Columnist Dean Juipe: Botha to headline card at Fremont Street Experience

Dean Juipe

Thursday, May 24, 2001 | 10:15 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.

Sterling McPherson appears to have achieved both of his most recent goals.

First, he has persuaded the many businesses that operate under the Fremont Street Experience to unite and promote a fight card June 5 that will be televised by ESPN2, and, just as importantly from his perspective, he has Frans Botha in a main event designed to showcase the former heavyweight champion's renewed title chances.

Botha, 42-3-1, will take on David Bostice, 23-2, in a 10-round bout that will top a card to be held on the street and under the Experience's $60 million canopy.

"This is a great opportunity for downtown and something I've wanted to do for a long time," McPherson said. "(Mayor) Oscar (Goodman) wanted to do it, too, and I think it'll go over big and give us some great exposure."

Site scouts from ESPN were downtown Wednesday assessing the situation. Temporary bleachers that will seat 3,000 will be constructed soon.

Botha, 34, will occupy the headliner's role as McPherson aims to land the South African -- and Las Vegas restaurant owner -- another championship fight by next year.

"There are a lot of heavyweights out there, but not a lot who ring a bell with the public," McPherson said. "Botha provides a quality that much of the division is missing.

"I want to keep him sharp, and at the end of the day when the division shakes out I'll get him a fight for a legitimate championship."

Botha has been offered a fight with a lesser champion, Wladimir Klitschko of the World Boxing Organization, on the Aug. 4 card at Mandalay Bay that has Bones Adams and Paulie Ayala as its main event. But McPherson sounds as if he'll pass on Klitschko, as Top Rank is offering.

"I'm not saying I wouldn't do it," he said. "Part of me says, 'Here's a chance, Sterling' but I'm in the sure-thing business. It's not like they're offering so much money that someone could say 'What's wrong with you?' to me, so we might just go our own way."

He says he can keep Botha busy and in the public eye via an assortment of "smaller shows" and through a "three-fight package of fights for later in the year in South Africa."

Botha is coming off an impressive March 16 TKO-1 victory over Joey Guy at the Orleans. Working the body, Botha had Guy down three times before the fight was quickly stopped at the 2:40 mark.

"That was the night it became clear to me that Botha still has appeal, and that he has renewed and rededicated himself to boxing," McPherson said. "He sold the place out in a flash, and he was in condition and rejuvenated."

Botha is currently training in Los Angeles.

"I've learned that as long as you have a product, be patient," McPherson said. "I have to take the lead in this parade and look after my fighter.

"The division needs a supporting cast, and that's where Botha fits in right now."

In Bostice, Botha will be facing a decent test. Bostice is coming off a Dec. 8 decision win over former cruiserweight champ Al Cole at the Hard Rock.

"The more rounds the fight goes, the better," McPherson said. "Botha needs the rounds and I'd love to see Bostice go eight or 10."

McPherson already has a similar fighter, Monte Barrett, in mind for Botha's next opponent after Bostice.

"There's only a few guys in the division who can give Botha problems," he said. "Barrett's a guy who can give us some rounds and he's not a bad fighter.

"But I'll have Botha fight a stiff if I have to, because I'm sticking with my plan."

* QUICK HITS: Paris Las Vegas has landed a June 1 fight card that will be promoted by Top Rank and televised by ESPN2. Former lightweight champion Stevie Johnston, 31-2-1, will be in the 10-round main event against Dario Esalas, 23-0, and four other fights are scheduled, including: Larry Mosley vs. Jaime Morales, six rounds, welterweights; Konstantin Semerdjiev vs. Shane Swartz, six rounds, cruiserweights; Mohamad Abdulaev vs. Daniel Felix, six rounds, welterweights; and William Abelyan vs. TBA, six rounds, featherweights. Tickets are $25 and $50 and are on sale at Paris and Bally's. ... Jameel McCline, extremely impressive in dispatching King Ipitan in one round Jan. 24 at the Hard Rock, appears to be in line to face Michael Grant July 21. McCline is 24-2-3, Grant 31-1. ... Ex-champ and former Las Vegan Frankie Randall has taken a June 14 fight with prosp ect Angel Hernandez in suburban Chicago. Randall is 55-9-1, Hernandez 19-2.

Las Vegas featherweight Eddie Uturov, 6-6, lost his four-round fight with Rocky Juarez, 3-0, last Saturday in Connecticut on the Antwun Echols vs. Charles Brewer card. In the main event, Echols recovered from three second-round knockdowns to stop Brewer in the third. ... Top Rank matchmaker Bruce Trampler equates Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s standing in boxing with noted baseball strikeout artist Randy Johnson. "Johnson strikes everyone out, but they're still major leaguers," Trampler said Wednesday. "Floyd's the same way in that he figures to dominate almost everyone he fights, even when they're tough veterans." Mayweather is in with Carlos Hernandez Saturday from Grand Rapids on HBO. ... Top Rank's lawsuit vs. the World Boxing Association is in the trial stage and testimony has been heard in Las Vegas. At issue is whether Top Rank client Bones Adams, the WBA s uper bantamweight champ, has or has not fulfilled his mandatory defense requirement.