Columnist Dean Juipe: Now a resident, Griffin utilizes LV resources

Dean Juipe

Thursday, Oct. 24, 2002 | 9:23 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.

Beyond the weather considerations, there's a reason Montell Griffin moved from Chicago to Las Vegas 14 months ago.

He felt it would be good for his career.

In Las Vegas, Griffin says he gets the sparring he needs and that by never straying from the gym it's a constant reminder of why he's here. Whereas he once battled weight troubles between fights, these days he finds himself committed to maximizing his remaining years in the sport.

"For the first time in my career, I'm never too far from the gym," he said this week before a training session at the Nevada Partners Gym that included a little sparring with heavyweight contender Chris Byrd. "Instead of putting on 20 or 30 pounds between fights, I don't let that happen anymore.

"I'm a man now and I work out hard. I've always been able to fight but now I'm a totally different fighter."

Griffin, who has a nationally televised bout with George Khalid Jones scheduled for Nov. 3 in Friant, Calif., has the appearance of a man on a mission. Not only is he putting in more hours than ever and facing better everyday competition in the gym, he's also utilizing UNLV strength coach Mark Philippi as an adviser.

The evidence that Griffin is as good or better than ever comes in the form of his most recent fights, including one July 21 in Friant with fellow Las Vegan (and longtime friend) Derrick Harmon. That fight went the 12-round distance yet Griffin looked exceptional in taking the decision win.

"It's always a little hard to judge yourself, but I was somewhat disappointed that I got a little winded near the end of that fight with Derrick," Griffin said. "I don't want that to happen again, so now I'm in absolute tip-top shape.

"I was back in the gym three weeks after that fight, which is why I came to Las Vegas in the first place."

Griffin is 43-3 with 28 knockouts and, of course, is the only man to defeat Roy Jones Jr. (As detailed in Wednesday's Sun, he predicts Jones will lose to World Boxing Association heavyweight champ John Ruiz should they fight as proposed March 1 at the Thomas & Mack Center.)

That win over Jones briefly made Griffin the World Boxing Council light heavyweight champion -- or until he lost the rematch -- and if Jones vacates the division Griffin is in line for another title fight. He and Antonio Tarver would be matched for the International Boxing Federation title, Tarver having positioned himself with a July 20 TKO-5 win over fellow contender Eric Harding in Indianapolis.

But Griffin doesn't want to get ahead of himself.

"I'm hoping this fight (with Khalid Jones) leads to one with Tarver for the IBF title," he said. "If Roy leaves, something's got to happen.

"But my main thing is to keep looking good and get people behind me."

Khalid Jones, 18-1 with 13 KOs, is coming off a 10-round decision win over Demetrius Jenkins Aug. 6 in Secaucus, N.Y.

"I'm taking every opponent as if he's King Kong," Griffin said. "I'm taking him seriously.

"I've seen a couple of tapes of him and he hasn't been in the ring with the same type of competition I have. He's a decent puncher but it's come against lesser opposition."