Columnist Dean Juipe: Gatti’s quick exit could foreshadow fight night

Dean Juipe

Thursday, March 22, 2001 | 9:53 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.

It appeared as if Arturo Gatti and those around him were interested in mastering the art of the quick exit, perhaps in preparation for Saturday night.

Gatti, who fights Oscar De La Hoya at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, was prematurely whisked from the final prefight press conference Wednesday by his promoter and followed that unprofessional act by hastily withdrawing from an impromptu question-and-answer session with the media moments later.

Fans meeting the $100 to $700 entry fee Saturday are expecting Gatti to make only a brief appearance then too, as he's an eye-opening 26-1 underdog in his fight with the former Olympic gold medalist and four-weight-class professional champion.

Gatti is a plus 1800 in the MGM sports book, while De La Hoya is a minus 2600.

No round proposition wager is being offered, which is telltale in itself.

"He thinks it'll be an easy, exciting fight," Gatti said, when asked why De La Hoya chose him for his comeback fight.

De La Hoya, 32-2 with 26 knockouts, has not fought in nine months. At 28 years old, he intends to fight two more years and a fast knockout victory would be the first step in rekindling his career.

Gatti, 33-4 with 27 KOs, is thought to be the ideal opponent in that he comes to bang yet he figures to be overmatched in ability.

De La Hoya is being paid $5 million, Gatti $1.4 million.

"It's Oscar's night, but we'll see about that," Gatti said. "I'm going to fight my heart out and give 150 percent."

There is little question that Gatti will give it his all, having been involved in several wars during his 10-year pro career.

"He's there for a fight," said his promoter, Gary Shaw of Main Events. "Everybody talks about how easily he cuts and all of that, but this is a gut check. He's coming to fight and we believe he can win this fight.

"I think you're in for a bigger surprise than you think."

Gatti, a native of Montreal, was at the pinnacle of his career when he held the International Boxing Federation junior lightweight championship from 1995 through 1997. During that six-fight span he twice beat Tracy Harris Patterson and conquered Gabe Ruelas.

He slumped the following year, losing all three of his bouts as Angel Manfredy knocked him out and Ivan Robinson decisioned him twice.

Gatti has since recovered to win four consecutive fights, with Joey Gamache the best known of his recent victims. Now 28 years old, Gatti has evolved into a welterweight and is being asked to go 10 rounds with De La Hoya.

To preempt a quick stoppage, Shaw has already lobbied Marc Ratner of the Nevada State Athletic Commission in an effort to have referee Jay Nady show some patience in the event the fight starts to get one-sided. "I told him my concerns," Shaw said of meeting with Ratner.

Those concerns are generated by Gatti being prone to cuts and bruises around his eyes.

"Except for one time (vs. Manfredy), I've never been cut with a punch," Gatti rationalized. "It's always been with head butts and elbows."

He said he intends to capitalize on his determination and the fact he believes De La Hoya is already looking past him to a June fight with World Boxing Council junior middleweight champ Javier Castillejo.

"This is the perfect time in my career (for a fight like this)," he said. "I don't think Oscar's taking it seriously, but I'm still taking my career seriously. He took this fight just to get back in boxing."

Aside from saying "I'm not going to regret how I perform Saturday night, because I trained hard for this fight," Gatti did not utter another word at the final press conference.

When the moderator opened the floor to questions and the first three or four were directed toward De La Hoya, Shaw grabbed Gatti and headed for the door as if in protest. Gatti then veered off to meet with a few print reporters before abruptly rising and departing.

That left the spotlight solely on De La Hoya, which was apropos in that he's the only man pictured on the promotional poster that touts the fight with Gatti.

"This is serious business and I finally feel that the whole package has come together," De La Hoya said, referring to his new association with trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr. The latter replaced Robert Alcazar.

"Finally, after so many years, we're doing things right," De La Hoya said. "Mayweather has pushed me like nobody else would ever think of pushing me. He's the best that I've seen or that I've tried."

He said he sparred 140 rounds in preparation for this fight. "That's the most I recall doing (and) I did that because I laid off so long," he said. "History shows you can feel a bit rusty."

But he doesn't feel the layoff will negatively affect him.

"It's been a progression for me," De La Hoya said. "It's totally different than it was before. I don't think I ever trained the right way until I began working with Mayweather."

Of note: Jirov is making his fourth title defense and his opponent, McGroom, is a late replacement for O'Neill Bell; Carr served as a sparring partner for De La Hoya and his opponent, Pineda, is a late replacement for Santos Cardona; Williams, Navarro and Vidoz each participated in the 2000 Olympics at Sydney.

First bell is 4:35 p.m. and the main event is scheduled for 8.

"I don't feel I've gotten my proper due," Nicholson said. "I've never ducked anybody. I'm a big underdog but that doesn't bother me." A second 10-round heavyweight bout pits rising star Clifford Etienne, 19-0, in with Fres Oquendo, also 19-0 but not held in as high a regard as his opponent.

"For collegiate boxing, this is the highest level," said UNLV head coach Skip Kelp. "The fans will see 24 outstanding fights and all of the participants realize this is their chance to reach the nationals." Admission is $10 Friday and $20 or $10 Saturday; UNLV students will be admitted for $5.

Justin Juuko, 35-4-1 with 20 KOs, has replaced Roberto Garcia and will face fellow Las Vegan Stevie Forbes April 22 in Indio, Calif., with the latter's IBF junior lightweight title at stake. Forbes, 19-1 with five KOs, will be making his first title defense. Juuko had been lobbying for the assignment after Garcia withdrew. ... David Reid, 15-1, vs. Urbano Gurrola, 18-7, tops a Hard Rock card announced for April 1. ... Texas Station landed an April 6 card that headlines Mbulelo Botile vs. David Toledo. ... Frans Botha, who needed less than one round to win last Friday's main event at the Orleans with Joey Guy, has been approached about facing Ray Mercer on the Mike Tyson vs. David Izon card May 19 in Washington D.C.