Columnist Dean Juipe: Jones, Tyson going in different directions

Dean Juipe

Thursday, Aug. 21, 2003 | 9:21 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.

Roy Jones Jr. appears headed for a fight with Antonio Tarver, while Mike Tyson entertains the idea of appearing in a K-1 fight this fall.

Makes you wonder: Why aren't Jones and Tyson fighting each other for $20 million apiece or so?

But Jones vs. Tyson apparently hasn't been formally discussed and isn't about to happen despite its attractive up side for everyone involved. Instead, both men are weighing lesser fights that will bring them far fewer dollars than they would get fighting each other.

In Jones' case, he came out Wednesday and restated his desire to pass on a fight with Corrie Sanders and take on Tarver instead. The date, Nov. 8, is set, although the site and contractual conditions are far from settled.

"More than likely it will be Tarver," Jones told the Associated Press of his immediate boxing-related plans. "He's having a few issues with his promoter and manager, but if he can get that ironed out we'll fight Nov. 8."

Jones added that he intends to visit Kenya in the coming weeks to lend moral support to the African nation, although he is "not so interested" in having his fight with Tarver there.

Jones is 48-1 and the World Boxing Association heavyweight champion. He would drop down in weight and, perhaps, relinquish his heavyweight title to fight Tarver, a former U.S. Olympian.

Tarver is 21-1 and is the World Boxing Council and International Boxing Federation light heavyweight champion.

Tarver called out Jones following the latter's win against John Ruiz this past March in Las Vegas, and he came back into the picture when Jones couldn't arrange a fight with Evander Holyfield and then declined one with Sanders.

The Jones vs. Tarver fight is known to have been offered to more than one casino/hotel in Las Vegas.

Meanwhile, Tyson, who is 50-4, has no fights scheduled and is amusing himself by threatening to take a fling with the mixed-martial-arts sport K-1.

Last Friday at a K-1 card at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, Tyson and K-1 star Bob Sapp participated in a confrontation that was almost certainly staged. Tyson attended the card and jumped into the ring following Sapp's victory against Kimo Leopoldo.

Tyson then challenged Sapp, saying, "I'll do it right here. Get me a pair of shorts and I'll fight him tonight."

Sapp responded by saying, "I'll do it. Sign the contract."

Within hours, K-1 publicists had a press release on the episode distributed to the media and wire services.

The fine was equal to the purse Couser was to have received for the fight.

The suspension, he said, cost him a possible fight Saturday with former world champion Michael Moorer.

"They took my whole purse, but that was fine," Couser said Wednesday. "I agreed to that because they threatened to suspend me for a year, and I want to be able to fight again."

Couser was DQ'd in his fight with Tann when he responded to being hit on the back of the head by tackling Tann. Couser said if he had won that fight he would have been offered a fight with Moorer, who is, instead, facing Rogerio Lobo in Coconut Grove, Fla.

Brinkley's fight with Perez, which was nationally televised, was very close and seemingly could have gone either way. But Brinkley, who was raised in Yerington and trains in Las Vegas, won by 3, 2 and 2 points on the (all-Nevada) judges' cards.

He's now 22-1.

Chavez, who has fought here before and almost certainly will again, gained the WBC title at 130 pounds with his victory against the reigning champion from Thailand. Chavez, 40-2, controlled the fight from the outset and prevailed by 8, 6 and 6 points on the judges' cards.

There are co-main events scheduled, with Verno Phillips (35-8-1) taking on Michael Lerma (29-7-1) in a 10-round fight at 154 pounds, and Lonnie Bradley (29-0-1) facing Nicholas Cervera (35-4-1) in a 10-round fight at 160 pounds.

Phillips has won nine of his 10 most recent fights and is coming off a victory over Bronco McKart.

Bradley was once a prominent middleweight but has been sidelined by an eye injury since 1997. He needs the approval of the Nevada State Athletic Commission to actually get the fight with Cervera.

There will be four other fights.

But the identities and backgrounds of fighters themselves are almost incidental, based solely on the press packet distributed by the Stardust. Of the 10 pages that were included, eight were devoted to Leonard's boxing and promotional exploits.

IBF featherweight champ Juan Manuel Marquez won a nontitle fight with Marcos Licona last Saturday in Connecticut. Marquez, 41-2, stopped Licona in the ninth round of the Showtime-televised fight. ... Andrew Golota marked his return to the ring by stopping Brian Nix in the seventh round of their fight last Thursday in Dover, Del. Golota, a former heavyweight contender, is 37-4. ... Four-time former heavyweight champ Evander Holyfield, who will fight James Toney Oct. 4 at Mandalay Bay, held an open workout in Houston and spoke to the media afterward. "Right now the heavyweight division is at a standstill," he remarked. "Lennox Lewis never fought the guys he was supposed to when he had the three belts, and now he has only one and says he wants to retire. Well, quit talking about it. If you are going to retire, then retire."