Columnist Dean Juipe: Bennett, Jones highlight Stratosphere card

Dean Juipe

Thursday, Oct. 18, 2001 | 10:57 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.

Six fights as a professional heavyweight were enough for Michael Bennett and his handlers to realize the U.S. Olympian and former world amateur champion was repeatedly giving away too many pounds to his opponents.

As a result, he's now fighting as a cruiserweight and will make his debut at 195 pounds Saturday at the Stratosphere when he takes on Eddie Slater as part of a six-fight card in the hotel's Outdoor Events Center.

A junior lightweight fight between Junior Jones and Mike Juarez stands as the card's main event.

Bennett, 30, is 5-1 with five knockouts and avenged the loss on his record when he defeated Wes Taylor the last time out. But the heavyweight division is now in his rear-view mirror.

"We are officially declaring our intentions for Michael to pursue the cruiserweight world title by the end of 2002," said Bennett's manager, Arnie Rosenthal. "He won't have to give away 20 or 30 pounds by fighting heavyweights."

Despite his advancing age, Bennett remains something of a novice in boxing in that he didn't take up the sport until he began serving a seven-year prison term for armed robbery 10 years ago.

"Boxing taught me discipline and is one of the toughest sports," he said. "It is an individual sport and the sincerity and dedication it takes to prepare your body to do battle is hard. You have to be ready at all times."

His opponent, Slater, is 5-2 with three KOs.

Also scheduled on the Stratosphere card are bouts featuring heavyweights Kendrick Releford, 3-0, Tra Telligman, 4-0, and Delvin Rodriguez, 9-0-1, against opponents yet to be determined. There is also a women's junior bantamweight fight between Dawn Reynolds and Roberta Baldeagle, both of Las Vegas.

In the main event, Jones puts his 48-5 record up against Juarez, 23-10-2, with a minor title at stake.

"I feel like, believe it or not, I haven't gotten to the peak," Jones said. "I think what I have to offer is me being me. There are people out there who still love to see me, so I want to give them everything they've been missing."

Jones, 30, owns two victories over Marco Antonio Barrera and has fought a number of well-known fighters, including Kennedy McKinney, Erik Morales, Orlando Canizales, John Michael Johnson, Paul Ingle, Tom Johnson and Tracy Patterson.

Briggs, 34-3-1, holds a win over George Foreman and has lost to Lennox Lewis and was held to a draw with Frans Botha in his three biggest fights.

He's scheduled for 10 rounds with journeyman Jason Waller, 26-17-3.

Also scheduled: Mark Burse, 9-1-1, vs. TBA, eight rounds, junior lightweights; Francisco Corrales, 5-1, vs. TBA, six rounds, junior welterweights; Juan Ruiz, 6-0, vs. TBA, six rounds, super bantamweights; Ishe Smith, 4-0, vs. Warren Kroneberger, 3-3, four rounds, welterweights; Cedric Fergusen, 2-0, vs. Luis Lopez, 0-1, four rounds, junior welterweights; and Doe Exee, 0-1, vs. Dewey Cooper, pro debut, four rounds, cruiserweights. First bell is 7 p.m.

A fight between Wladimir and Ray Mercer, 29-4-1, appeared to be settled until Mercer fought on the Mike Tyson vs. Brian Nielsen undercard last Saturday in Copenhagen and suffered a cut near an eye. While he won the fight in two rounds over Brian Scott, Mercer may not be able to keep his appointment with Klitschko.

"It was stupid to fight one more time," promoter Klaus-Peter Kohl said of Mercer's decision. "It was 90 percent certain he would be Wladimir's next challenger."

That Dec. 1 card, which has no site yet and could find its way to Las Vegas, now also includes a second heavyweight fight of interest: Jameel McCline vs. Lance Whitaker.

Both of the Klitschkos took in Tyson's seventh-round TKO victory and offered opinions on the ex-champion.

"He was fighting on a certain level and hasn't improved," Wladimir said. "I wish my brother would get to fight him next."

To which Vitali said: "Tyson is still dangerous, but he wasn't showing too much. There was a time when he was better."