Columnist Dean Juipe: Whitaker rid of Goofi nickname for Couser fight

Dean Juipe

Thursday, Oct. 10, 2002 | 9:48 a.m.

Dean Juipe's column appears Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. His boxing notebook appears Thursday. Reach him at juipe@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4084.

Lance Whitaker has gone back to what once worked for him.

The big heavyweight from Southern California has dropped his ridiculous nickname, Goofi, and returned to trainer Joe Goossen after a couple of losses that bumped him from contender's status.

Whitaker, an imposing 6-foot-6 and 245 pounds, slips back into the limelight Sunday with a nationally televised fight from Choctaw, Miss., on the Fox Sports Net. He's up against Cliff Couser, a Las Vegan who claims to be Mike Tyson's half-brother.

Couser told the Sun two weeks ago that his strategy for the scheduled 10-round fight would be to "rough up" Whitaker, implying that some of his tactics may only be borderline legal.

This week Whitaker, speaking by phone from Los Angeles, said bring it on.

"I can see why he'd say that," Whitaker said, when apprised of Couser's remarks. "He probably thinks that's his best chance to win.

"He's a fairly short guy who's probably going to come out swinging left and right, hoping to connect. I think he'll throw a lot of punches and hope for the best.

"But I'm not just going to sit there and wait, and if he thinks he's going to win I'm here to say it's not going to happen.

"I'm the one who's going to rough him up. I've been hit by the best and I don't think he can hurt me.

"The main consideration after the fight will be to find a stretcher to carry him out on."

Whitaker is 24-2-1 with 20 knockouts but has been in descent since a Dec. 1, 2001, loss to fellow contender Jameel McCline in New York. McCline won that fight by decision, with Whitaker coming in at a hefty 251 pounds and appearing noticeably slow.

Whitaker has dropped a few pounds for this one and supposedly has trained seven days a week for the past three months, with Goossen back in control.

"This is a very important fight for me, but they all are now," Whitaker said. "I have to win -- I'm on my way to the heavyweight championship."

In truth, Whitaker has been ousted from the rankings but could resurface with a victory over the gritty Couser, who is 24-7-2 with 12 KOs, and maybe another one or two down the road.

"Having Joe back with me is a big help," Whitaker said. "He's got me working more on my jab, throwing combinations and having me moving.

"We have a love connection."

While Whitaker had some disarming comments to make about Goossen when they split more than a year ago, he says their relationship is back to normal.

"There were no hard feelings," Whitaker said. "We both apologized. Things didn't work out between us before, but I think they will now.

"We kissed and made up."

The Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Jose Luis Castillo WBC lightweight title fight has been rescheduled for Dec. 7 at Mandalay Bay, although Mayweather's legal standing throws a shroud over the card. He was hit with another lawsuit last week, with James Brim Jr. alleging assault and battery. ... Bolstering that Mayweather card, however, is the addition of a Wladimir Klitschko vs. Jameel McCline heavyweight fight of considerable interest. ... Top Rank has announced a Nov. 1 card for the Orleans, with junior welterweights Antonio Diaz and Arturo Urena in the main event. ... Light heavyweight Derrick Harmon of Las Vegas has taken a fight with ex-contender Tim Littles as part of a Nov. 3 card in Temecula, Calif. Harmon, 22-3, is coming off a loss to Montell Griffin, who will headline (vs. George Khalid Jones) that same night. Littles is 27-2.

The WBA super bantamweight title changed hands Wednesday in Tokyo when unsung Salim Medjkoune, 39-3-1, took a decision over reigning champion Osamu Sato. ... Melbourne, Australia, has landed undisputed junior welterweight champion Kostya Tszyu's next fight, Jan. 18 vs. James Leija. ... If a John Ruiz WBA heavyweight title defense with Roy Jones Jr. does fall into place, the fight will be held in February. ... WBA flyweight champ Eric Morel, who fights Thailand's Denkaosaen Kaowitch Saturday in Anaheim on Showtime, said during a Wednesday conference call that's he ready to move up in weight if his promoter wants to make the move. "I feel good at 112," Morel said. "I would feel better at 115, and even better at 118. Really, though, it's up to Top Rank."

Less condescending toward Top Rank and its promoter, Bob Arum, is WBC welterweight champ Vernon Forrest, who said this week he was insulted when Arum outlined Oscar De La Hoya's future plans after the latter beat Fernando Vargas last month. Arum said he envisioned a De La Hoya vs. Forrest fight at 154 pounds, but not until Forrest had fought a couple more times to cement his reputation. "That's one of the most ridiculous things I ever heard," Forrest said during a conference call announcing a six-fight deal with HBO. "It's just another excuse not to fight me (and) I thought it was borderline racist. I am a lot more popular than (Arum) might want to give me credit for." Forrest will fight Jan. 25 against an opponent and at a site yet to be determined.