, he's apt to be back here in November or December for a higher profile fight against the likes of Lance Whitaker or Jameel McCline.

Also scheduled on the Top Rank card: Juan Carlos Gomez, 32-0, vs. Al Cole, 31-8-2, eight rounds, heavyweights; Kelly Pavlik, 9-0, vs. Francisco Valenzuela, 3-3, six rounds, junior middleweights; Dmitriy Salita, 1-0, vs. Joe Jiles, 1-0, four rounds, junior welterweights; and Zsolt Erdel, 5-0, vs. Dennis Matthews, 6-16, four rounds, light heavyweights. Of note: Gomez is the long-time WBC cruiserweight champion who apparently is committed to a move to heavyweight; his opponent, Cole, has been losing a good deal of late but is a former cruiserweight world champion; Pavlik is being groomed for bigger and better things by Top Rank; Salita is an Orthodox Jew from New York who had to receive his rabbi's approval to fight on the Jewish Sabbath, which is observed from sundown Friday until sundown Saturday. Kenny Bayless will referee the main event, with Patricia Jarman-Manning, Paul Smith and Mike Gliena serving as judges. Joe Cortez will referee the Ayala vs. Adams fight, with Duane Ford, Dave Moretti and Steve Weisfeld judging.

First bell is 6:30 p.m. and Ayala vs. Adams is scheduled to go at 8:05. Tickets are priced from $50 to $400 and remain plentiful.

Espadas is 34-3 with 22 knockouts and is best remembered locally for a narrow points loss to Erik Morales Feb. 17 at the MGM. Each of the judges had the bout scored within four points and there was some belief ringside that Morales was all but ready to quit after the 11th round.

Espadas, 26, has fought once since, and appears to be biding his time as he awaits either a rematch with Morales or another title fight.

Sanchez, 27, is a mere 12-9-3 with four KOs, although he is 4-0-1 in his most recent bouts.

Also scheduled: Liborio Romero, 2-0, vs. Ramon Hurtado, 14-4, six rounds, flyweights; Jose Aguiniga, 7-0, vs. an opponent yet to be determined, six rounds, super bantamweights; Arturo Morales, 5-0, vs. an opponent yet to be determined, six rounds, junior welterweights; and Chikashi Inada, 6-0, vs. an opponent yet to be determined, six rounds, lightweights.

Tickets are $15 and $25.