On his way up the ladder

Dean Juipe

Thursday, Jan. 23, 2003 | 9:11 a.m.

It's a division bunched with talent and a reigning undisputed champion, yet it's conceivable within a very short time that the best of the lot at 140 pounds will be Muhammad Abdullaev.

He's not too far from the top right now.

A native of Uzbekistan and a resident of Las Vegas, Abdullaev added to his stock last weekend by disposing of former lightweight world champion Philip Holiday in a fight beneath the Kostya Tszyu vs. James Leija main event in Melbourne, Australia.

Abdullaev had Holiday down twice in the first round and put an end to the fight in the fourth with a technical knockout that upped his record to 11-0 with nine KOs.

"He's explosive," said his trainer, Kenny Adams, upon returning to Las Vegas after a lengthy stay in Australia and long day of travel. "I'd put him in with almost anyone in the division right now."

This was Abdullaev's first fight as a junior welterweight after opening his career as a welterweight. "There was no point making weight until he had to," Adams said of pinpointing the division in which Abdullaev figures to reside for a while.

At 140, there's not only Tszyu (30-1-1) but minor champ DeMarcus Corley (28-1-1), ex-champ Zab Judah (28-1), ex-champ Hector Camacho Jr. (35-1), English favorite Ricky Hatton (35-0) and not one but two other hot prospects, Miguel Cotto (13-0) and Ricardo Williams (8-0).

Adams indicated Corley or Judah might be next up for Adbullaev, or at least in the ring with him by this summer. As for Cotto and Williams, Abdullaev may not be as well known in this country but he went 3-0 against them in amateur competition and en route to the 2000 Olympic gold medal.

"We don't need Williams or Cotto," Adams said. "Abdullaev has already beaten Williams twice and he beat Cotto, yet somehow boxing people gave Cotto the title of 'prospect of the year.' How does that happen?"

The answer: exposure. Abdullaev has neither a big promoter nor a publicist nor a media-savvy manager, and his fight with Holiday was his first on one of the major cable networks. As a result, people simply aren't familiar with him.

But they soon will be.

"He's always fought the best and that's what he's going to continue to do," Adams said. "I'd like to see him go after Corley or Judah next, just so people can see how good he really is."

Abdullaev, 29, was 288-12 as an amateur. He's presently at home in Uzbekistan and taking two weeks off before reuniting with Adams in Las Vegas.

To his credit, Abdullaev seems content with a patient approach.

"My time is coming," he said before leaving for Australia. "I think I'm starting to make a good name for myself. More people will know who I am as long as I keep winning. I'm comfortable with that."

Abdullaev is part of a team of Russia-area fighters that are under Adams' care and train at Johnny Tocco's gym. In addition, he trains promising junior middleweight Kuvanych Toygonbaev, who also won a fight on the Tszyu-Leija card and is 20-1, and heavyweight Ruslan Chagaev, who is 8-0 and was hoping to fight in Australia until a medical controversy forced him off the card at the weigh-in.

But it's Abdullaev who appears to have the greatest -- perhaps even unlimited -- potential.

"He's going to be the champion, there isn't any doubt about it," Adams said. "He's always in tremendous shape ... his defense is good ... and his right hand is so strong that he actually hurt my hand while we were warming up with the mitts in the dressing room."

Holiday, 38-6-1, offered as much resistance as he could muster but was soon overwhelmed.

"Abdullaev was too swift, too quick for him," Adams said. "Holiday hit him with one good shot that Muhammad took well, and he blocked some others."

The fight ended with Holiday down and trying to regroup as the count reached "seven" and the referee deciding he had seen enough.

"It was an impressive showing," Adams said, summarizing his man's experience Down Under.