Thursday, Jan. 16, 2003 | 9:03 a.m.
Dean Juipe's column appears Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. His boxing notebook appears Thursday. Reach him at [email protected] or (702) 259-4084.
Undisputed junior welterweight champion Kostya Tszyu has fought at a very high level almost since the day he turned pro.
Within his first year he polished off established competitors such as Juan LaPorte and Sammy Fuentes, and within the following two years he had added stalwarts such as Livingstone Bramble and Hector Lopez to his win column.
By 1995, a mere three years into his pro career, he was a world champion and today Tszyu holds all three of the major titles: IBF, WBC and WBA.
Those belts will be on the line Saturday as Tszyu has a rare "home" fight in Melbourne, Australia, when he meets ex-champ James Leija in front of a live crowd of some 30,000 at the Telstra Dome and a Showtime cable television network audience in America.
"This is a special fight for me at this time in my career," Tszyu said during a conference call. "I'm at a time in my career when every fight is important to me and not just a waste of time."
Tszyu, 33, won his first world championship in Las Vegas (vs. Jake Rodriguez) and has had three of his four most recent fights here. He defeated Sharmba Mitchell, Zab Judah and Ben Tackie in those Las Vegas fights, each of which pushed his stock a little higher.
"The good thing about being an undisputed champion is that you can choose who to fight if it's not going to be a mandatory defense," the Russian-born Tszyu said, and he chose Leija for his showcase fight in his adopted homeland.
Tszyu is 29-1-1 with 23 knockouts and Leija, 36, is 43-5-2 with 17 KOs. Needless to say, Leija is in there because he's apt to be competitive, yet it's almost inconceivable that he could upset the champion.
"He's a proud man," Tszyu said of Leija. "I don't take any fight lightly and he's a warrior. Even when he lost some fights, he never gave up.
"There's nothing at all between us personally. There doesn't need to be any extra hype or hate."
Leija is a big enough name that his fight with Tszyu is assured of attracting a mammoth live crowd.
"It's a big thing for me," Tszyu said. "It's a pleasure to be on my home soil. The last few years I've been traveling to the States all the time and it takes five to seven days to adjust to the time zone. So this is a big advantage fighting here, (plus) I needed to show that I can bring in a big crowd."
He said he will continue fighting until he senses a loss a desire.
"I'm not fighting because of the money," he said. "I think I'm secure in that sense. I just enjoy myself.
"Every athlete has to reach the finish line (and) I've been thinking of my retirement for the last four years. But I believe I haven't done enough yet to stop my career."
Following this fight with Leija, Tszyu will have to address a fight with one of his mandatory challengers, which right now are Arturo Gatti (IBF), Gianluca Branco (WBC) and Hector Camacho Jr. (WBA). Minor champion DeMarcus Corley might also be in the mix.
"You have to please every organization," Tszyu said of balancing the titles. "It's politics that I don't want to get too involved with myself."
Opening the Showtime telecast will be another fight of local interest, as Las Vegas resident Muhammad Abduallaev puts his 10-0 record on the line against former lightweight champion Philip Holiday, who is 38-5-1 but well past his prime. They're scheduled for 12 rounds at 140 pounds.
For De La Hoya, it's a step in a new direction.
"I'm a fighter, I know the sport and I can relate to the fighter," he said of becoming a part-time promoter. His shows will be televised on the HBO Latino network.
"I'll ease off on the business side when I need to get ready (for a fight) and train," De La Hoya said, his May 3 date with Yory Boy Campas in Las Vegas ahead on his itinerary.
Asked if he might consider co-promoting a card with his own promoter, Bob Arum, De La Hoya responded by saying "it would be a privilege."
"Promoting's the next step in boxing for me," Steele said. "I've been in negotiations with the Cannery and they'll pay a site fee. I'm not going to use my own money, I'm using the casino's money."
The Cannery will be able to accommodate up to 1,800 spectators for a boxing event.
Steele added that he has promoted four previous cards, one each in California and Mexico and two in New Mexico. Only the Mexico experience was a negative one, prompting Steele to admit "I lost $55,000 of my own money."
Described as "micro-technology," the sensor pads are lightweight and unintrusive. Its backers offered hope of seeing them used "in an undercard" fight to gauge the NSAC's reaction, while Hendrick said the gloves "have unlimited training potential."
A local trainer, innovator and entrepreneur, John Black, was at the NSAC meeting and said he already has a patent on a similar product.
Guilty Boxing has its lineup set for its next card, Jan. 24 at the Orleans, and will offer junior welterweights Jairo Ramirez (11-1) vs. Aaron Steadman (9-3-1) in an eight-round main event. Also scheduled: Adam Carrera, 8-0, vs. Anthony Avila, 4-0, six rounds, featherweights; Carl Cockerham, 11-8-2, vs. Jerry Balagbagan, 9-4-2, six rounds, junior middleweights; Avelino Chavez, 1-0, vs. Jaime Barahona, 2-4, four rounds, welterweights; Eddie Salas, 7-1, vs. Shane Fisher, 3-0, six rounds, middleweights; Arturo Quintero, 3-0, vs. Alberto Rubio, 2-1-1, four rounds, junior lightweights; and Tracey Stevens, 3-4, vs. Eugina Abel, 0-1, four rounds, women, lightweights. ... Laila Ali, 13-0, has had a change of opponents for her Feb. 14 fight in Louisville, as Mary Ann Almager, 14-5, has replaced Latisha Robinson.
Jose Victor Burgos, 39-13-2, and Alex Sanchez, 29-2-1, will vie for the vacant IBF junior flyweight title as part of the Feb. 15 Tim Austin vs. Rafael Marquez card at Caesars Palace. That IBF championship came open when Ricardo Lopez retired. ... Ray Austin, 17-3-1, vs. Zuri Lawrence, 18-8-3, headlines the Feb. 15 Cedric Kushner card at the Flamingo in Laughlin. Welterweight prospect Anthony Thompson, 8-0, highlights the undercard. ... Former junior welterweight champ Zab Judah continues to have out-of-the ring troubles, as he was reportedly arrested in New York for failing to pay child support to the mother of one of his three children. In fact, Judah has three children with three different women, none of whom is his wife. He was arrested on this latest count while leaving a courtroom following a hearing on a similar charge brought by another woman. 0002. 00
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